MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kawa, an investment manager with $1.6 billion in assets under management, has acquired the ground lease of a seven-story, 434-room hotel on over 16 acres outside of Orlando. Kawa closed the ground lease transaction with an affiliate of AD1 Global. Jose Sasson-Lerner & Roberto Susi of Axiom Capital Advisors served as brokers for the transaction. Further financial details were not disclosed.
“Kawa’s approach finds value in truly differentiated assets,” said Daniel Ades, Kawa’s Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer. “Our substantial experience originating ground leases through a variety of structures has driven our continued growth in the strategy.”
To date, Kawa has participated in 23 transactions with an aggregate ground lease value of approximately $995 million across a range of asset classes, including retail, hotels, office, and solar energy production and across the capital structure from being a lender to an equity holder of the fee interest position.
“In a ground lease transaction, the land is purchased in a sale-leaseback transaction to the owner/operator,” said Jose Sasson-Lerner, Principal at Axiom Capital Advisors. “This financing structure offers owners/operators predictable, long-term financing for any real estate asset class and project type.”
The property is less than 10 miles from Walt Disney World and all its major theme parks, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and within 25 miles of Universal Studios, the Orlando International Airport, SeaWorld Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center. It boasts 30,000 square feet of conference space, and upon completion of renovations, will be rebranded as a Wyndham Resort. Additionally, the property features a TopGolf entertainment center, a full Starbucks store and a modern indoor children’s playground, among other amenities.
About Kawa Capital Management
Founded in 2007, Kawa is a capital solutions provider and independent asset manager with approximately $1.6 billion in assets under management. Kawa’s capital solutions arm focuses on real estate financing, including bridge lending, mezzanine financing, structured credit, net leased real estate equity, ground leases and credit tenant leases. Kawa is also active in structuring, purchasing and financing ground leases across the U.S. in various subsectors including hospitality, office, retail, malls and solar. For more information, please visit www.kawa.com.
