EXCLUSIVE: Starcity Secures $14.5M Loan For Company's Largest Co-Living Project To Date
Starcity has received a $14.5M construction loan for the redevelopment of a Tenderloin building into a 55-unit co-living facility.
Mission Capital Advisors' Debt and Equity Finance Group arranged the loan for the co-living company for the property at 229 Ellis St. in San Francisco.
Starcity bought the building, which has an interesting history, in March. The property was built in 1910 and operated as a Turkish bathhouse for more than 70 years. It had been vacant for more than a decade before Starcity bought it.
There was a lot of interest among lenders for the construction loan, which was provided by Ready Capital - National Bridge Originations Team.
“Co-living is still a relatively new property type, but we’ve now worked on several of these transactions and are beginning to see increased interest from the lending community,” said Mission Capital's Matt Polci, who, with Alex Draganiuk and Justin Hunt, secured the loan. “By employing a competitive process in our lender outreach and underscoring Starcity’s track record of success, we were able to generate several strong bids. We ultimately structured this very favorable nonrecourse financing.”
The building will undergo a complete gut renovation. Construction is expected to be complete in the fall.
Following the pattern of other Starcity properties, the 27,542 SF building will be converted into a fully furnished co-living property with amenities such as community meals, WiFi, 24/7 laundry and cleaning services.
Starcity has 10 Bay Area properties, recently expanded into the Venice Beach area of Los Angeles and has plans for two ground-up co-living developments that will include what the company asserts will be the largest co-living project in the world.
The 55-unit 229 Ellis property will be the company's largest to date. The project is three blocks from Union Square and near transit.
“We love working with innovative developers, and we’re very proud to participate in Starcity's efforts to redefine residential living and to create affordable housing alternatives in dynamic neighborhoods in high cost of living cities,” Draganiuk said. “With rental rates climbing across the Bay Area, it’s particularly important for developers to find creative housing solutions, and we’re excited to help Starcity turn 229 Ellis — as well as other projects in their pipeline — into a reality.”
CORRECTION, JAN. 31, 8:31 A.M. PT: A previous version of this story referred to Ready Capital - National Bridge Originations Team by an old name for the company. The story has been updated.
