Ashcroft Capital, a fully integrated multifamily investment firm, today announced its acquisition of Halston Riverside (formerly Retreat at Riverside), a garden-style apartment community in the Atlanta suburb of Lawrenceville. Birchstone Residential, Ashcroft Capital’s in-house property management company, has assumed management of the community.
The transaction marks Ashcroft Capital’s entry into metro Atlanta. Since its inception, the company has acquired more than 10,000 units in Dallas-Fort Worth, Orlando, Fla., Tampa, Fla., and Jacksonville, Fla., and is now pursuing acquisition opportunities in Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Phoenix. Halston Riverside is the first community purchased through Ashcroft Capital’s new $150 million Value Add Fund, which aims to acquire five to seven assets in targeted markets.
“Halston Riverside represents the type of excellent value-add opportunity that our fund is targeting,” said Frank Roessler, founder and chief executive officer of Ashcroft Capital. “It has a history of institutional ownership, and the property has been very well maintained. At the same time, we have identified ways to add significant value through rebranding and renovations. In addition, Lawrenceville continues to show a strong resilience to the economic effects brought upon by the pandemic.”
The in-unit renovations at Halston Riverside will include the installation of quartz countertops, undermount sinks, stainless steel appliances, tile backsplashes in kitchens, vinyl plank flooring and new cabinet fronts. Improvements to the community's clubhouse, dog park and tennis courts are also planned.
“A large part of our strategy is to identify value-add assets in high-growth markets that will support our business plan of providing superior unit renovations at cost-appropriate pricing,” Roessler said. “In Atlanta, we plan to rapidly establish a large footprint of 5,000 units or more in order to achieve economies of scale, market leverage and recruitment strength.”
Situated at 1000 Duluth Highway, near I-85 and Highway 316, Halston Riverside is convenient to both Atlanta and Athens, which is home to the University of Georgia and a thriving music, arts and restaurant scene. Located 30 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, the community features 412 apartment homes and offers residents close proximity to highly regarded schools, a host of restaurants and entertainment venues and abundant outdoor recreational activities.
“The renovations will help an already outstanding community stand out even more against the competition," said David Deitz, president of Birchstone. "We also believe that our tech-forward, supportive culture and dedication to best-in-class customer service will play a critical role in driving performance. At Halston Riverside and throughout the Ashcroft portfolio, this will result in communities that provide exceptional experiences to our prospects and residents and, in turn, maximize revenue and NOI.”
Halston Riverside offers an array of one- and two- bedroom apartment homes. Some units feature nine-foot ceilings, garden tubs, abundant closet space and ceiling fans. Select homes feature vaulted ceilings, private outside storage, washers, dryers and built-in bookshelves with computer desks for residents who work from home. Attached or detached garages also are available.
Community amenities include package lockers with 24/7 access, controlled gate entry, four resort-style pools with waterfalls, a playground, barbecue grills with picnic areas, state-of-the-art fitness center and a new cyber lounge.
