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Grubb Nabs $377M FiDi Construction Loan: The N.Y. Deal Sheet

New York Deal Sheet

An under-construction apartment building in the Financial District that is set to become one of the neighborhood’s tallest towers just scored a major new financing package.

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The progress on Grubb Properties' ground-up residential construction at 8 Carlisle St. in FiDi in April

Grubb Properties landed $377M in fresh financing for 8 Carlisle St., split into a $300M senior construction loan from Maxim Capital Group and $77M in mezzanine financing from Skylight Real Estate Partners and GreenBarn Investment Group.

Arrow Real Estate Advisors’ Morris Betesh, Omar Ferreira, Brandon Serota and Jacob Petrovic arranged the financing.

North Carolina-based Grubb’s 462-unit project will span 64 stories and was halfway to its full 789-foot height in early June, New York YIMBY reported at the time.

The site, previously known as 111 Washington, contained a 10-story parking garage until it was demolished by a former owner in 2007.

But it ended up stuck as a stalled development site after two firms owned respectively by father-son duo Fred and Richard Ohebshalom acquired the property but later sued each other over its sale price, The Real Deal reported.

The property was still an empty development site by the time Grubb shelled out $89.2M for it in 2021. Grubb started pilings and earthwork at the property, which it is marketing as 8 Carlisle, in 2023, according to New York YIMBY.

The property is one of a select few ground-up residential developments in FiDi, where developers have more frequently pounced on office-to-residential conversions during the post-pandemic years.

TOP FINANCING DEALS

Watermark Capital Group scored a $105M refinancing deal from Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners to lease up The Pecora, a 184-unit luxury multifamily building at 41-10 Crescent St. in Long Island City. The 210K SF building, which features 56 affordable units, has a 421-a tax abatement. Arrow's Betesh, Israel Mermelstein, Ferreira, Petrovic and Jonah Schultz arranged the financing.

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Vanbarton Group refinanced the 628K SF office building at 425 Lexington Ave. with a $352M loan from Goldman Sachs, PincusCo reported. The prior lender was New York Life Insurance Co., which lent $214.4M against the building in 2023, according to property records.

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Fortress Investment Group lent $245M to Sonesta International Hotels to refinance four hotels, PincusCo reported. The properties include a Murray Hill hotel at 303 Lexington Ave. and two Midtown East hotels at 125 and 155 E. 50th St. The financing replaced a $202.7M loan from CarVal Investors.

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Related Cos. refinanced five Far Rockaway residential properties totaling 329 units with a $90M loan from Wells Fargo, PincusCo reported. The buildings include three apartment towers at 14-30 and 14-50 Gateway Blvd. and 15-02 Mott Ave. The properties previously carried $36M of Fannie Mae debt.

TOP LEASES

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Law firm Loeb & Loeb expanded to 179K SF at Rudin's 345 Park Ave.

Law firm Loeb & Loeb inked a 19K SF deal at Rudin’s 345 Park Ave., expanding to a total of 179K SF for a 16-year term. Loeb has been at the 1.9M SF building since 1993 and will move into its expanded space in the first quarter. CBRE’s Lewis Miller, Ken Rapp, Michael Wellen and Alex Kucera represented the law firm, while Robert Steinman represented Rudin in-house.

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Ralph Lauren expanded by 22K SF at RXR's Starrett-Lehigh building, bringing its total footprint in the Chelsea landmark to 280K SF. The fashion house will occupy part of the second-floor mezzanine as well as parts of the fifth, sixth and seventh floors on a 13-year lease. Daniel Birney and Denise Rivera represented RXR in-house. CBRE's Eric Deutsch represented Ralph Lauren.

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Shorenstein is moving its NYC office to Park 53, ZG Capital Partners and Rialto Capital Management’s Billionaires’ Row office tower at 45 E. 53rd St. Shorenstein is relocating from 850 Third Ave. to a 6K SF lease at the 140K SF building, where asking rents range between $125 and $155 per SF. JLL’s Mitch Konsker, Ben Bass, Alex Chudnoff, Greg Wang and Thomas Swartz represented building ownership. CBRE's Sacha Zarba, Kyle Zarba and Claire Pisano represented Shorenstein.

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Anchorage Capital Advisors is opening an office at Cain and Alchemy-ABR Investment Partners’ 125 W. 57th St., bringing the 30-story office tower to almost 75% leased, according to a release. The tenant leased 21K SF, Commercial Observer reported. Cushman & Wakefield's Tim Hay, Brian Hay and Ethan Silverstein represented Anchorage. JLL’s Mitch Konsker, Kristen Morgan, Christine Colley, Kate Roush and Dan Turkewitz represented the landlords.

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Cerberus Capital Management signed a 131K SF renewal at Global Holdings' 875 Third Ave., according to a Colliers quarterly leasing report. Cerberus originally took 110K SF in the 29-story, 700K SF tower in 2011 and expanded to its current footprint in 2018, Commercial Observer reported. Newmark’s Jason Greenstein, David Falk and Eric Cagner represented Cerberus. Global Holdings’ Alexander Radmin represented the landlord in-house.

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Purple Style Labs signed a 24K SF lease at 601 Madison Ave., where the Indian fashion firm will likely operate a pop-up studio, Commercial Observer reported. Colliers' Jake Horowitz, David Tricarico and Isabella Pizzo represented the tenant. The building is owned by an affiliate of Buchbinder & Warren Realty Group.

TOP SALES

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A White Castle eatery at 89-03 57th Ave. closed its doors and sold in late June.

White Castle President Anthony Joseph signed a document selling an Elmhurst site where it had an outpost for 85 years, Crain’s New York Business reported. An entity linked to Flushing-based real estate firm Sunlight Development paid $15M for the single-story, 2K SF building at 89-03 57th Ave. The White Castle shuttered last month.

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Delshah Capital spent $127.8M on three Williamsburg buildings with a total of 140 units, PincusCo reported. There were separate sellers for each of the three multifamily properties. Affiliates of Hutton Capital sold 227 Grand St., Commercial Observer reported, with Rosewood Realty Group brokers representing buyer and seller. Parkview Management sold 452 Keap St., and Bronstein Properties sold 456 Grand St. in deals arranged by Meridian Capital brokers.

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Nuveen Real Estate acquired a two-building Upper West Side multifamily portfolio from L+M Development Partners for $75M, Commercial Observer reported. The 200 Manhattan Ave. and 133 W. 104th St. buildings include 126 project-based Section 8 voucher units and span a total of 144K SF. Ariel Property Advisors’ Victor Sozio, Shimon Shkury and Remi Mandell worked on behalf of L+M.

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The owners of a two-story Long Island City film studio parted ways with the 40K SF property for $18.8M, Crain’s reported. Shell company Grandview Portfolio bought 34-02 Laurel Hill Blvd., known as York Studios, from owners Patricia York and scaffolding company Swing Staging’s John Pantanelli.