Sunrise Realty Trust Inc. Originates $41.0 Million Bridge Loan for Dornin Investment Group on Mixed-Use Asset in One of South Florida’s Medical Hubs

Rhea-AI Summary

Sunrise Realty Trust (SUNS) has committed $30.8 million to a $41.0 million note-on-note bridge loan for a mixed-use asset in Miami's suburbs. The remaining $10.3 million is held by a TCG Real Estate platform affiliate. The loan supports a property comprising a 4-story medical office building and a 10-story senior living tower.

The medical office building includes 6,411 sq ft of retail space and 25,244 sq ft of medical office condos, with 37 of 39 units pre-sold. The senior living tower features 22,097 sq ft of retail space, parking, and 163 senior housing units across 108,188 sq ft, with 36 units (~22%) pre-leased. The property includes amenities such as a 166-space garage, fitness center, pool, and various recreational facilities.

The sponsor, Dornin Investment Group, has a track record of seven successful non-performing loan deals with over $725 million in total investments. Resident move-ins are scheduled to begin in early spring 2025.

Positive

• 37 out of 39 medical office condos pre-sold
• 22% of senior living units pre-leased with deposits
• Property located in strategic medical hub location
• Experienced sponsor with proven track record in NPL deals

Negative

• 78% of senior living units remain unleased
• Significant debt commitment of $41.0 million

Insights

Real Estate Investment Analyst

This $41.0 million bridge loan transaction represents a strategically significant deal for SUNS, demonstrating the company's ability to execute complex financing structures in the high-demand medical real estate sector. The deal structure shows sophisticated risk management through several key elements:

1. Pre-sales Validation: The medical office component has achieved an impressive 95% pre-sale rate (37/39 units), effectively de-risking a substantial portion of the project. The senior living tower's 22% pre-leasing with deposits, months before completion, indicates strong market validation.

2. Strategic Market Position: The property's location in a medical epicenter of Southern Florida capitalizes on the region's demographics and healthcare needs. Being the newest vintage product in an underserved market creates a significant competitive advantage.

3. Sponsor Credibility: Dornin Investment Group's track record of seven successful NPL deals with positive returns and $725 million in total NPL investments provides confidence in their operational expertise.

The property's diverse revenue streams from medical offices, senior living and retail create multiple income channels, reducing single-sector risk. The amenity-rich design and strategic location position it well for strong occupancy rates and potential premium pricing. For SUNS investors, this represents a well-structured deal with multiple layers of risk mitigation and strong potential for stable returns.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunrise Realty Trust, Inc. (“SUNS” or “the Company”) (Nasdaq: SUNS), an affiliate of TCG Real Estate, today announced that it has committed $30.8 million to a $41.0 million note-on-note bridge loan. This loan is for the full repayment of an existing senior mortgage on a mixed-use asset, the “Project” or “Property”, featuring senior living, medical office, and retail located in an upscale suburb of Miami, FL. The remaining $10.3 million is held by an affiliate on the TCG Real Estate platform. The sponsor, Dornin Investment Group (“DIG” or the “Sponsor”), is a skilled operator with expertise in resolving non-performing loans (“NPLs”) with seven realized NPL deals over the last 10 years, all resulting in positive returns and over $725 million in total NPL investments.

Mike Guterman, Senior Vice President at Bellwether Enterprise, represented both the buyer and seller on the Project, as well as arranged the financing. Mr. Guterman said, “The lender wanted to move the note quickly and quietly, and Dornin was my first and only call for the purchase and TCG was my first call on the financing as well due to my long relationship with both Chris Dornin and Brian Sedrish."

The Property includes a 4-story medical office building (the “MOB”) and a 10-story senior living tower (the “SL Tower”). The MOB includes 6,411 square feet of ground-floor retail and 25,244 square feet of medical office condos, of which 37 of 39 units have been pre-sold. The SL Tower includes 22,097 square feet of ground-floor/mezzanine retail, two floors of structured parking, and 108,188 square feet of senior housing spanning 163 units across seven floors.

