DoubleTree by Hilton Opens Second Hotel in Charleston, SC Area

  

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites
 Charleston Airport

McLean, VA (Jan. 17, 2012) – DoubleTree by Hilton today announced the opening of a newly renovated hotel just 15 minutes from South Carolina’s Charleston International Airport.

 The 149-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Charleston Airport, formerly an exterior-corridor property, has been completely transformed into an upscale, full-service interior corridor hotel owned and operated by Homecourt Hospitality N. Charleston LLC under a franchise license agreement with a subsidiary of Hilton Worldwide.

Charleston International Airport lobby

 “We couldn’t be more proud to be the third DoubleTree branded hotel in South Carolina,” said Josh Williams, who along with partner Joe Ross, developed the hotel.  

  “We’ve watched the DoubleTree brand continue to gain market share over the last few years and appreciate the uniqueness the brand offers to owners.  We extend our heartfelt thanks to the multitude of people who have worked extremely hard to bring this vision to reality.” 

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Jerry Daly, Chris Daly

(703) 435-6293

jerry@dalygray.com

chris@dalygray.com

Access Point Finances Dual-branded Marriott Project in Nashville, TN

Jon S. Wright

 NASHVILLE, TN and ATLANTA, GA (Jan. 17, 2013)—Access Point Financial, Inc., (APF) a direct full-service lending and advisory firm focused on the hospitality industry, today announced it has provided first mortgage financing for a $37.5 million, 245-room dual-branded Marriott project located in the Midtown-West End district of Nashville, Tenn.

The eight-story, mixed-use project is being developed by ACE Hospitality, a well-regarded developer/owner with a successful history as a hotelier in Nashville.

The hotel complex will comprise a 145-room Residence Inn and a 100-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott. The property, currently set to break ground by the end of the month, is expected to open in 2014.  The hotel will be managed by Marriott International.

Located at the intersection of 18th St. and Hayes Ave., the hotel is being built on the site of the former Days Inn Vanderbilt, around the corner from Music Row and Vanderbilt University.   The hotel also will be convenient to the 1.2 million-square-foot Music City Convention Center scheduled to open midyear and the adjacent Country Music Hall of Fame expansion at the same site. 

 “This is a well-conceived project, in a great location, further enhanced by longstanding relationships with both Marriott and the developer,”  said Jon S. Wright president and CEO of Access Point Financial.  

“While our sweet spot continues to be financing the long-delayed CapEx projects as well as providing bridge financing for low leveraged refinance or acquisitions, we lend to quality projects such as this. 

" The borrower’s proven 20-year track record, combined with the city’s robust growth outlook and strong brand affiliations, made this a perfect fit for our lending platform.”

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Jerry Daly, Chris Daly

(703) 435-6293

jerry@dalygray.com

www.accesspointfinancial.com

Atlantic | Pacific Management Continues to Expand Portfolio

  

Lissette Sabatino

 MIAMI, FL – As of October 2012, Atlantic | Pacific Management (A|P Management), the property leasing & management platform under Atlantic | Pacific Companies, is pleased to announce their appointment as the new property management company for Coquina Cove at Martin Downs and Willoughby Cove.

 Under the new agreements, A|P Management will handle all property management responsibilities for each property.

 Coquina Cove at Martin Downs is a Class A apartment community located in the popular Martin Downs area of Palm City, FL.  The property has 256 luxury rental units with convenient access to the Florida Turnpike in Martin County, FL. 

Mark Briggs

Property Manager Shanon Pereira and Regional Manager Lissette Sabatino manage the property, both of whom are AP Management veterans.

 Willoughby Cove is a Class A apartment community conveniently located in the prestigious Willoughby neighborhood within minutes from the heart of downtown Stuart, FL.  Willoughby Cove contains 304 luxury rental units with easy access to I-95.  Property Manager Ginger Vyterna and Regional Manager Lissette Sabatino manage the property.

 A|P Management’s Sr. Managing Director, Mark Briggs, says “A|P continues to grow its rental apartment management business throughout the southeast.  A|P has now added more than 2,500 new units under management in 2012 with even greater expansion plans for 2013.”

Briggs continues by saying, “We believe that our steady growth is attributable to our high quality associates with an owner’s mindset that offers our clients a competitive advantage in all of our management assignments.”

 Contact:

Jessica Wade Pfeffer

Jessica Wade Inc.

Jessica@jessicawadeinc.com

305.804.8424

Essex Realty Group Management Buyout Completed in Chicago

Douglas Imber

 CHICAGO, IL – Doug Imber, President of Chicago based Essex Realty Group, Inc., is pleased to announce it has just completed a management buyout of the company.

