Puerto Rico Takes a Big Bite of the Big Apple

October 1, 2019, New York CityThe Puerto Rico Builders Association takes a  big bite of the Big Apple at the 2019 Bisnow National Real Estate Finance Summit. The National Real Estate Finance Summit is one of the most esteemed, high-level, and best attended event in the nation. This year was no exception with over 300 attendees from finance, capital markets, financial advisory, private equity, and real estate.

The Puerto Rico panel included Ing. Emilio Colón Zavala,  President of the Puerto Rico Builders Association/ ECZ Group,  Eric Berman,  Chief Investment Officer at Lifeafar, Jorge Ruiz-Montilla, Capital Member and Chairman of the Real Estate & Finance Practice Group at MCconnell Valdes, Philip Carroll,  Director of Finance at Royal Palm Companies and Adam Greenfader, Managing Partner of AG&T.

Ethan Penner, best known  for creating the CMBS  market, key noted the event with insight on “high conviction investment themes.”  The Puerto Rico panel drew much interest at the Finance Summit. “We were impressed to hear from the leaders of the financial markets in New York that they see Puerto Rico as a great opportunity,  explained Emilio Colón Zavala. With less than 7% tourism GDP, there is room for 15,000 more hotel keys.’

Philip Carroll of Royal Palm Companies , concurred with the assessment of hospitality demand and explained some of the island’s competitive advantages in Puerto Rico including the ability to leverage Tourism Tax credits with Opportunity Zone incentives. Royal Palm is currently developing a 1,000 key hotel and marina resort on the island.  

 

Pictured Left to Right: Adam Greenfader, Emilio Colon Zavala, Philip Caroll, Marcial Diaz

 

The panel received multiple questions throughout the presentation.  Of particular interest, was the level of detail and financial sophistication about Act 20/22. Jorge Ruiz-Montilla explained some of the benefits of the laws and highlighted the island’s economic and political stability.

When asked, “Why now, why invest in Puerto Rico today”, the consensus of the group was clear…the numbers speak for themselves. “Puerto Rico  posted positive economic growth in 2019 and is forecasting a 2.5% GDP for 2020. We clearly hit bottom and with Billions of CDBG-DR money coming to the island in the next few years,  the time is now”, quoted Adam Greenfader, who moderated the Panel.

Lifeafar, a real estate investment and hospitality firm, recently expanded their operations from Medellin, Colombia to Puerto Rico.  “Puerto Rico is a place you can make a real change. Our investors want to make a good return on investment but also know they are helping to make a difference”, quoted Eric Berman.  

For more information about Puerto Rico,. You can join the Puerto Rico Builders Association on October 29-30 at their annual conference. See link attached. https://www.constructorespr.com/convencion/#eventbrite

 

About The Puerto Rico Builders Association

The Puerto Rico Builders Association is a non-profit organization established in 1951. The PRBA is the local chapter for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). We proudly represent the leaders in housing, commercial and industrial and tourism sectors. We also represent investors and professionals related to the Puerto Rico’s real estate development and the construction industries. Our main objective is to promote and lead planned development, that is safe and sustainable, as to serve as an a principal productive economic driver motor for our island, in collaboration with the private and public sectors in Puerto Rico.

About AG&T

AG&T is a real estate development and consulting company founded in 1998 with headquarters in Miami, Florida. Our  track record spans over 55 real estate development projects in Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and various other Caribbean islands.

 

 

Honored to represent Ponce Paradise – Nos honra representar a Ponce Paradise

 

 

We are honored to have been selected to represent Ponce Paradise – a magnificent parcel in Ponce, Puerto Rico within the land of great history, arts, culture, energy, and elegance.   Due to the volume of messages our team has received from recent Puerto Rico publications in El Nuevo Día and La Perla del Sur, we humbly extend our gratitude for the passionate letters of support, hope, and mutual environmental awareness.  We share in the excitement for Ponce’s growth.   

