Savanna Launches Restructuring Advisory Practice

Savanna Advisory Services Brings Investment Manager’s Vertically Integrated Platform to Lenders, Offering Restructuring, Planning, and Full Property-Level Execution

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Savanna, a New York City-based, vertically-integrated real estate investment manager, owner/operator and developer, announced the launch of Savanna Advisory Services (SAS), a fee-based restructuring advisory unit offering restructuring and planning expertise as well as full property-level execution of business plans to lenders and other CRE market participants. SAS enables CRE workout participants to access the full capability of a well-established real estate operating platform with outstanding deal structuring, asset management, construction management, leasing, project management, and property management expertise.

Current advisory assignments for the SAS unit include engagements for a global bank on a major NYC office building and a debt fund with a foreclosed mixed-use redevelopment project. Savanna has completed over 4 million square feet of previous property restructuring experience with 14 different lenders and JV equity partners.

“Three years of Covid and two years of interest rate and capital markets illiquidity have put massive stress on property investments, and 2024 looks to be a crucial year when decisions must be made, and new plans instated and executed,” said Nick Bienstock, CEO of Savanna. “Based on existing engagements and the multitude of additional inquiries, we believe there is considerable demand for restructuring advisory groups like SAS that can advise on complex restructurings and develop new business plans for distressed properties, providing full execution of the same by an experienced group.”

Savanna’s vertically integrated operating platform sets it apart, allowing the firm to use its suite of services to efficiently and effectively advise others through a wide variety of distress scenarios that arise during current market conditions. Specifically, SAS offers clients the following services that can be tailored to perform on behalf of any business plan, from light value-add to completion of a ground-up development:

• Full spectrum of workout, restructuring, foreclosure, capital markets, and investment advisory services
• Individual deal and portfolio valuations and underwriting and due diligence for equity and loan portfolios
• Evaluation of existing business plan and/or development of a new business plan
• Hands on project management and property management
• Full-service construction management
• Asset management expertise
• Experienced leasing management and marketing team

The Savanna platform’s deep roots, strong relationships, and market-specific expertise enable Savanna to achieve premier execution for a broad spectrum of value-added business plans.

Savanna’s recent experience includes 110 William Street in New York, where the firm led the property’s restructuring by sourcing and signing a 650,000 square foot office lease, which stabilized the asset and enabled $100 million of new investment in the property. The 110 William transaction was recently awarded Office Transaction of the Year in the Commercial Observer’s Breakthrough Awards, which recently recognized the most transformative deals of 2023.

About Savanna
Savanna, formed in 1992, is a vertically-integrated real estate investment manager based in New York City and focused on strategic property investments throughout the City's five boroughs. The firm pursues real estate equity and debt investments, including ground-up development and major repositioning projects. Savanna's equity investments target value add/opportunistic returns by adding value through asset management and/or property development, redevelopment, and repositioning, deploying a team of more than 80 experienced investment, asset management, construction, and leasing professionals. Savanna also selectively invests in real estate debt instruments that have the potential to generate equity-like returns, including preferred equity instruments, high yield bridge and mezzanine loans, and B-notes. Since 2006, Savanna has invested over $6 billion in total capital across approximately 17 million square feet of real property.