 Essex was founded in 1990 by Imber and Northbrook based Banner Apartments.  Banner, (which focuses on the acquisition and management of apartment communities nationally), had been the majority owner of Essex, although it remained largely a passive investor in the firm.

Douglas Fisher

Imber and three of Essex’ Managing Directors, veteran brokers Jim Darrow, Doug Fisher and  Matt Welke, acquired Banner’s interests.

 According to Imber, “The buyout was extremely friendly and cooperative.  We hope and expect to continue our close relationship with Banner in other ventures for many years to come, as they have truly been outstanding partners.”

Matt Welke

Essex has grown to become Chicago’s largest broker of mid-market investment real estate. 

 Imber added that “Darrow, Fisher and Welke deserve so much of the credit for Essex’ success.  With them now as co-owners, I know Essex will continue to grow and to provide clients with the very highest level of service.”

James Darrow

 Essex Realty Group, Inc. specializes in the sale of investment real estate throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.

 Contact:

Douglas S. Imber

Essex Realty Group, Inc.

773.305.4902

dougimber@essexrealtygroup.com

www.essexrealtygroup.com

Avison Young acquires Houston-based Mason Partners

Mark E. Rose

 TORONTO, CANADA /PRNewswire/ - Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services

company, announced it has acquired the assets of Mason Partners, a Houston-based commercial real estate brokerage company.

The acquisition will further expand Avison Young's market and business-line coverage in Texas. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

 Media Relations:

Sherry Quan         

(604) 647-5098 or

(604) 726-0959 cell

email: sherry.quan@avisonyoung.com

Hotel Equity & Lender Perspectives (HELP) Conference Announces Speakers for Two-Day Event April 8-9 at Seaport Boston Hotel

 

Mark Woodworth

BOSTON, MA—Officials of the Hotel Equity and Lender Perspectives (HELP) Conference set for April 8-9 at the Seaport Boston Hotel announced key topics and speakers for the two-day event, including: 

·         Perspectives from 30,000 Feet—Kicking off the conference will be an insightful outlook for hotel equity and debt featuring Scott Berman, principal and industry leader, PriceWaterhouseCoopers; Anne Lloyd-Jones, managing director, HVS International; Mark Woodworth, president, PKF Hospitality Research, LLC; and moderator, Jeff Higley, VP, Digital Media & Communications, HotelNewsNow.com/STR.

Anne Lloyd-Jones

·         At Last, Financing for Hotels Over $25 Million—One of a number of panels expected to attract significant interest, this topic will be dissected by Israel Lopez, senior vice president, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Joe O’Loughlin, vice president, Wells Fargo Bank, among others; and moderated by Tom McConnell, executive managing director, Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman.

Registration for HELP is $695 during the early registration period through February 1st, after which it increases to $795.

 More information about the Hotel Equity & Lender Perspectives Conference, including sponsorship details, is available at www.helpconference.com or by calling (978) 777-4100.              

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Jerry Daly, Chris Daly

Daly Gray, Inc.

703-435-6293

Jerry@dalygray.com

Chris@dalygray.com

Gemstone Hotels & Resorts Acquires Hotel Durant in Berkeley, CA

  

Thomas Prins

BERKELEY, CA and PARK CITY, UT—Gemstone Hotels & Resorts, a full-service hotel management company that specializes in owning and operating luxury and upscale urban hotels and resorts, today announced the company has acquired the Hotel Durant in Berkeley Calif.

 The 144-room boutique hotel  is adjacent to the University of California Berkeley campus. 

“Hotel Durant is an outstanding addition to Gemstone’s growing collection of ‘one-of-a-kind’ hotels in top destination markets with high barriers to new entry,” said  Thomas Prins, Gemstone principal. 

Hotel Durant interior, Berkeley, CA

“A boutique hotel set amidst a vibrant university campus meshes perfectly with the rest of our portfolio and allows us to meet the needs of our guests for an intimate, luxury experience in the greater San Francisco area.”

Gemstone’s portfolio of major market boutique hotels also includes Maison 140 in Beverly Hills, the Mosaic in Los Angeles, the Copley Square Hotel in Boston and The Carlton in New York.

 For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact: 

Chris Daly,

Lauralee Dobbins

media

(703) 435-6293

Lauralee@dalygray.com

chris@dalygray.com

www.hoteldurantberkeley.com

www.gemstoneresorts.com

First Green Bank Celebrates 4th Anniversary in February; Ends 2012 with 25 Percent Increase in Assets and Loan Volume

First Green Bank Headquarters, Mount Dora, FL

 Mount Dora, FL. – First Green Bank celebrates its 4th Anniversary in February, and they have even more to celebrate with its 2012 record of 25 percent increase in assets and 25 percent increase in loan volume.