Our dedicated team was recently commissioned by several Puerto Rican families that have been living in Ponce for generations.  At AG&T- Puerto Rico, we are a development and boutique brokerage firm and have active on the island for the over 25 years.  Together with Douglas Elliman’s Oceanfront International group, a leading National brokerage company, we have been entrusted to manage the sales and marketing for Ponce Paradise.  In order to honor, preserve and elevate Ponce’s unique resources, we sought the collaboration of a two internationally recognized architecture and land planning firms, Winstanley Architects & Planners and Land Design.

Together we have created some initial development concepts for a world class medical and tourism destination. Ponce Paradise is undoubtedly a grand and lofty vision that will necessitate the input from community, government, and other key stakeholders alike. We understand this is a long process but one that together can lead to the creation of a once in a lifetime iconic development.    

Our guiding principles for the conceptual drawings are: 

  1. to preserve and elevate Ponce’s unique resources with sustainable and eco-friendly land planning leaving over 60% of the site intact.
  2. to help maximize Ponce’s already existing 21st century infrastructure, airport, port, and convention center.
  3. to offer robust opportunities of beneficial economic prosperity with services catering to Puerto Rican communities and tourists alike
  4. to attract quality developers and investors with strong visions of sustainability and resilience to natural environmental forces
  5. to build upon a longstanding sense of community pride and appreciation for Ponce’s existing regality

The potential of Ponce Paradise is one that cherishes the past, respects the present, and paves the way for a new future.  We are humbled to be part of this vision.  

 

Nos honra haber sido seleccionados para representar y mercadear para la venta a Ponce Paradise, una magnífica parcela privada en Ponce, una ciudad de gran historia, arte, cultura, energía y elegancia. Debido al volumen de mensajes que nuestro equipo ha recibido por las publicaciones recientes en los periódicos El Nuevo Día y La Perla del Sur, les extendemos nuestro agradecimiento por las apasionadas cartas de apoyo, esperanza y conciencia ambiental mutua.

Compartimos en el entusiasmo por el crecimiento económico de Ponce. Nuestro dedicado equipo fue contratado por varias familias puertorriqueñas que llevan décadas viviendo en la isla y en Ponce.  Nosotros en AG&T- Puerto Rico tenemos más de 25 años en Puerto Rico y estamos trabajando en colaboración con un grupo de corredores de los Estados Unidos – OceanFront International Group de Douglas Elliman y los arquitectos Winstanley Architects y Land Design.  

Este concepto inicial busca ofrecer una idea preliminar de como podría desarrollarse estos predios en Ponce resaltando la sostenibilidad, su proximidad a la facilidades de transportación y su potencial. Estamos claros que algunos de los conceptos iniciales se descartaran y otros se incorporaran. Siempre hemos estado abiertos a los comentarios que se nos han brindado y el deseo final es que se desarrolle algo que sea de beneficio para Ponce y por esto nos sentimos honrados de ser parte de esta visión.

Nuestros principios para el diseño conceptual generado son:

  1. Honrar, preservar y elevar los recursos únicos de Ponce con una planificación sostenible y ecológica donde se incorpora energía sostenible, cosechas en sitio para el uso directo e indirecto del desarrollo propuesto y dejando intactos mas del 60% de los predios en su totalidad.
  2. Por su localización única próxima al aeropuerto, puerto maritimo, centro de convenciones y playas únicas de Ponce, se desea continuar incentivando y darle uso adicional a estos grandes recursos
  3. Ofrecer oportunidades sólidas de prosperidad económica beneficiosa con servicios que atienden tanto a las comunidades puertorriqueñas como a los turistas.
  4. Atraer a desarrolladores e inversionistas de calidad con visiones sólidas de sostenibilidad y resiliencia a las fuerzas ambientales.
  5. Inculcar un sentido de orgullo y aprecio de comunidad por la rica historia y vida cultural de Ponce.

El potencial de Ponce Paradise es uno que aprecia el pasado, respeta el presente y prepara el camino para un nuevo futuro.

