Manhattan, NY Meridian Capital Group arranged $88 million in financing for a Marriot-branded hotel development site in the Hudson Yards neighborhood on behalf of Marx Development Group (MDG).

The 24-month loan, provided by Mack Real Estate Credit Strategies, was negotiated by Meridian managing director, Shaya Ackerman, and senior vice president, Shaya Sonnenschein. This loan serves to recapitalize the project, and will cover final pre-development costs for the hotel. EB-5 funds totaling $66 million are already in the process of being raised through the sponsor’s regional center, Manhattan Regional Center, for the vertical construction of the project.

Located at 450 Eleventh Ave. on the corner of West 37th St. in Hudson Yards, the hotel will span 235,000 s/f in 42 stories and contain 441 rooms and 3,000 s/f of retail when completed. Construction of the hotel is expected to conclude in late 2019.

“The seamless navigation by Shaya Ackerman, and his excellent relationship with Mack is what allowed this transaction to close smoothly,” said David Marx, principal of MDG. “The Hudson Yards project is years in the making, and, we feel humbled to be a part of the group of developers, including The Related Group, Tishman Speyer, Brookfield, and Moinian, who are manifesting this vision to reality.”

As part of MDG’s recent expansion, this transaction comes on the cusp of other significant closings for MDG, including signing Chase Manhattan Bank to a retail lease at its 399-key Marriot hotel on the corner of West 34th St. and Tenth Ave., as well as the recent announcement of its acquisition of four skilled nursing facilities located in Indiana. Financing for the Indiana deal was also secured by Meridian.

The property will also feature a business center, lounge, restaurant, banquet rooms, and outdoor meeting space. The site is near the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Additionally, it is part of the Hudson Yards Project, which is planned to include more than 18 million s/f of commercial and residential space, including cutting-edge office towers, shopping, and world-class restaurants. Construction on 15 Hudson Yards and 55 Hudson Yards, a condo and an office building, respectively, is scheduled to complete construction by the end of the year, while 50 Hudson Yards, also an office building, will be completed in 2022. 

Hudson Yards is bounded by West 42nd and West 43rd Streets, Seventh and Eighth Avenues, West 28th and West 30th Streets, and Hudson River Park. The majority of the area remained under industrial and manufacturing zoning until real estate advocates, owners, and developers successfully petitioned for zoning changes to allow for residential and other use. The district is represented by the Special Hudson Yards District, which was established to foster a mix of uses, provide publicly accessible space, extend the Midtown central business district by providing opportunities for office and hotel development, reinforce existing residential neighborhoods, and encourage new housing on Manhattan’s Far West Side.

The Ackerman Team’s mission is to provide its clients with best-in-class service while advocating and adeptly negotiating on their behalves. Beginning at a different firm in 2005, the Team has closed hundreds of deals, aggregating to over $3 billion since it joined Meridian at the end of 2015. This accomplishment is a testament to the team’s extensive capital markets knowledge, loyal lender and client relationships, and unparalleled professionalism. Specializing in every loan structure and in all asset types, the Team prides itself on being engaged as an advisor on transactions in their entirety, rather than just the financing aspects of the deal.