Narrative
Full Description
Project narrative
In September 2016, a syndicate of five banks — the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd., Deutsche Bank, Natixis Real Estate Capital LLC, and CIT Bank — entered into a $500 million USD senior construction loan agreement with Extell Development Company — an American private real estate developer based in New York City, New York — for the One Manhattan Square Project. The loan featured built-in up-sizing allowing it to grow to $750 million USD within nine months of signing. This loan was secured by (i.e. collateralized against) a first mortgage on One Manhattan Square. ICBC, Deutsche Bank, and Natixis co-lead the loan. As part of the construction loan, sale proceeds for the apartments units were held in a deposit. Record ID#106474 captures ICBC's contribution. Record ID#106484 captures China Merchants Bank's contribution. As of March 24, 2017, the borrower had increased the loan by about $100 million USD, bringing it to $600 million USD. Record ID#106485 captures ICBC's contribution. Record ID#106486 captures China Merchants Bank's contribution. By May 25, 2017, the borrower had increased the loan by $100 million USD, bringing it to $700 million USD. Record ID#106487 captures ICBC's contribution. Record ID#106488 captures China Merchants Bank's contribution. By October 9, 2017, the borrower had increased the loan by $50 million USD, bringing it to its upper limit of $750 million USD. Record ID#106489 captures ICBC's contribution. Record ID#106490 captures China Merchants Bank's contribution. In addition to the syndicated loan, RXR Realty LLC provided a $463.2 million USD to Extell for the One Manhattan Square Project and two other projects. In addition to the debt, Extell raised $222.5 million USD in EB-5 funding for One Manhattan Square as of June 30, 2019. The proceeds were to be used by the borrower to finance One Manhattan Square, a 80-story 847-foot 815-unit residential luxury condominium tower development with 100,000 square feet of amenity space, a 105-space parking garage, and 45,000 square feet of retail space located at 252 South Street and an affordable housing building at 229 Cherry Street in the Two Bridges neighborhood on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, New York. The property would feature a basketball court, bowling alley, squash court, golf simulator, bar and lounge, pool room, cigar room, wine room, theater, spa lounge, sauna, lap pool, kid’s pool, dog wash, package and dry clean room, bicycle storage, refrigerated storage, fitness room, and outdoor landscaped areas. AAI Architects, P.C. served as architect. Meyers Davis Studio served as the interior designer. West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture served as landscape architect. The project was to be completed in 2019. The tower topped-off in September 2017. Construction was completed by March 2019. The development was accused by activists as having pushing out predominantly Chinese immigrants and longtime working-class local residents for expensive luxury condos and having violated the Two Bridges' neighborhood Large-Scale Residential Development status, which promotes affordable housing, making the development illegal. Protestors in January 2019 demonstrated against the development. In August 2019, Blackstone Group provided a $690 million USD loan to Extell Development for One Manhattan Square, $560 million USD of which were used to retire (refinance) the $750 million USD syndicated loan.
Staff comments
1. AidData has assumed each lender contributed to each up-sizing, as no additional lenders are mentioned. The individual contributions of the five lenders to this $100 million USD up-sizing are unknown. Therefore, to estimate ICBC's and China Merchants Bank's contribution, AidData has assumed that each lender contributed to equally ($20,000,000 USD) to the loan syndicate. 2. It is plausible, if not likely, that the specific intended borrowing institution was a special purpose vehicle subsidiary of Extell Development Company. This issue merits further investigation.