 

 

AG&T to speak at NYC Finance Summit

Puerto Rico Panel

 

Join AG& T and the Bisnow team on September 24th as we unpack everything you need to know about capital markets, the lending and investment climate, who’s buying and who’s selling, how to land your next deal, and how to weather future unpredictable factors.The National Real Estate Finance Summit has historically been the most esteemed, high-level, and best attended event in the nation. This year, Puerto rico will be highlighted at the event with a selection of the top industry professionals in law, tax, construction, finance and development. Mark those calendars because as always, Bisnow promises plenty of networking opportunities to connect in a fun and fast-paced atmosphere in the Big Apple.   For more information. See you there!

Caribbean Hospitality Summit Draws Record Numbers

Bisnow Caribbean Hospitality

 

Investor Sentiment For Rebuilding The Caribbean Region Remains Strong

 

Miami, Florida – The Bisnow Caribbean Hospitality and Tourism Summit held on August 1, 2019 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami drew over two hundred investors, developers, hotel operators and other industry professionals.  

Sponsored by the Puerto Rico Builders Association, this “not to miss” investor event celebrated its 3rd year.  Special shout out to Katya Demina for her help in making the event such a great success. Join us for more events at AG&T. 

Puerto Rico Ready for Development

Ponce Paradise

A Beachfront Acre For $30K In An OZ? Welcome To Puerto Rico

Published by Deidra Funcheon, Bisnow Miami

Puerto Rico was already struggling from decades of fiscal mismanagement and had just declared bankruptcy over its $123B debt when it was hit by two hurricanes in September 2017 — only to run into a botched disaster response. The way some see it, though, rock bottom is behind Puerto Rico, and the island is in the early stages of an upswing. “Puerto Rico is setting an incredible pace for economic recovery,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico, a destination marketing organization that promotes the commonwealth. “Airport arrivals are exceeding pre-Hurricane Maria levels, as are lodging revenues. Given the quick rebound, reinvestment in hotel product and tremendous potential for the island’s tourism industry, this is Puerto Rico’s time. From an investor’s perspective, there’s never been a better time to invest in the island’s tourism industry.”

Buildings and infrastructure are still being repaired and upgraded, and the government has instituted a full slate of tax incentives to lure investors, said AG&T Managing Partner Adam Greenfader, who advises clients from his base in Miami. “You can still acquire assets for 50 cents on the dollar,” he said. “Beachfront land in Puerto Rico today can still be acquired at $30K an acre.” Dean and Greenfader will be panelists at Bisnow’s Caribbean Hospitality & Tourism Summit Aug. 1. Puerto Rico’s economic spiral goes back decades. After World War II, it gave big tax breaks to manufacturers, and to cover for revenue shortfalls, issued more bonds than it could repay. In turn, it implemented austerity measures that did little except drive the population away. Its problems were exacerbated by that fact that it has no voting power in Congress.

Greenfader outlined some key developments toward a turnaround. Puerto Rico’s cash-strapped government has tried to lure investors with laws like Acts 20 and 22, passed in 2012 and designed so that people who move to the island pay little or no federal income tax, even on passive investments. Greenfader said this has attracted 250 to 500 families per year, including big names such as billionaire John Paulson.  Other incentives include one that lets people with tourism-related projects get back 40% or 50% of their acquisition costs.  

 

Development Land
80 Acres in Naguabo, Puerto Rico

 

Puerto Rico’s massive government debt is currently being sorted out by a federal oversight board. “The major bonds, COFINA and GO, have been renegotiated and the bondholders have been put into payment plans,” Greenfader said.  Since the 2017 hurricanes, federal disaster aid — including $1.4B authorized in June — has trickled in. Hotels damaged in the storms were forced to remodel or rebuild and are now offering better products at higher rates. Many are incorporating solar and microgrids to be resilient for the future. The storms raised the profile of Puerto Rico — one study found that prior to them hitting, about half of Americans hadn’t known the commonwealth was part of the U.S. Airport arrivals and tourism revenue have already set records this year. On top of this, Puerto Rico is the beneficiary of community development block grant funding, and 97% of the entire commonwealth — much of it beachfront — has been designated a qualified opportunity zone. “Puerto Rico never had a 1031 exchange, so from a tax perspective, it’s the first time it’s getting capital gains money,” Greenfader said.  

