LITTLETON, COLO. — Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) has arranged the $134 million sale of Griffis Marston Lake, a 332-unit multifamily community in Littleton. Built in 2002, the garden-style community was marketed as a value-add investment. The property offers a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units near major employers including the Swedish Medical Center, Denver Federal Center and Lockheed Martin. The community is also located roughly 10 miles south of downtown Denver and the Denver Tech Center. Dan Woodward, David Potarf, Matt Barnett and Jake Young of Walker & Dunlop brokered the transaction on behalf of the seller, a partnership between Denver-based Griffis Residential and Pacific Coast Capital Partners. Trevor Fase, also of Walker & Dunlop, secured fixed-rate, interest-only acquisition financing through Fannie Mae on behalf of the buyer, Kennedy Wilson. This transaction follows a number of major multifamily deals in the Denver area during the month of October, including the sale of a five-building multifamily portfolio in Aurora; the funding of a 252-unit development and the $64.5 million sale of Mesa Verde Apartments in Arvada; and the $108.2 million acquisition of Neon Local Apartments in Denver. Griffis Residential owns a portfolio of multifamily communities across Colorado, Texas, Oregon, Washington …
Multifamily
By Ryan Kirby, Village Green In the understatement of all understatements, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed a few things in the housing market. Supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and the astronomical rise in the price of lumber have all exacerbated the steady decline in new home construction. For more than a year, home prices have been on the rise, making purchasing a home a challenge — or even an impossibility — for many. As a result, the rental market is booming, but that’s not entirely due to COVID. In fact, the rise in rentals began taking shape long before COVID made its impact on the world. Then, new challenges and norms created by the pandemic accelerated these existing trends. Ultimately, more Americans are choosing to rent due to generational, financial and practical factors, not just situational factors related to COVID. That said, the pandemic has fundamentally changed what renters are looking for in a rental unit, and these preferences are likely to continue long after the coronavirus is a distant memory. For property managers, this means playing into the trends of what today’s renters are looking for. Keeping these renter preferences in mind won’t just make your properties more attractive …
NEW YORK CITY — Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) and Greystone have announced a strategic joint venture to deliver advisory services and capital solutions to existing, joint and new clients of both firms nationwide. Under the terms of the agreement, Cushman & Wakefield will make a strategic investment of $500 million to acquire a 40 percent stake in Greystone’s agency, HUD and servicing businesses. Greystone intends to use the capital to create new product offerings. The joint venture transaction is slated to close in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. Greystone is a multifamily lender focused on bridge, Fannie Mae DUS, Freddie Mac Optigo and HUD loans. The joint venture will allow Cushman & Wakefield to access a broader range of debt products for property acquisition, refinancing, rehabilitation and new construction. “We’re excited to offer a new integrated capability to our investor clients with more direct access to Greystone’s balance sheet and capital solutions, including debt financing with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD,” says Andrew McDonald, Cushman & Wakefield’s chief executive, Americas. This investment expands Cushman & Wakefield’s presence in the multifamily sector. In early 2020, the firm acquired Pinnacle Property Management Services LLC, the …
TYSONS, VA. — Walker & Dunlop Inc. has secured $300 million in construction financing for The Mather, a two-building seniors housing community in Tysons. The project will be built in two phases, with Phase I projected to open in early 2024. The transit-oriented project will feature 19- and 27-story towers with 300 independent living apartments, 16 assisted living apartments, 20 memory support suites and 42 private nursing suites. Community amenities will include multiple restaurants, a fitness center, wellness spa, art studio, rooftop terrace, saltwater pool, parking and retail. The Mather will feature approximately three acres of green space with landscaped gardens, walking paths, sculptures and an event lawn. Situated at the corner of Westpark and Westbranch drives, The Mather is just 15 miles from Washington, D.C., and is located within a half-mile of the Tysons Corner Metro Station and the Tysons Galleria Shopping Mall. Jonathan Schwartz, Aaron Appel, Ari Hirt, Sean Bastian and Taylor Geiger of Walker & Dunlop served as strategic advisors for the borrower, an entity doing business as Tysons LPC LLC that comprises a 50/50 equity partnership between nonprofit seniors housing operator Mather and Westminster Capital. The capital stack included a syndicated transaction led by The Huntington …
MCDONOUGH, GA. — Dominium has purchased The Promenade and Willow Place, two apartment communities located at 150 S. Zack Hinton Parkway in McDonough, to develop a $130 million affordable housing project. The development will provide 288 affordable homes for families and 182 homes for seniors. The seller(s) was not disclosed. Greystone arranged a Freddie Mac Tax Exempt Loan (TEL) for both deals, U.S. Bank provided financing for The Promenade and America First Multifamily Investors (ATAX) originated tax-exempt and taxable construction loans for Willow Place. U.S. Bank provided equity investments in the 4 percent low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) for both deals. Dominium also received support from Georgia Housing and Finance Authority (GHFA) in obtaining 4 percent LIHTC equity and McDonough Housing Authority for the allocation of tax-exempt bonds. Dominium’s development partners for the project include the City of McDonough, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Weis Builders, Dominium Construction & Architectural Services, Martin Riley & Associates, Kimley-Horn, Winthrop & Weinstine, Falcon Design Consultants, Nova Engineering and First American Title.
