"The transfer of the 666 Fifth Ave. loan was done at the request of Kushner Cos., so that it could more easily engage in productive discussions with the lender," according to the spokesman. Bloomberg reported the special servicer as LNR Partners Inc. The debt, which was originated by Barclays Capital, has been on a special servicing watch list since June of 2008, Bloomberg reported.

Currently, Kushner has about $60 million left in a reserve fund to cover debt payments and related expenses, down from $98.2 million in November 2008. Although the 1.5-million-square-foot property was 90% occupied as of this past June, asking rents at 666 Fifth are well below the $110 per square foot originally projected in loan documents, according to Bloomberg.

The Barclays loan was divided and sold as part of three CMBS offerings. In July '08, Kushner sold a 49% stake in the property's retail space for $525 million to a partnership of the Carlyle Group and Crown Acquisitions. Part of that was used to replenish the reserve fund. Later that same month, the Carlton Group arranged a $630-million recapitalization on the property.

To access the complete Bloomberg story, click here.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.

Once you are an ALM Digital Member, you’ll receive:

  • Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny is managing editor of Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com. He has been reporting on business since 1988 and on commercial real estate since 2007. He is based at ALM Real Estate Media Group's offices in New York City.