Lifeafar Investments Chief Financial Officer Cole Shephard, who will also be a panelist at the Bisnow event, said his Colombia-based company is already taking advantage of Puerto Rico’s investment climate, raising $16M in an opportunity fund to reposition a 61-room hotel. Shephard said Lifeafar, which started by offering real estate services to expats in Medellín, was drawn by the tax incentives and that the opportunity zone designation was a bonus. He is now doing due diligence on additional properties. “I see the sophisticated money chasing metro San Juan,” he said, suggesting that there is a lot of opportunity for small to mid-market projects outside of the city. Not everything in Puerto Rico is rosy. 

Development Land
29 Acres in Isabella, Puerto Rico

 

As the government has scrambled to generate revenue, sales tax was raised to 11.5%, pensions have been cut, college tuition increased and some 300 public schools closed. Critics have complained that wealthy investors have been protected while ordinary Puerto Ricans suffer. “The locals have had to carry the brunt of these austerity measures,” Greenfader acknowledged. “I’d understand completely, if I see a guy who’s a hedge fund manager with $500M earnings pay hardly any taxes, versus the regular guy paying 35% taxes who’s a salaried worker at Bacardi,” Shepherd said. But Shepherd added that conversations with Puerto Rican officials convinced him they have carefully calculated the tradeoff and found that luring private investment now will help island residents long-term, even though it may take years for the effects to be obvious.

Greenfader suggested that boosting tourism is a winning solution for both investors and residents. Because Puerto Rico since the Kennedy era has been focused on manufacturing, its tourism industry was relatively neglected. The industry now accounts for less than 7% of Puerto Rico’s gross domestic product. In other Caribbean islands, that number is typically between 30% and 80%. Dean’s destination marketing organization, Discover Puerto Rico, was established last year to actively promote tourism. Bisnow’s Aug. 1 Caribbean Hospitality & Tourism Summit will also include Puerto Rico Tourism Co. Executive Director Carla Campos, Hilton VP for Development Juan Corvinos Solans, Puerto Rico Builders Association President Ing. Emilio Colón Zavala and more. 

Event Ended On: Thursday August 1 2019

Puerto Rico’s Gets A Hyatt Regency

 

 

Governor Announces Puerto Rico’s First Hyatt Regency

The Weekly Journal Staff 6-4-19

Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced that Gran Meliá Hotel was bought by Monarch Alternative Capital in partnership with Royal Palm Companies and Ambridge Hospitality.  Together they will rebrand and relaunch the hotel as the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve. The governor announced that the developers are contemplating a 10-year master plan. This will include  six hotels in the Grand Reserve (Coco Beach) peninsula in Río Grande, of which three are expected to be opening by 2022. “Transactions such as these that are happening now validate that our commitment to tourism is a successful one, and there is a positive environment for investment,” Rosselló said at the 41st International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference by New York University (NYU)The governor added, “we have managed to streamline processes to grant tax benefits and permits, which proves that this administration maintains a bureaucratic battle so that the private sector may have better investment opportunities.”

New Project

The Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Resort will have five new restaurants and will create roughly 200 new jobs. The average rate is expected to fluctuate by $300 per night. During his presentation, Rosselló revealed blueprints and mockups for the property. He stressed that Puerto Rico’s “fertile and positive” environment for investments in the hotel industry.  The Hyatt Regency Coco Beach Resort is part of a $120 million deal made possible through an agreement with the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. (PRTC), which granted tax credits conforming to the P.R. Tourism Development Act (Act No. 74-2010). Of the total investment, $100 million correspond to development costs to elevate the property to Hyatt’s luxury standards. The PRTC has been working on this business deal along investors for several months. PRTC Executive Director Carla Campos assures that Tourism is focused on increasing the island’s hotel inventory in the short term, emphasizing Puerto Rico’s “competitive and incomparable” investment advantages.

