Cherry Tang, a master of science in real estate development student at the MIT Center for Real Estate, recently participated in an experiential learning opportunity in Panama working with Conservatorio, a development firm based in Casco Viejo. What began as a modeling exercise quickly became a deeper exploration of how development, community, and environment intersect, shaped as much by people and culture as by the work itself. The project centered on Santa Catalina, a remote surf town on Panama's Pacific coast. The development comprises approximately 140 residential units across condos, villas, and homes, along with vacant lots, four retail spaces, a surf school with a stadium, and a restaurant with a pool ' all envisioned as the town's first true center. The project is designed as an open, walkable master-planned community that integrates seamlessly with the existing town. Anchored by surfing and diving, it introduces a diverse product mix and a 600-meter linear park, positioning it as the future heart of Santa Catalina and a differentiated alternative to both local developments and traditional resort-style communities....
The vehicle, backed by Ares Alternative Credit funds, will enable Clearwater to deploy balance sheet capital into large-scale commercial real estate projects, targeting financings across hospitality, multifamily, mixed-use, and adaptive reuse assets. C-PACE is a financing model that allows property owners to fund energy efficiency and sustainability improvements through tax-linked assessments, creating long-duration, senior-secured loans with stable return profiles. The platform is designed to target transactions of $5m or more, with typical deal sizes ranging between $40m and $50m, and will support borrowers across more than 40 US states. As traditional real estate capital markets continue to adjust, C-PACE is increasingly being used alongside senior debt, mezzanine financing, and preferred equity to optimise capital structures. 'This initial close validates the institutional demand for C-PACE loans and further positions Clearwater to capture meaningful market share in an asset class that exceeded $3bn of origination volume in 2025,' said Jonathan Seabolt, CEO of Clearwater....
The firm will acquire all outstanding shares at $19.00 per share, representing a 12.2% premium to the company's latest closing price and a 26.5% premium to its unaffected share price prior to earlier sale reports. The transaction strengthens Ares Real Estate's exposure to necessity-based retail assets in high-growth US markets. Whitestone's portfolio comprises 56 properties spanning approximately 4.9m square feet across key regions including Phoenix, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. 'Whitestone's portfolio provides an attractive opportunity to further diversify Ares Real Estate's footprint with necessity-based retail centers in high-demand, supply-constrained metro regions across Arizona and Texas,' said David Roth, Global Head of Real Estate Strategy and Growth at Ares Real Estate. Subscribe to our Newsletter to increase your edge. Don't worry about the news anymore, through our newsletter you'll receive weekly access to what is happening. Join 120,000 other PE professionals today....
'As real estate markets move into the early stages of recovery, our confidence is fueled by the increase in long-term structural demand across our high-conviction New Economy sectors,' said Julie Solomon, Head of Ares Real Estate. Subscribe to our Newsletter to increase your edge. Don't worry about the news anymore, through our newsletter you'll receive weekly access to what is happening. Join 120,000 other PE professionals today....