The third-party operator for SL Tower has pre-leased and received deposits for 36 of these units (~22%), with move-ins for residents to begin in early spring 2025. On-site amenities include a 166-space garage, fitness center, pool, outdoor patio, indoor / outdoor dining, coffee shop, lounge, salon, theater, arts & crafts room and private offices. Conveniently located in a medical epicenter of Southern Florida, the Property is the newest vintage product of its category in an area with significant unmet demand for medical care housing.

“With an experienced sponsor, combined with robust pre-sales and a specialized brand-name operator post-completion, we’re thrilled with the opportunity to bring this project to fruition,” said Brian Sedrish, Chief Executive Officer of SUNS. “This investment exemplifies our ability to identify overlooked opportunities and de-risk the transaction through deep diligence and innovative deal structuring.”

“This was a complex investment that required a lot of structure with many moving parts all the way up to the closing. SUNS was fast, creative, flexible and diligent in their financing and execution. We appreciate the new relationship and look forward to many more financings with them,” said Chris Dornin, President and CEO of Dornin Investment Group.

About Sunrise Realty Trust, Inc.

Sunrise Realty Trust, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNS) is an institutional commercial real estate (“CRE”) lender providing flexible financing solutions to sponsors of CRE projects in the Southern United States. We focus on transitional CRE business plans with the potential for near-term value creation, collateralized by top-tier assets in established and rapidly expanding Southern markets. For additional information regarding the Company, please visit www.sunriserealtytrust.com.

About TCG Real Estate

TCG Real Estate refers to a group of affiliated CRE-focused debt funds, including a Nasdaq-listed mortgage REIT, Sunrise Realty Trust, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNS), and a private mortgage REIT, Southern Realty Trust, Inc. The funds provide flexible financing on transitional CRE properties that present opportunities for near-term value creation, with a focus on top-tier CRE assets in primary and secondary metropolitan areas of the Southern U.S.

About Dornin Investment Group

Dornin Investment Group (“DIG”) is a fully integrated real estate investment firm with offices in Laguna Beach, CA, and Las Vegas, NV. DIG invests in commercial and residential real estate across the capital stack in partnership with a broad base of institutional and private investors. The firm specializes in distressed, opportunistic, and value-add investments across all major property types, focusing on office, flex, industrial, multifamily, and hospitality properties, in addition to non- and sub-performing loans. DIG’s full-service investment platform includes asset and property management, leasing, design services, construction management, and capital markets advisory services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Dornin Realty Advisors. Since 2010, DIG has completed more than $1.9 billion in investments across 81 transactions.

DIG targets first trust deed position non-performing loans on well-collateralized real estate assets nationwide. Notes secured by collateral at values of 80% LTV or less can be purchased at or near Par UPB. Typical loan sizes range from $5 million to $200 million, secured by all major property types throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.dorningroup.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release, including those that express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The Company’s forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by words such as “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “potential,” “plan,” “goal” or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Statements, among others, relating to the Company’s beliefs with respect to the Project’s positioning in the market, and cash flows and returns related to investments in medical and senior living projects are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these statements unless required by law, and the Company cautions you not to rely on them unduly. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations and assumptions about future events, which the Company considers reasonable. However, these forward-looking statements are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and beyond the Company’s control. Certain factors, risks and uncertainties discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s filings available on the SEC’s website could cause actual results and performance in the future to differ materially from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Investor Relations Contact

Robyn Tannenbaum
561-510-2293
ir@thesrtgroup.com

Media Contact

Profile Advisors
Rich Myers & Rachel Goun
347-774-1125
srt@profileadvisors.com 

FAQ

What is the total value of SUNS's bridge loan commitment for the Miami mixed-use property?

SUNS committed $30.8 million as part of a $41.0 million note-on-note bridge loan, with the remaining $10.3 million held by a TCG Real Estate platform affiliate.

How many medical office condos have been pre-sold in SUNS's Miami property?

37 out of 39 medical office condos have been pre-sold in the medical office building component of the property.

What is the pre-lease rate for the senior living units in SUNS's Miami project?

The senior living tower has pre-leased 36 out of 163 units, representing approximately 22% of the total units.

When will resident move-ins begin at SUNS's Miami senior living facility?

Resident move-ins are scheduled to begin in early spring 2025.

What is the total square footage of the senior living component in SUNS's Miami property?

The senior living tower comprises 108,188 square feet of senior housing space across seven floors.