After damages caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017, Monarch Alternative Capital, which already had interests in the peninsula, seized the opportunity to acquire the Gran Meliá Resort, with 486 rooms, 135 bedroom units, and 14 more terrain acres. In order to proceed with the transaction, Monarch made a conjoint agreement with Royal Palm Companies and Ambridge Hospitality. According to Campos, this project makes part of a “long-term master plan” that seeks to add 2,500 new rooms to the island’s hotel inventory and 1,500 new jobs. “This will result in a total investment of roughly $1.5 billion, when the six hotels are finished,” she added. Both the governor and the PRTC executive director stressed Puerto Rico’s strategic position as a connector between the United States and Latin America and the island’s structural reforms, which they claim positions Puerto Rico as the most competitive U.S. jurisdiction for hotel investment.

The officials also highlighted the investment tools that provide a combination of tax benefits at state level, in addition to the competitive advantage of being almost entirely eligible for certain benefits and exemptions under the Opportunity Zones incentive as included in the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. 

For more information on Caribbean hospitality projects, contact AG&T. 

Puerto Rico Still Staggering From Impact of 2017 Storms

 

Puerto Rico Still Staggering From  2017 Storms

Adam Greenfader, managing principal, AG&T, said hurricanes Maria and Irma destroyed or damaged a large share of Puerto Rico’s housing and commercial structures, spurred insurance insolvency and changed the market for coverage. Greenfader spoke with AM BestTV at the RMS Exceedance 2019 conference, held in Miami.

 

 

See Video Link  http://www.ambest.com/video/MediaArchive.aspx?lid=6017540143001&vid=6037105941001

Adam Greenfader

ULI CARIBBEAN ROUNDTABLE

 

On May 8th,  the ULI CARIBBEAN ROUNDTABLE celebrated its second ROUNDTABLE meeting of the year.  The turnout at Wework in Brickell City Centre was large and enthusiasm for the region palpable.  Present at the event were industry leaders in finance, debt lending, construction, architecture, affordable housing, hotels and green building.      

Big shout out to the Kresge Foundation (https://kresge.org) and all who participated in the Toa Baja Puerto Rico Resiliency Panel. The panel was but another example of the  capacity of ULI to bring real solutions to real world problems.    

Special thanks to our two speakers at the ULI CARIBBEAN ROUNDTABLE -Mr. Rogerio Basso, Head of Tourism at IDB Invest and Mr. Andrew Dicky – Executive VP JLL Hospitality. Financing projects in the Caribbean brings its own set of challenges and opportunities. It was great to look under the proverbial “hood” and examine how capital approaches Caribean hospitality lending. 

Save the Date –On August 1, 2019, The Puerto Rico Builders Association will be hosting its 3rdAnnual Bisnow Caribbean Hospitality Investment Summit in Miami. If you are interested in Speaking/Sponsoring there are a few spots available please reach out to Jorge Montilla jmrm@mcvpr.comfor more details.

You can also see a full list of ULI Events at: https://seflorida.uli.org/events/

 

ULI Panel To Advise Puerto Rico on Hurricane Resilience

The Urban Land Institute to Advise Toa Baja, Puerto Rico on Hurricane Preparedness and Resilience

POSTED ON NOVEMBER 29, 2018 BY JUSTIN ARNOLD

https://americas.uli.org/advisory-service-panels/toa-baja-puerto-rico-resilience-advisory-services-panel/

Nationally Renowned Panel of Land Use and Urban Planning Experts to Visit Area December 3-7.

For more information contact Adam Greenfader at adam@agandt.net.

