ORLANDO—The developer of Celebration Pointe, a 225-acre mixed-used regional development located in Gainesville, FL just secured a $125 million construction loan for phase one of the project. Los Angeles-based commercial real estate investment banking firm George Smith Partners secured the financing.

“We were able to identify and secure the financing for this development by demonstrating the value in the project, due in large part to its ability to fill a void in the growing Gainesville market,” George Smith principal and managing director David Rifkind, tells GlobeSt.com. “The lender understood the strength in sponsorship and of the planned asset, and was able to provide the necessary financing to begin construction on this landmark project.”

Located at the intersection of Interstate 75 and Archer Road, the 1 million-plus-square-foot Celebration Pointe will feature a mix of about 400,000 square feet of entertainment, outlet retail, and restaurant uses. Bass Pro Shops and a 10-screen Regal luxury theatre anchor the project, which will also contain about 350,000 square feet of class A office space. Transportation software giant Info Tech will be one of the key tenants.