 That’s the word from Kenneth LaRoe, chairman and CEO of First Green Bank headquartered in Mount Dora, with branches in Clermont, Ormond Beach, downtown Orlando and soon in Winter Park.

Kenneth E. LaRoe

 “We recently found a Winter Park site and we will be there by the end of this year,” LaRoe said.  “All in all it has been a profitable year for us,” LaRoe emphasized.  

 First Green Bank’s assets for the year reached just over $200 million and loan volume was $151 million.  “Not bad for less than four years in operation,” LaRoe commented. 

For more information about this press release, contact:  

Kenneth E. LaRoe, CEO and Chairman, First GREEN Bank, 352-483-9100, ken@firstgreenbank.com

Paul Rountree, President, First GREEN Bank, 352-483-9100, paul@firstgreenbank.com

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142 or 407-461-3780, lvershelco@aol.com   

NAI Realvest Negotiates Expansion/Renewal Lease at Goldenrod CommerCenter in Orlando, FL

  

Goldenrod CommerCenter, East Orlando, FL

 ORLANDO, FL – NAI Realvest recently negotiated an expansion lease for 2,206 square feet of industrial space and a lease renewal for 2,206 square feet at Goldenrod CommerCenter, 1468 N. Goldenrod Rd. in east Orlando. 

Michael Heidrich, principal at NAI Realvest brokered the transactions representing the landlord, COP-Goldenrod, LLC of Maitland. 

 The tenant in the Goldenrod CommerCenter who renewed Suite 220 and expanded into adjacent Suite 230 bringing total occupancy to 4,412 square feet is Black Forge, LLC.  

For more information, please contact

Michael Heidrich, Principal, NAI Realvest 407-875-9989 or mheidrich@realvest.com

Patrick Mahoney, President, NAI Realvest 407-875-9989 pmahoney@realvest.com

Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142 lvershelco@aol.com

NAI Realvest Negotiates Sale of Former Sears Service Center in Daytona Beach, FL to National Distributor

Paul Partyka

 MAITLAND, FL  -- NAI Realvest recently negotiated the sale of the former Sears Service Center located at 840 Bill France Blvd. in Daytona Beach for $630,000.

 Paul P. Partyka, managing partner at NAI Realvest, who represented the seller Warmack-Muskogee, LP of Texarkana, Texas, said the property was purchased by Airgas USA.

 The 12,200 square foot facility built in 1991 and its 2.22+ acre site was purchased by Airgas to expand from its current nearby location.   The buyer is a distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases and related equipment and services based in Kennesaw, Ga.

For more information, contact

 Paul P. Partyka, Managing Partner, NAI Realvest, 407-875-9989 ppartyka@realvest.com;

 Patrick Mahoney, President, NAI Realvest, 407-875-9989 pmahoney@realvest.com;

 Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142 lvershelco@aol.com

Emerson International Reports Expansion Leases totaling more than 6,000 SF at CenterPointe in Altamonte Springs, FL and Sanlando Center in Longwood, FL

Kenneth Koch

 Altamonte Springs, FL. --- Emerson International recently negotiated expansion leases for two of its tenants – one in Longwood, and one in Altamonte Springs totaling more than 6,000 square feet. 

Kenneth Koch, director of leasing for Emerson International, Inc., said Freedom Mortgage Company expanded its occupancy by 4,901 square feet in the Sanlando Center at 2180 W. SR 434 in Longwood.   Freedom Mortgage now leases a total of 15,905 square feet from Emerson International at the Sanlando Center.

Sanlando Center, Longwood, FL

At CenterPointe II, 220 E. Central Parkway in Altamonte Springs, Koch said Maguire Insurance renewed its existing lease and expanded with another 1,112 square feet for a total of 7,920 square feet.  

Paul Kelly, senior associate at Coughlin Commercial represented Maguire in the expansion lease agreement at CenterPointe II.

Koch represented Landlord Emerson International in negotiations for the leases at both locations.

For more information, contact

Kenneth Koch, Director of Leasing, Emerson International, Inc. 407-834-9560;

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142 lvershelco@aol.com.

Berger Commercial Realty Brokers Joseph Byrnes and Greg Milopolous Negotiate 10-Year Lease at 2005 Vista Parkway in West Palm Beach, FL

Joseph Byrnes

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - Berger Commercial Realty Vice President Joseph Byrnes and Broker Associate Greg Milopolous recently represented Black Oak Partners, LLC in leasing more than 10,000-square-feet of office space, located in a two-story suburban office building at 2005 Vista Parkway in West Palm Beach, to GLV Insurance Agency, Inc.

 Black Oak Partners purchased the building for $3.725 million from Design Arts of Palm Beach LLC on July 31.