WASHINGTON (November 29, 2018) – A group of nationally renowned land use, real estate, and urban planning experts representing the Urban Land Institute (ULI) will be providing strategic recommendations and advice next week to the municipality of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on how to best improve preparedness for extreme weather events and ensure all residents benefit from investments in resilience.

ULI is a global, multidisciplinary real estate organization whose work is driven by 42,000-plus members dedicated to responsible land use and building thriving, sustainable communities. The ULI representatives, convened through ULI’s renowned Advisory Services program, will be visiting Toa Baja, Puerto Rico from Sunday, December 3 through Friday, December 7. The panel will provide strategic advice on resilience, economic development, housing, and land use protocols. Items to be addressed include:

  • implementing land use processes to mitigate environmental risks,
  • securing access to partnerships and investment opportunities, and
  • leveraging competitive economic advantages and drivers to ensure all residents benefit from improved resilience.

During the week, the panelists will tour the study area and spend two days meeting and interviewing stakeholders from the public and private sectors, including Toa Baja Municipality leadership and Mayor “Betito” Marquez. After carefully analyzing the site and completing the interviews, the panelists will then frame their recommendations and draft a presentation that will be made to the public at the end of the visit.

 

The panel’s upcoming visit was initiated when the Urban Land Institute Advisory Services team was invited by ULI SE Florida/Caribbean, Puerto Rico’s Builder’s Association and the municipality of Toa Baja leadership in late August 2018 to discuss the opportunity to provide technical assistance to enhance the community’s economic and climate resilience. The team received context of Hurricane Maria and Irma’s impacts as well as a guided tour of areas the municipality identified in need of reinvestment.

“This is a unique opportunity to showcase a community that represents a microcosm of the entire Island of Puerto Rico,” said ULI Foundation Governor and ULI Puerto Rico Co-Chairman Ricardo Alvarez-Diaz, who is chief executive officer and president of Alvarez-Diaz & Villalon. “Our goal is to take the panel’s recommendations and implement them not only in Toa Baja but throughout the whole island.”

The chairman of the panel is ULI Life Trustee James DeFrancia, president of community development at Lowe Enterprises in Denver, Colorado. “We are excited to bring the expertise of our members to Toa Baja,” DeFrancia said. “The strength of the Advisory Services program lies in ULI’s unique ability to draw on the substantial knowledge of members representing all aspects of the real estate industry. The independent views of the panelists bring a fresh perspective to land use challenges. The advisory services program is all about offering creative, innovative approaches to community building.”

DeFrancia will be joined on the panel by Sarah Sieloff, executive director, Center for Creative Land Recycling, Oakland, California, who will serve as vice chairman, and panel members Michael Bloom, department manager, sustainability practice, R.G. Miller Engineers, Inc, Houston, Texas, Trini Rodriguez, principal, ParkerRodriquez, Inc., Alexandria, Virginia, Thomas Roth, principal, Grass River Property, Coconut Grove, Florida, Don Edwards, chief executive officer and principal, Justice & Sustainability Associates, Washington, D.C., Chris Calott, LaLanne Chair – R.E. development, architecture and urbanism and associate professor of architecture, University of California, Berkley, California, Jessica Boehland, senior program officer, environment, The Kresge Foundation, Detroit, Michigan, and Bob van der Zande, director of residential markets, City of Amsterdam, Metropolitan Region.

The assignment for Toa Baja is part of a series of advisory panels being supported by a generous grant from The Kresge Foundation to advance the Institute’s promotion of urban design and development practices that are more resilient and adaptable to the impacts of climate change. With Kresge’s support, ULI is leveraging the substantial expertise of its members to provide guidance on community building in a way that helps to preserve the environment as well as boost prosperity and foster a high quality of life.

Now in its 71st year, ULI’s globally renowned advisory services program assembles experts in the fields of real estate and land use planning to participate on panels worldwide, offering recommendations for complex planning and development projects, programs and policies. Panels have developed more than 700 studies for a broad range of land uses, ranging from waterfront properties to inner-city retail.