CARY, N.C. — JLL Capital Markets has brokered the $5 million sale for a 5.8-acre infill land parcel in Cary that is zoned for multifamily. SunCap Property Group acquired the land with plans to develop a 230-unit apartment community called Ashby at Twin Lakes at the site. The property will include one-, two- and three-bedroom residences, as well as a courtyard and pool, gas grills, indoor and outdoor fitness center, workout stations, dog park and spa, bike storage and secured parking. Situated along Davis Drive, the site is located within the Twin Lakes Planned Development District, which also includes a new 100,000-square-foot Wegmans-anchored retail center. David Lee of SunCap’s multifamily division worked closely with the Town of Cary to plan the community. Sarah Godwin of JLL marketed the land on behalf of the seller, an entity doing business as Leyland Twin Lakes LLC.
DALLAS — Lument has provided $47.1 million in financing for The Oaks, a mixed-income seniors housing project in Dallas. The package consists of $25 million in short-term bonds and $22.1 million in Freddie Mac permanent financing. The Oaks will consist of 260 units for residents aged 62 or older. Over 90 percent of the units will have income or rent restrictions, with 216 units serving seniors earning at or below 60 percent of the area median income (AMI) and 27 units serving seniors earning at or below 30 percent of AMI. Construction is expected to be complete in 2023. Upon stabilization, the Freddie Mac loan and tax credit equity will be used to pay off a $35 million construction loan from a national bank. The borrower is a partnership between DHA Housing Solutions for North Texas and the Volunteers of America National Services. Tracy Peters and Dale Giffey led the transaction for Lument.
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS — JLL has arranged a loan of an undisclosed amount for the refinancing of Vine on North Park, a 216-unit apartment community located near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Grapevine. The property was built on 12 acres in 1985 and renovated in 2018 to feature granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and brushed nickel hardware. Units also offer private balconies/patios, and amenities include a pool, fitness center, business center, dog park, package locker system, basketball court and a playground. Mark Brandenburg and Chad Russell of JLL placed the 10-year, fixed-rate loan through NexBank on behalf of the undisclosed borrower.
BOSTON — Nuestra Comunidad and Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) have broken ground on The Kenzi at Bartlett Station, a 50-unit affordable seniors housing community in Boston. The $27 million project is part of a five-phase redevelopment at a vacant bus yard, which Nuestra Comunidad and Windale Developers now own, located in Nubian Square within the Roxbury neighborhood. The Kenzi will feature 41 one-bedroom units, and three two-bedroom apartments in a 57,576-square-foot building. The housing includes 44 units restricted to Bostonians over the age of 55 who earn at or below 80 percent of the area median income, or $69,000 for a two-person household. The development also includes five units of housing for formerly homeless Bostonians. The project is supported by $15 million in state and federal housing tax credit investments, $4 million from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, $1.8 million in Community Preservation Act funding, $750,000 from the Neighborhood Housing Trust, a $700,000 investment by POAH and $500,000 from the Boston Medical Center.
CGI+ Real Estate Strategies to Construct Mixed-Use Development on Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile
by Amy Works
LOS ANGELES — CGI+ Real Estate Strategies has received full entitlements to develop a hotel, multifamily and retail mixed-use project at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile district. Located at 639 S. La Brea Ave., the eight-story, transit-oriented property will feature a 125-key hotel, 121 residential rental units and 13,000 square feet of street-level and rooftop restaurant space. The boutique-style hotel will offer rooms ranging in size from 320 square feet to 415 square feet, as well as two top-floor guest suites as large as 1,200 square feet. Hotel amenities will include a 3,500-square-foot event space, a layered rooftop guest deck and a swimming pool. The residential component will offer a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans with 18 units set aside for extremely low-income households and one for a moderate-income household. Each apartment will feature hardwood floors, in-unit washers/dryers and home automation controls for security and climate, as well as one-touch access to neighborhood services. Community amenities will include a fitness center, rooftop deck with interactive lounge spaces and pool, and a bicycle storage area. Morris Adjmi is serving as architect and interior designer for the development, which is the …