Hilco Real Estate (HRE) has made a significant expansion of its real estate receivership practice. The Northbrook, IL-based firm hired Matthew Mason as SVP, and he brings a team with him to HRE.

Mason joins HRE with 24 years of experience in real estate and fiduciary services. His background includes assisting institutional clients, lenders, and private investors with distressed real estate and serving as a court-appointed receiver for more than 200 retail, office, multifamily, industrial, hotel, and mixed-use projects.

Joining him at HRE are Andrew Streeter, who specializes in asset management of distressed assets through the takeover and disposition process; Robert Jones, a 20-year veteran of asset management, property management, leasing, negotiation and disposition; and Spencer Ruberti, who has more than 15 years of experience in commercial real estate, specializing in distressed assets and court-appointed receiverships.

“We are thrilled to welcome Matt to the Receivership group at HRE,” said Neil Aaronson, CEO at HRE, “With Matt’s extensive industry expertise and proven track record, we are confident that he and his team will offer a tremendous resource to our clients, securing, maintaining and right-sizing operations for individual real estate assets and portfolios.”

Pictured: Matthew Mason.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation plans to redevelop a property next to Six Flags Over Georgia to provide permanent housing for metro Atlanta veterans experiencing temporary and long-term homelessness.

Continuing the mission of the organization’s Homeless Veteran Program, Tunnel to Towers intends to revitalize the former Wingate by Wyndham hotel located off I-20 at 65 South Service Rd. into a community that, once completed, will be able to house roughly 95 retired service members.

The Atlanta Business Journal reports the foundation bought the Wyndham hotel late last year and is in the process of requesting demolition permits to begin construction in the next month. Tunnel to Towers closed on the property at the end of September, paying $6.75 million.

Plans for the Veterans Village consist of a comprehensive security system, movie theater, fitness center and ground-floor office space for case managers, therapists and peer support specialists.

Tunnel to Towers hopes to wrap construction later this year.