Morgante Wilson Architects Celebrates 30th Anniversary to Close Out 2017

Wilson-Morgante Team Celebcrates Firm's 30th Anniversary in Evanston, IL

  

  Evanston, Ill.-based Morgante Wilson Architects, a leading national residential architecture and interior design firm, gathered clients, employees, vendors, family and friends for a Dec. 1 celebration of the company’s 30^th anniversary at the historic Charles Gates Dawes House in Evanston. 

“After three decades in business, it was incredibly gratifying to celebrate with a group of individuals who have contributed to our success over the years – from the amazing clients we’ve had the privilege to work with to our incredibly talented team, and of course the family and friends who have supported us along the way,” said Fred Wilson, co-principal of Morgante Wilson Architects (MWA) along with his wife and business partner, Elissa Morgante.

“This anniversary is a tremendous opportunity to not only think back on the many milestones that have brought us to this point, but also look ahead to our next chapter as we continue to grow our firm and renew our commitment to delivering exceptional designs  and a truly collaborative experience for our clients.”

Wilson established MWA in 1987, just two years after completing graduate school. Morgante joined him in the business several years later, complementing Wilson’s expertise with her holistic design approach and background in environmental design. Over the years the couple has grown MWA from its original staff of three to its current team of 30 design professionals, and amassed a portfolio of more than 2,040 completed design projects spanning 16 states and territories.

With a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach that encompasses a range of styles from contemporary to classic and includes expertise in architecture, interior architecture, interior design and furniture design, MWA is best-known for designing private luxury residences and vacation homes, particularly in the Midwest and Chicago.

Fred Wilson and wife Elissa Morgante celebrate their architectural firm's
30th anniversary in Evanston, IL

 In 2007, Morgante launched MWA’s interiors division as a natural extension of the firm’s expertise in residential architecture, providing a valuable add-on service to clients. In recent years, the MWA team has also expanded the scope of its portfolio to hospitality and commercial interiors, collaborating with top multifamily developers to execute the interior design of high-end model apartments, consult on unit finish packages, and oversee the interior architecture and design of common areas and amenity spaces.

“While we’ve always stayed true to our roots and the residential architecture clients that are the foundation of our business, it’s also been exciting and fulfilling to evolve and grow our firm over time based on not only new opportunities in the market, but also our own professional interests and the specialized talents of our team,” noted Morgante.

As a husband-wife partnership, Morgante and Wilson have cultivated a family-like culture at their firm that has resulted in a number of long-time employees, several of whom have been with the company for more than 20 years. Earlier this fall, the couple announced that three of those long-time employees, associate principals John Potter, K. Tyler and Bob Zuber, were named as MWA’s first partners.

“It’s all the more exciting to think ahead to the future of our firm knowing we have such trusted employees and strong leadership in place,” said Wilson. “We’re eager to shape the next chapter of Morgante Wilson Architects and hopefully continue serving our clients and delivering great designs for many more years to come.”

  

 For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sarah Lyons, slyons@taylorjohnson.com, (312) 267-4520

Kim Manning, kmanning@taylorjohnson.com, (312) 267-4527

www.morgantewilson.com.

http://www.morgantewilson.com/blog.

 

HFF announces $70.675M financing of Granite Place at Village Center in Greenwood Village, CO

Eric Tupler

DENVER, CO –-- Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P. (HFF) announces the $70.675 million financing of Granite Place at Village Center, a 10-story, 299,568-square-foot, Class AA office tower in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

The HFF team worked on behalf of the borrower, Crestone Partners, LLC in partnership with an institutional investor, to secure the six-year, fixed-rate, interest-only loan through Principal Real Estate Investors.  Loan proceeds were used to acquire the property. 

Granite Place at Village Center is located at 6165 S. Willow Drive in the southeast submarket of Denver.  The property is visible from Interstate 25, is a five-minute walk to the Village Center light rail station, and is within walking distance of many shopping, dining and residential options. 

 Designed by Open Studio Architecture and completed in 2017, Granite Place at Village Center features a large community area on the ground floor where workers can work and socialize, full height glass providing abundant natural light and mountain views, conference facilities with a boardroom, large training room and pre-function staging area, fitness center and a full service café. 

The state-of-the-art building is fully leased to two companies; Charter Communications, one of the largest private employers in Greenwood Village; and CSG International. 

The HFF debt placement team representing the borrower included senior managing director Eric Tupler.

