WASHINGTON, DC-Madison Marquette and PNHoffman, the partners behind the Wharf project will havein place construction financing within two tothree months, according to Simon Mildé, chairman& CEO of the Greenwich Group International,which was tapped to secure financing for the two-phase, $1.5billion waterfront development. Construction of phase one, slatedto begin next year, will clock in at $830million and Mildé tells GlobeSt.com he is indiscussions with a number of banks for a $500 million constructionloan. "We are finding that several banks are willing to head up asyndicate and many banks are willing to participate in thesyndicate."

Syndicates, of course, were a fairly common way to finance largeprojects before the crash, especially as most lenders do not liketo go beyond $100 million for a project. Even now, there are somebanks still willing to front larger amounts, he says. "A handful ofbanks in the U.S. and Canada and other foreign markets are preparedto lend up to $400 million to $500 million. And we are talking withthem too."

"I am very confident that construction financing will bearranged within the two to three months."