Brand book by Marcel Wisznia

Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

Marcel Wisznia | President

Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

This may seem strange, as I have practiced for almost 40 years, but I finally believe that I have found the path that I want to take going forward. Although I have always been passionate about my work, I now realize that what gets me excited is our current business model; acting as our own client. We are both the real estate developers and the architects. By wearing â&#x20AC;&#x153;two hatsâ&#x20AC;? at once, we are able to take advantage of the added value that our design services create. It gives us the ability to react quickly and have the vision that is necessary to thrive in this business. The result is what we call design-driven development. People always say how lucky I am to be my own client, as I can do whatever I want, and not be dictated to by another. In fact, Wisznia has the same hard decisions to make daily that we would working for any client. But, we have the skills and experience to turn those constraints into opportunities. I am very proud of our portfolio to date, but I know that our best work is still ahead. That is what motivates me and excites me every morning when I walk into our offices. A toast to the future.

Cheers,

Marcel Wisznia

“DESIGN WITH A SPECIFIC PURPOSE IN MIND...”

Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

DESIGN-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT Wiszniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multi-disciplinary approach breaks down the silos of traditional company structures that impede creativity, collaboration, and, in turn, innovation. A closed loop between development, architecture and property management provides marketplace advantages in all phases of a project and its end use. A financial model feeds the design department, seamlessly returning schematics, drawings, and pricing. The firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s property management simultaneously collects real time data from current residents and shares that with the architecture department ensuring communities we develop continue improving. When challenges arise, the cumulative design IQ of the organization comes together to bridge gaps in the model. This allows Wisznia the ability to measure the viability of opportunities faster than competitors. Ensuring pre-development efficiencies leads to increased speed to market while designing better living environments attracts higher rents. Wisznia provides the straightest, most direct route to a projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successful completion.

Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

Shown here: The Maritime 800 Common St. | New Orleans, LA 70112 A first-class address with a rich history. The Maritime has been completely renovated and now includes 105 luxury residences.

Union Lofts was originally designed as the Western Union Telegraph Building in 1927 by renowned New York architect William Welles Bosworth. The upper floors were in disrepair when Wisznia purchased the building and converted it into 33 loft apartments and ground floor retail space.

10 Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

Arrive in your loft with everything you could possibly need, from sofa to silverare and a TV to towels, ready and waiting for you. Each unit is fully furnished and features an original piece of art created by New Orleans artist Terrance Sanders.

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visit UnionLoftsNewOrleans.com to learn more

Union Lofts

Location: 334 Carondelet, New Orleans, LA 70112 Property Type: Mixed-Use Apartment & Retail Building Area: 44,279 sq. ft. Year Built: 1927 Year Renovated: 2007

Union Lofts was the first of Wiszniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s downtown New Orleans developments. Wisznia saw the need and desire for people to live in downtown New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina. Union Lofts was purchased after seeing the opportunity to create needed housing and retail space on prominent Carondelet Street. The development and architecture teams worked closely to create inspiring spaces that also help the bottom line. For example, sliding, translucent walls were used to allow natural light throughout the unit and maximize space. Materials and furnishings were carefully considered to respond to the style of the building while creating the loft-like atmosphere that many urbanites desire. Monthly rent for furnishings is added to provide an additional revenue stream for the project. Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

architect & developer: Wisznia financing: HUD/FHA-Insured 221 (d)4 Multi-family Residential Loan, Federal Historic Tax Credits, State Historic Tax Credits building type/height: masonry and steel frame 5 stories residential sq. footage: 28,764 Net Rentable residential units: 33 avg. apt. sq. footage: 872 retail sq. footage/tenants: 9,450 Net Rentable Leviton Lighting Showroom Retail Specialists loan amount:

$5,350,000 total development cost:

$8,136,900

Enjoy the daylight pouring in through the large windows, reflecting off the polished black concrete floor and carrying through the sliding translucent screens. Grab a seat in your Le Corbusier LC3 sofa and kick your feet up on your Isamu Noguchi coffee table. You are finally home.

The Maritime pushes the ceiling on rental rates in downtown New Orleans, currently achieving the highest rents per square foot in the city. This is attributable to sophisticated design, carefully curated building culture, genial property management, and central location.

