Rate: Confidential
Term: Twenty-four-month initial term with one, 12-month extension option
Amortization: Interest only
LTC: 92.5%
Prepayment: Nine-months minimum interest
Guaranty: 50% repayment guarantee that burns down to 25% repayment guarantee upon certificate of occupancy (on senior loan only; does not apply to the non-recourse preferred equity investment)
Transaction Description:
George Smith Partners successfully placed $19,100,000 in construction financing, which funded 92.5% of the total project cost for the construction of a 111-unit second phase of a larger mixed-use multifamily and retail project located in the trendy St. Louis City neighborhood of The Grove. The financing structure included a senior loan to 85% LTC and a preferred equity investment with last-dollar exposure to 92.5% of total project cost. The preferred equity investment is non-recourse and the senior loan provides for only a 50% repayment guarantee that burns down to 25% upon certificate of occupancy. Additionally, the Lender and preferred equity investor gave credit for a lift in land value above the Borrower’s actual cost due to the Sponsor having owned the land since 2016 and it being the second phase of a larger project. GSP leveraged its expertise of the St. Louis market, long-standing lender relationships, and capital markets creativity to achieve the Sponsors goals of minimizing cash equity invested into the project due to how much value is being created in this phase of the project.
Related Financings
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$29,250,000 Senior Construction Financing for a Mixed-Use Development; Bellflower, CA
February 16, 2022
Transaction Description:
George Smith Partners placed a $29,250,000 senior construction loan for a ground-up development of a mixed-use project in Bellflower, CA. When complete, the 5-story Project will consist of 91 apartment units and approximately 14,550 SF of 1st-floor commercial/retail/restaurant space. The Subject is located at the northern boundary of the Downtown Bellflower District and is an integral component of the city’s TOD Specific Plan. When complete, residents will be able to access LAX, the South Bay, and DTLA via the Blue and Green Metro lines.
As the marquee development for the Bellflower TOD Specific Plan, few comparable projects were available in proximity to the Project site. GSP focused interested lenders on the supporting employment centers within a twenty-minute driving distance, including seven medical centers inside of a 5-mile radius. Additionally, while few Class-A style multifamily properties currently exist near the site, GSP used submarket data to show that demographic trends within the immediate area support the need for new product. GSP executed a broad and in-depth marketing campaign to help capital markets understand the opportunity.
Rate: Prime + 0.75%; Floor 4.375%
Term: 24 Months + three, 6-Month Extension
Stabilized Loan-To-Value: 65%
LTC: 72%- Advisors: Matthew Kirisits
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$56,500,000 Construction Financing for a Coastal Infill Mixed-Use Asset; Solana Beach, CA
May 19, 2021
Transaction Description:
George Smith Partners arranged $56,500,000 in construction financing for the development of a mixed-use coastal infill project in Solana Beach, CA. The mixed-use development features 55,000 square feet of office space, 9,000 square feet of retail and 25 apartment units.
Located just one block from the beach and the Cedros Avenue Design District, the two-story development focused on sustainability will be the largest mixed-use project along Highway 101 in the past three decades. The dearth of comparable projects, especially ones with large office floorplates, presented a unique opportunity.
Amidst a time of market volatility and economic uncertainty, GSP was able to identify capital who not only understood the value of all three components and the subsequent demand but also the ability of the Sponsor to execute on the intended business plan.All Terms Confidential
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$58,000,000 Life Co. & Preferred Equity Non-Recourse Construction Financing; Culver City Adjacent, CA
April 28, 2021
Transaction Description:
George Smith Partners successfully closed $58,000,000 in non-recourse construction financing for a seven-story, mixed use development across from Sony Pictures Studios and adjacent to Culver City, CA. The Project features 139 apartment units over 1,969 SF of ground floor retail. The Sponsor received a density bonus thanks to TOC incentives, in exchange for allocating 14 affordable units.
While this is the second U.S. project – the first was also financed by GSP – for a successful international developer, the pool of capital providers was significantly reduced due to the borrowing entity being headquartered in a foreign country. Presenting this deal during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic also presented significant challenges. GSP leveraged its structured financing expertise, lender relationships, strength of the Project and the Culver City market to negotiate the most desirable terms for the Sponsor.
The financings are comprised of $42,000,000 in senior construction debt from a Life Co. lender and $16,000,000 in preferred equity and includes a substantial amount in recap funds to the Sponsor at closing. The term is five years, with interest only payments and no prepayment penalty upon Certificate of Occupancy. The senior note is LIBOR + 390 and the preferred equity investment’s interest will be fully accrued during the entire term, thereby reducing the amount of interest reserve and the Sponsor’s initial cash equity contribution.
Rate: L + 390 (senior)
Term: 5 Years
Amortization: Interest Only
Prepayment: None upon Certificate of Occupancy
Guaranty: Non-Recourse; Completion Guarantee with Standard Carveouts to an Entity
