Chad Arfons

Member;
Cleveland
P: 216.348.5455
carfons@mcdonaldhopkins.com

Chad focuses his practice on real estate and commercial finance. He specializes in community development and project financing using capital campaigns, federal, state and local grants and loans, historic preservation tax credits, renewable energy tax credits, and new markets tax credits. Chad counsels developers, investors, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education in real estate acquisition, financing, leasing, development, construction, management, and disposition. His extensive experience also includes representing financial institutions and borrowers in financing transactions.

Chad earned a J.D. from Tulane University Law School in 1997. He graduated from the University of Akron with a B.A. in 1994.

Representative Cases/Matters

Represented an institution of higher education in all aspects of its $35 million rehabilitation and modernization of a historic building, including development agreements, construction documents, commercial debt financing, obtaining and syndicating federal historic rehabilitation tax credits, state historic rehabilitation tax credits and new markets tax credits, applying for and complying with the requirements of state and federal grants and subsidies and assisting with capital campaign activities
Represented publicly-traded financial institutions in equity investments in, and secured construction loans and bridge loans for, historic rehabilitation projects
Represented owner in the development of a LEED Platinum boutique hotel and conference center, utilizing new markets tax credit financing
Represented a purchaser in structuring and negotiating a pre-paid power purchase agreement and in all aspects of the 2.2MW solar photovoltaic project, including negotiating and documenting the project site lease, bridge loan financing, security interests, and interconnection agreement and reviewing the EPC contract and operation and maintenance contract
Represented national financial institutions in numerous real estate, asset-based and historic rehabilitation tax credit and new market tax credit loan financing transactions
Represented a leading private liberal arts college in the redevelopment of a historic theater for use as a modern commercial movie theater and for educational advancement purposes financed in part with federal historic rehabilitation tax credits, state historic rehabilitation tax credits and new markets tax credits
Represented Ohio universities in the complete rehabilitation of historic dormitories utilizing federal historic rehabilitation tax credits and state historic rehabilitation tax credits to supplement the universities' capital campaigns
Represented a national banking association in multistate acquisition, leasing and sale and lease-back of bank branch offices
Represented a financial institution in numerous loans made to a joint venture of a national developer and a publicly traded institutional investor for the acquisition and development of retail, multi-family residential and mixed-use real estate projects throughout the country
Represented local developer in redevelopment of historic urban office buildings

Credentials

Admissions - Court

U.S. Tax Court

Admissions - State

Ohio

Education

Tulane University Law School
The University of Akron

Honors and Awards

Named one of the Best Lawyers in America (2013-2021)
Selected for inclusion in Ohio Rising Stars (2005-2009, 2011)
AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Professional Membership

Ohio State Bar Association
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Case Western Reserve University School of Law (Adjunct Professor)

Public Service and Volunteerism

Historic Gateway Neighborhood Development Corporation (Board of Directors)
Cleveland Restoration Society (Board of Directors)

Insights

Alerts

Blog Posts

Introducing Chad Arfons of McDonald Hopkins

News

Events