The Maritime, New Orleansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first skyscraper, is located in the heart of downtown, one block off of Canal Street. Originally designed by architect Thomas Sully in 1893, the building has always been a first-class address with a rich history. The Maritime has been completely renovated and now includes 105 luxury residences, class-A office space, and premier retail space.

Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

visit TheMaritimeNewOrleans.com to learn more

The Maritime

Location: 800 Common Street, New Orleans, LA 70112 Property Type: Mixed-Use Apartment, Office & Retail Building Area: 125,000 sq. ft. Year Built: 1893 Year Renovated: 2010

“One of the most sought-after addresses in New Orleans” The Maritime was the first project in the country to close under the then-pilot HUD program which permits a combination of HUD financing with a lease pass through HTC structure. Developers in other cities are now using this template after seeing Wisznia’s success. The Maritime leased-up ahead of schedule with rents exceeding the under written amounts. Wisznia’s property management has worked hard cultivating a building culture to ensure that rents remain as some of the highest in the city. In 2013, The Maritime was given the Tony Goldman Award for its large scale approach to historic preservation and use of the visual arts that improves the pedestrian experience.

Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

architect & developer: Wisznia general contractor: Woodward Design + Build financing: HUD/FHA-Insured 221 (d)4 Multi-family Residential Loan, Federal Historic Tax Credits, State Historic Tax Credits, State New Markets Tax Credits, Federal New Markets Tax Credits building type/height: masonry and steel high-rise 11 stories residential sq. footage: 80,836 Net Rentable residential units: 105 avg. apt. sq. footage: 770 retail sq. footage/tenants: 11,211 Net Rentable Merchant Cafe The Occasional Wife Commercial Bank Branch office sq. footage/tenants: 11,325 Net Rentable Wisznia | A + D Multifamily Management Group beta Shared Workspace loan amount:

$16,600,000 total development cost:

$38,800,000

Building culture has created one of the most sought after addresses in New Orleans. Start your morning at the renowned Merchant Cafe on the ground floor, before elevating to your office at beta on the second floor. Live, Work, Play!

The Saratoga is a mixed-use development that houses ground floor retail space, a recreational rooftop deck on the 3rd floor, 153 apartments and two penthouse apartments with private outdoor patios. Wisznia redesigned the building from the inside out â&#x20AC;&#x201D; providing modern amenities for residents while retaining the 1950â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vintage swagger.

Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

visit TheSaratogaNewOrleans.com for more info

The Saratoga

Location: 212 Loyola Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112 Property Type: Mixed-Use Apartment & Retail Building Area: 155,000 sq. ft. Year Built: 1956 Year Renovated: 2011

The Saratoga Building provides a gateway to the CBD, medical, and theater districts. Wisznia was able to look around the corner to find an opportunity that many others were not able to see. After acquiring the Saratoga, Wisznia successfully petitioned for the expansion of the downtown historic district and the qualifying time period. This allowed the project to be one of the first mid-century buildings to be eligible for historic tax credits. The Saratoga is located between the Central Business District, the Sports/Entertainment District, and the growing Theater District and Medical District. The vision of the project is coming to fruition; the new Loyola Ave streetcar line opened in January 2013, numerous theaters have opened in the last year and the $3 billion medical district is nearing completion. Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

architect & developer: Wisznia general contractor: Woodward Design + Build financing: HUD/FHA-Insured 221 (d)4 Multi-family Residential Loan, Federal Historic Tax Credits, State Historic Tax Credits building type/height: cast-in-place concrete 15 stories residential sq. footage: 116,122 Net Rentable residential units: 155 avg. apt. sq. footage: 749 retail sq. footage/tenants: 6,562 Net Rentable loan amount:

$21,600,000 total development cost:

$41,800,000

You are the masterpiece of your life. Original artwork from The Saratoga Collection hangs in the halls of every floor. The collection offers a peek into the world of the new New Orleans contemporary art movement. It serves as an overview of the work being created by artists with a by-any-meansnecessary attitude and impeccable work ethic. New Orleans is and always will be a wonderous, turbulent, and beautiful city, that produces artists and artwork of the highest caliber, that embody compassion, fearlessness, and humanity.