 For more information on this news release, please contact:

Kristen Murphy

 krmurphy@hfflp.com

OTL Makes a Splash – Announces New Headquarters to Accommodate Global Growth

$1.7 Million Show Fountain, The Veranda, Concord, CA

            ANAHEIM, CA – Outside the Lines (OTL), a design-build construction company that specializes in creating one-of-a-kind water features, rockwork and themed environments for shopping centers, resorts, theme parks, zoos, aquariums, and other attractions, has announced a new headquarters location to accommodate the firm’s rapid global growth.

            OTL’s new location is in Anaheim, California, and offers more than double the space of its predecessor.  The firm, creates immersive and entertainment-driven water, light, and fire elements for commercial and public properties throughout the globe.

J. Wickham Zimmerman

            “OTL has long been an industry leader in the world of water features and themed environments, and worldwide demand for our services continues to grow,” says J. Wickham Zimmerman, Chief Executive Officer of Outside the Lines. “We plan to capitalize on this uptick in activity, and continue to rapidly expand throughout the industry.”

            This move coincides with a rapid increase in architectural and development projects that demand unique water features and environments, according to Zimmerman, who points to a recent study by the American Institute for Architects to illustrate this rising demand.

            “Developers spent approximately $472.1 billion on architecture in 2016, and analysts predict this number will be even larger in 2017 and 2018,” he says.  “As unique, eye-catching, visitor-attracting elements continue to be a priority for developers everywhere, we will continue to see increased investment in water features and themed environments as ways to increase visitor numbers, repeat visits and length of stay.”

            OTL’s new headquarters is a Class A+ office space featuring state-of-the-art amenities and features, such as outdoor seating areas, an outdoor kitchen, a gym and a conference center which will support the company’s ongoing expansion.

            Zimmerman notes, “This additional space will support our growing team and the growing pipeline of projects we continue to take on. By elevating our work space, we can continue to push the envelope and provide the highest quality, most immersive experiences for our clients.”

            OTL’s new headquarters is located at 2150 S Towne Centre Place, Suite 100 in Anaheim, California.

For more information on this release, please contact:

Katie Clendening or Jenn Quader                                              

Brower, Miller & Cole

(949) 955-7940

kclendening@browermillercole.com

www.otl-inc.com.

Arbor Funds $64.6 Million in Multifamily Deals from Coast to Coast

  

Lake Terrace Garden Apartments, New Orleans, LA

  

UNIONDALE, NY – Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR), a real estate investment trust and national direct lender specializing in loan origination and servicing for multifamily, seniors housing, healthcare and other diverse commercial real estate assets, recently funded 22 loans totaling $64,614,000 under the Fannie Mae DUS® Loan, Freddie Mac SBL and Fannie Mae Seniors product lines.

Ari Short of Arbor’s NYC office originated the loans. “As a top multifamily lender, Arbor is able to custom tailor financial solutions to meet the unique needs of our clients and their goals,” Mr. Short said.

“Whether looking to maximize value, secure permanent financing or execute a quick closing, our vast knowledge and experience always result in an optimal loan solution.”

Among the 22 transactions, properties include:

Ari Short

·        Lake Terrace Garden Apartments, New Orleans, LA – This 184-unit multifamily property received $11,987,000 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Loan program. The 10-year, fixed rate refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule.

 ·        288 E 149th Street, Bronx, NY – This 12-unit multifamily property with 11 units and a retail space received $2,500,000 funded under the Freddie Mac SBL Loan program. The 10-year, fixed rate refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule.

·        Brooklyn Portfolio, Brooklyn, NY – Five multifamily apartment buildings with a total of 41 units received $11,429,000 funded under the Freddie Mac SBL Loan program as hybrid refinance loans.

·        Chapel Oaks Apartments, Fort Wayne, IN – This 320-unit property received $6,000,000 of acquisition funding.

·        Antebellum Grove, Warner Robins, GA – This 62-unit property received $7,000,000 under the Fannie Mae Seniors Loan program for refinance cash out.

  

·        Iron House Apartments, Richmond, VA – This 39-unit property with 35 units and 4 retail spaces, received $2,500,000 acquisition funding under the Fannie Mae DUS® Loan program.

For more information on this release, please contact:

Bina Handa

Tel: 516.506.4229

bhanda@arbor.com

Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.

333 Earle Ovington Blvd, Suite 900

Uniondale, NY 11553

800.ARBOR.10

www.arbor.com