Press Release: Urban Investments Advisors
January 11, 2002
WASHINGTON, DC -- Urban Investments Advisors, LLC (UIA), a Washington, D.C.-based firm, announced yesterday its
acquisition of the assets of Starwood Urban Investments, LLC, previously the investment manager for Starwood Urban,
LLC and its subsidiaries. UIA will replace Starwood Urban Investments as the exclusive investment manager and advisor
for Starwood Urban Group and its portfolio around the country. UIA is a real estate advisory and investment management
firm, specializing in value-oriented investment strategies for urban mixed-use properties, formed by the former
principals and officers of Starwood Urban Investments, Robert S. Wennett and Constance Collins Davis.
``We have entered into an exclusive arrangement to assist Starwood Urban in managing, leasing, and developing its
commercial real estate portfolio, and will provide continuity in the investment strategies of Starwood Urban to
ensure the continued growth for the future,'' said Robert Wennett, President of Urban Investment Advisors.
Starwood Urban is a fully invested real estate fund with a portfolio size of approximately $350+ million. Best
known for its distinctive retail and mixed-use, urban in-fill projects, Starwood Urban has invested in such diverse
urban locations as the boutique shopping districts of Lincoln Road in Miami Beach and Miracle Mile in Coral Gables,
Florida; the Meatpacking District in New York City; the eclectic shopping and nightclub district known as ``SONO''
in South Norwalk, Connecticut; the thriving urban neighborhoods of the Dupont Circle, Woodley Park, Cleveland Park
and Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights districts in Washington, D.C.; and authentic main street retail in Wellesley,
Massachusetts.
``We are delighted to be working with Starwood Urban on this exclusive portfolio and continue to see strong demand
from retailers seeking out these exciting urban destinations,'' added Claude Chandonnet, Director of Leasing for
UIA and a principal of Starwood Urban.
UIA will continue to implement the value-added investment strategies of its predecessor, ranging from repositioning
and renovating historic downtown properties to full-scale urban development. UIA is in the process of forming a
second fund with Starwood Capital, the principal investor and sponsor of Starwood Urban, concentrating on ground-up,
new development of residential and mixed-use projects in major metropolitan cities such as New York City, Miami,
Boston and Washington, D.C.
``This acquisition poises us to raise additional equity funds with other third party investors, at the same time
we are continuing to grow a much valued relationship with Starwood Capital,'' said Collins Davis, Chief Operating
and Financial Officer for UIA. ``Building on our successes with Starwood Capital, UIA expects shortly to commence
a search for other third party investors for the formation of a new $100 million value-added, opportunistic direct
operator fund and other third party ventures.''
The new fund being sponsored by UIA will invest in existing office, retail and mixed-use properties in prime urban
locations around the country, drawing upon the experience and track record of its principals in identifying and
repositioning value-oriented assets. As part of its new acquisition strategies, UIA intends to pursue opportunities
to purchase recovered real estate and other assets from banking institutions, in addition to portfolio and single
asset acquisitions in prime urban markets around the country.
Wennett, Collins Davis and Chandonnet can be reached at 202-478-4600 or contact rwennett@urban-advisors.com, ccollins@urban-advisors.com
or cchandonnet@urbanadvisors.com for more information on UIA and its upcoming real estate investment and leasing
activities.
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Contact:
Kreps/DeMaria/Treister, Coral Gables, Fla.
Lisa Treister, 305/663-3543
ltreister@krepspr.com