Greg Milopoulos

 Black Oak Partners assigned the exclusive lease listings for the building to Byrnes, who represented the company in the purchase, and hired Berger Commercial Realty Vice President of Property Management Tim Hackett to manage it. Since then, the building has had a 10 percent rise in its occupancy level.

 The 41,899-square-foot building sits on four acres of land and was built in two phases during 2003 and 2006.

Tim Hackett

Byrnes represents more than 800,000 square feet of office, industrial and retail space. He is a retail real estate specialist in the capacity of landlord and tenant representation.

Milopoulos handles industrial and office space and has more than four years of real estate experience. He is a licensed real estate broker, licensed general contractor, and licensed mortgage broker.

Hackett oversees the management of more than 4 million square feet of commercial properties in South Florida.

Contact:

Marielle Sologuren

Pierson Grant Public Relations

msologuren@piersongrant.com

(954) 776-1999, ext. 226

$84.5 million sale of Long Island City, NY office building closed by HFF

Long Island City, NY Train Station

NEW YORK, NY – HFF announced it has closed the sale (December 31, 2012) of The Center Building, a 450,000-square-foot, multi-tenant office building in Long Island City, in the borough of Queens, New York. 

                HFF marketed the property on behalf of the seller, Hampshire Properties. 

  A venture formed by affiliates of Madison Marquette and certain funds within the Perella Weinberg Partners’ Asset-Based Value strategy purchased The Center Building for $84.5 million.

 The purchaser plans to build upon the asset’s existing strong tenancy and cash flow, and to add value to both the office and retail components. The Center Building is located at 33-00 Northern Boulevard.

  

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Kristen M. Murphy

Associate Director

HFF | 9 Greenway Plaza, Suite 700 | Houston, TX 77046

tel 713.852.3500 | cel 617.543.4873 | fax 713.527.8725 | www.hfflp.com

krmurphy@hfflp.com

HFF arranges $19.1 million financing for sale-leaseback of a Greenwich, CT office property

Michael Tepedino

NEW YORK, NY – HFF announced it has arranged $19.1 million in acquisition financing for a 32,000-square-foot office property in Greenwich, Connecticut.

                Working on behalf of the borrower, Win Properties, HFF placed the 10-year fixed-rate loan with Cantor Commercial Real Estate.  The loan proceeds were used to acquire the property in a sale-leaseback transaction. 

                The property is located less than one mile north of Interstate 95 in downtown Greenwich, approximately 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan.  The property is 100 percent net leased to the national headquarters of an institutional equity trading corporation.

The HFF team representing Win Properties was led by senior managing director Michael Tepedino with real estate analyst David Fowler.

Win Properties, Inc. was incorporated in 1986.  It is a 60 plus year old privately owned enterprise that invests, develops, leases, and manages its portfolio of properties in 35 states plus Canada.  The properties are predominately retail and are either downtown Main Street, freestanding, or community strip shopping centers.  Additionally Win owns residential rental apartment units in New York City.

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Kristen M. Murphy

Associate Director

HFF | 9 Greenway Plaza, Suite 700 | Houston, TX 77046

tel 713.852.3500 | cel 617.543.4873 | fax 713.527.8725 | www.hfflp.com

krmurphy@hfflp.com

HFF arranges $7.17 million in first lien financing for Hulen Fashion Center in Fort Worth, TX

John Brownlee

DALLAS, TX – HFF announced today that it has arranged $7.17 million in first lien financing for the acquisition of Hulen Fashion Center, a 181,099-square-foot retail strip center in Fort Worth, Texas.

                Working on behalf of a group of investors represented by Venture Commercial and E&B Investment Trust, HFF placed the three-year floating-rate loan with Bank of Texas, N.A. 

The HFF team representing the borrower was led by senior managing director John Brownlee and associate director Campbell Roche

Hulen Fashion Center, Fort Worth, TX

Bryan Cornelius, Easley Waggoner and John Zikos of Venture Commercial represented the buyer in the transaction.  Brandon Beeson of EDGE Realty Partners represented the seller.  Bank of Texas was represented by Mack Haisten.

                Hulen Fashion Center is situated on a 12.9-acre site at 5200 South Hulen Street, one block south of the Hulen Mall in Fort Worth.  The property is subject to a master ground lease with 47 years remaining on the lease term.  Hulen Fashion Center is 89 percent leased to major tenants including Jo Ann Stores, Chili’s Restaurant and Men’s Wearhouse. 

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Kristen M. Murphy

Associate Director

HFF | 9 Greenway Plaza, Suite 700 | Houston, TX 77046

tel 713.852.3500 | cel 617.543.4873 | fax 713.527.8725 | www.hfflp.com

krmurphy@hfflp.com