The Garage is a new breed of residence located in the Arts District of Downtown New Orleans. Crafted out of a 1950s multi-story car dealership, The Garage complements the best of yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s car culture with todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest luxury, adapting a unique historic structure into a one-of-a-kind mixed-use project that offers amenities unrivaled elsewhere in the city.

Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

visit TheGarageNewOrleans.com to learn more

The Garage

Location: 334 Carondelet, New Orleans, LA 70112 Property Type: Mixed-Use Apartment & Retail Building Area: 120,000 sq. ft. Year Built: 1927 Status: Pre-Development

“Style, sustainability and unsurpassed access converge” The Garage is a historic rehabilitation of a former automobile dealership/ parking structure into a mixed-use development. Two car elevators allow residential tenants to park within steps of their front door, and provide a unique amenity that redefines downtown living. The project is targeting LEED Silver certification and will house one of the largest conglomerations of photovoltaic solar panels (to generate electricity) and solar-thermal panels (to generate hot water) in the Gulf South. All fixtures and finishes were carefully selected based on their sustainability. Also, parking spaces will be wired to support hybrid/ electric vehicles. Wisznia’s signature touch, sliding doors, are featured inside the units. In this case, they are garage doors!

Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

The most unique design feature of â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Garageâ&#x20AC;? is the incorporation of two vehicular elevators and 20 parking spaces per each living floor, allowing tenants to self-park within steps of home.

architect & developer: Wisznia general contractor: The Lemoine Company financing: Conventional Loan, Federal Historic Tax Credits, State Historic Tax Credits, Renewable Energy Tax Credits building type/height: cast-in-place concrete 5 stories residential sq. footage: 70,500 Net Rentable residential units: 65 avg. apt. sq. footage: 1,085 retail sq. footage: 14,350 Net Rentable loan amount:

$21,000,000 total development cost:

$43,200,000

visit MerchantNewOrleans.com for more info

Merchant

Location: 800 Common St., New Orleans, LA 70112 Area: X,XXX sq. ft. Year Completed: 2011

“Merchant has grown into a must stop destination, both for good food and good design.” In 2011, Wisznia’s vision of an approachable design forward cafe was turned down by many operators. The firm understood the appropriate ground floor tenant was necessary in branding the luxury apartments above. So Marcel compiled the team to execute his vision “in-house”. Opened in Fall 2011, Merchant is a cafe downtown specializing in Mediterranean influenced coffee, crepes and grapes (wine) along with fresh salads, soups, and sandwiches. Merchant is a gathering place, a middle ground where coffee shop meets wine bar meets creperie; in essence a modern day watering hole. Located within the ground floor of the Maritime Building and opening up into Varities Alley, this innovatively designed cafe provides postcard moments for those who live and work downtown as well as out-of-town visitors. In the last year, Merchant has grown into a must stop destination, both for good food and good design. Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

A hot spot for locals and tourists alike looking for the best in food and design. Acquiring the appropriate retail tenant strongly impacts branding of the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residential component.

coffee crepes grapes

visit betaNewOrleans.com for more info

beta

Location: 800 Common St. #220 New Orleans, LA 70112 Area: X,XXX sq. ft. Year Completed: 2012

“a shared workspace in the heart of downtown...” Wisznia understood that the location in the heart of downtown was attractive for many businesses and believed that there was an unmet need in the market for flexible office space for people that may or may not work in the arts, but are stimulated by working in creative environments. Beta is a “middle-ground” between business incubators and the closed “silos” of executive suites. Broken into offices and workstations, beta is home to a wide range of tenants, from NOLA Fashion Council to New Orleans Busvision, the first US location of a growing Spanish company. To control costs, Wisznia sought to run beta remotely. In collaboration with Apptitude, the “beta app” was developed. Tenants pay rent, access a beta intranet, book conference room space, receive package notification, or book a workstation for a daily rate. What began as a space for start-ups has become a home for mature businesses and a start-up itself. beta is in discussions with a developer interested in opening another location in Texas. Beta is a model with potential to scale, truly embodying the Downtown NOLA brand. It’s not only extremely popular with tenants but has solved the original development problem - through innovative design, beta is generating rents 40% above market, yet still affordable to small business tenants. Wisznia | Design-Driven Development

The well-designed space has attracted a number of entrepreneurs and growing businesses from the surrounding area.