Past sponsors of ULI advisory service panels include: federal, state and local government agencies; regional councils of government; chambers of commerce; redevelopment authorities; private developers and property owners; community development corporations; lenders; historic preservation groups; non-profit community groups; environmental organizations and economic development agencies.

NOTE TO REPORTERS AND EDITORS: Members of the public and media are invited to a reception on Monday, December 3rd, from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm at the Centro Las Dos Fuentes, 867 Carr Rio Hondo, Toa Baja, PR. The panel will provide its recommendations at a public presentation on Friday, December 7th at 9:00 am at the Centro Comunal Rafael “Pipo” Negron Calle Aetria Ingenio in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 40,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.

 

 

Sponsor thanks:

 Kresge Foundation, ULI Southeast Florida,  Puerto Rico Builders Association.

For more information: adam@agandt.net

 

ULI Hospitality and Recreation Council – Puerto Rico

The ULI Hospitality and Recreation Council met this month to discuss some of the recent trends and opportunities in the hotel industry.  Big shout out to the whole leadership team – to Robbie Carver and Ari Tenzer specifically for putting together an amazing panel of speakers.  

Puerto Rico this year was top of mind at ULI Hospitality and Recreation Council. Several speakers highlighted new opportunities in hotel investment and other tourism activities.  While it is part of the HRDC guidelines to keep specific project information confidential, I would like to shed some color on recent events happening in Puerto Rico that is leading to this renewed interest and demand.  

  1. Limited Tourism Supply – to date there are about 14,000 hotel keys in Puerto Rico. Most of the supply that was damaged in the hurricanes has been improved. Occupancy rates hover 80% and ADRs have been increasing every year for the last five years.  A recent market study by the Puerto Rico Builders Association,  shows a demand for 30,000 keys in next decade.   
  2. Liquidity – in the last six months the resolution of Puerto Rico debt has made significant progress with better than expected returns on the top tier bonds of  Geo & Cofina.  
  3. Pro-Business Government – For the first time in almost two decades, the island has a government that is actively seeking private investment. 
  4. Tax Incentives– The Tourism Hospitality tax incentive provides up to 40% back on capital investment for hotel and other tourism related projects. 
  5. Other Tax Incentives– Law 20/22 has has resulted in 1,200 high net worth families moving to the island as well as 175 service companies, and 75 independent financial corporations. 
  6. Better branding – In 2018 the DMO (Destination Marketing Organization)  was  launched with the goal of bringing better and more consistent messaging  to Puerto Rico’s tourism and industry.  
  7. Puerto Rico USA – After the 2017 hurricanes, 82%  of the US recognizes Puerto Rico as being “part of the United States.” 
  8. 80+ Billions of dollars –  This robust allocation will stimulate the economy in the short term and hopefully provide a launching pad for long term economic growth through CDBG-DR, FEMA, HUD, LHTC, SBA, and other programs.
  9. Opportunity Zones – applies to approximately 97% of the island of Puerto Rico.  This should de-risk equity investment and reduce the gap in cap rates between stateside and island investment opportunities. 
  10. Public-Private Partnerships – The P3 laws in Puerto Rico are some of the most modern in the world allowing direct pass-through of payment from consumer to sponsor. The current administration has placed a strong reliance on unsolicited P3 bids – in other words it is recommend that you submit your own idea of a tourism related project.  
  11. New Infrastructure – The soon to come sale of the electrical authority (PREPA) and other antiquated government facilities will dramatically reduce costs across the entire economy. This will make the hospitality sector in particular more competitive. 
Florida Product Councils (FPCs) are small groups of ULI members that commit to meet at least two times per year with fellow real estate professionals to share best practices, grow their network and discuss development practices that influence and change our communities.
If you wish to get involved: https://northflorida.uli.org/get-involved/florida-product-councils/hrdc-membership/