Tamir Kazaz

The former chief executive officer of Africa Israel USA has launched an asset management company with the aim of building a $1 billion U.S. real estate portfolio, according to a press release.

Tamir Kazaz will head Clal US, a wholly owned subsidiary of Israeli company Clal Insurance which manages $40 billion in assets. Clal US has allocated over $1 billion for its initial acquisition phase, and has already picked up a 49 percent stake in One South Tower, a 40-story, 1.2-million-square-foot commercial skyscraper in Chicago.  [more]

20 Pine Street and Shaya Boymelgreen

After years of lawsuits and sluggish sales, the luxury condominium conversion 20 Pine has sold out, according to a release from developer Africa Israel USA.

The 409-unit tower, formerly the headquarters of Chase Manhattan Bank in the Financial District, was emblematic of the glitzy condo projects that took hold of New York City in the mid-2000s real estate boom. Developed in 2006 by Shaya Boymelgreen and Africa Isreal, the conversion was marketed by broker Michael Shvo and featured interiors designed by Armani Casa. [more]

The Apthorp

UPDATED: The owners of the Upper West Side’s Apthorp condominium, led by Africa Israel USA, have lost control of the long-troubled Renaissance Revival apartment house to mezzanine lender Area Property Partners, according to documents obtained by The Real Deal.

Irish Bank Resolution Corp., the Irish government entity that took over Anglo Irish Bank, sold the Apthorp’s mortgage debt to Arefin U.S. Investment, an affiliate of Area, and that deal closed Aug. 10, according to documents filed with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. The $385 million mortgage debt, had a balance of $225 million at the end of 2011. [more]

Laurie Golub

[Updated at 6:00 p.m. with comments from Golub] Laurie Golub, the former general counsel and managing director of business affairs for Africa Israel, has landed a new position as general counsel and chief operating officer of HFZ Capital, HFZ said today.

Golub will play an integral role at HFZ as it “moves ahead on a number of new and exciting development projects in both New York City and elsewhere,” HFZ founder Ziel Feldman said in a statement. [more]

Shaya Boymelgreen and 20 Pine Street

The developers of 20 Pine Street, led by Africa Israel USA, have settled a probe by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for allegedly covering up construction defects at the troubled condominium, but are facing a new $20 million lawsuit from unit owners over the same charges, The Real Deal has learned.

Jesheyanu “Shaya” Boymelgreen and Tamir Kazaz, president of AFI USA, signed an agreement to pay $144,000 in fines to the state and allow prospective buyers to rescind their contracts. The developers failed to disclose a Rand Engineering report listing $5.6 million in defects, ranging from cracking throughout the building, mold in the sauna, damaged heating systems and other problems, according to documents filed with the AG. [more]

Laurie Golub of Africa IsraelFrom the May issue: Laurie Golub always knew she wanted to be a mom, but in her 20s and 30s, she wasn’t ready.

“During those critical years, I was more focused on work,” said Golub, now in her 40s, who is the general counsel and managing director of business affairs at real estate development company Africa Israel USA.

That changed suddenly a few years ago. “I felt that, notwithstanding my incredible career and fun, exciting life, something was missing,” she said. [more]

The Apthorp, at 2211 Broadway

Irish Bank Resolution, which changed its name from Anglo Irish Bank in July 2011, has decided not to sell a portion of its U.S. loans due to fears of lawsuits from U.S. customers, whose consent would have been required in order to sell their performing loans, an article in Irish Times said.

The bank will maintain an office in Boston to manage the $1 billion in U.S. loans that it retained, the paper said. [more]

229 West 43rd Street

Restaurant company Heartland Group is expanding its presence in the Times Square neighborhood, after signing a nearly 16,000-square-foot lease at the former New York Times Building at 229 West 43rd Street, city property records show.

The Midtown-based company, which operates two large restaurants under the Heartland Brewery and HB Burger names only a block away, signed the new lease Dec. 1 with Africa Israel USA, which owns the retail condominium at the Times Square Building, the records say. [more]

Courtyard at the Apthorp

Following months of legal maneuvering, a state Supreme Court judge has ruled that Anglo Irish Bank can finally sell the troubled mortgage loan backed by the Apthorp condominium on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Judge Jeffrey Oing issued an order Nov. 29 finally allowing Anglo Irish Bank to move ahead with the sale of the $385 million mortgage loan to Dallas-based Lone Star Funds, but sources familiar with the negotiations say a final agreement was still being worked out to complete the deal.

The Apthorp loan, which has a remaining balance of $225 million. just before the suit was filed Sept. 13, was one of the largest in a group of $5 billion in troubled loans to be acquired by Lone Star. Anglo agreed to sell its entire $9.5 billion U.S. portfolio after the Irish government took over the troubled lender and agreed to sell off all of its non-core holdings around the world. JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo agreed to buy the remaining tranche of performing loans…. [more]

Developer Maurice Mann and the interior and exterior of a penthouse unit at the Laureate

Maurice Mann, the original developer of the Apthorp condominium conversion, has purchased a penthouse unit at the Laureate, the Stahl Organization’s new luxury condominium at 2150 Broadway, for over $7 million, according to public records filed with the city today.

Mann closed on the 2,532-square-foot, three-bedroom residence at the Laureate on Nov. 18, according to records, with a price of $7.37 million. Though he was not immediately available for comment, a person who answered the phone at his office confirmed the purchase.

The unit, which boasts “a great room with extra large windows and a set of French doors that open to a Juliet balcony at the [front] of the building,” was last listed with Shlomi Reuveni, a broker and head of the Brown Harris Stevens Select team, for $7.7 million, according to Streeteasy.com. … [more]