DALLAS — Younger Partners, a Dallas-based full-service real estate firm, has launched a new division for the acquisition of retail properties throughout the metroplex. Micah Ashford, a 20-year industry veteran and former partner at retail investment and brokerage firm Dunhill Partners, will lead the new division. Younger Partners considers the creation of a retail acquisitions team to be a critical part of its long-term strategy and believes that opportunities to buy distressed assets and create value will present themselves in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAN RAMON, CALIF. — Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) has agreed to acquire Houston-based exploration firm Noble Energy (NASDAQ: NBL) in an all-stock transaction valued at $5 billion, or $10.38 per share. Under the terms of the agreement, Noble Energy shareholders will receive 0.1191 shares of Chevron common stock for each share of Noble Energy stock they own. Inclusive of debt, the deal carries a total enterprise value of $13 billion. The price represents a premium of roughly 12 percent on the weighted average of Noble Energy’s closing stock prices for the 10-day period ending July 17. Following the closing of the deal, which is expected to occur in the fourth quarter, Noble’s shareholders will own about 3 percent of the new entity. Executives at San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron cited access to Noble’s assets in key domestic production sites like Colorado’s D-J Basin and Texas’ Permian Basin, as well as its international facilities in Israel and West Africa, as major incentives behind the acquisition. For example, Noble’s portfolio includes nearly 92,000 contiguous acres for drilling and exploration in the Permian Basin . In addition, in June, the company was awarded exploration rights to 800,000 acres of drillable land in the Western …
PLANO, TEXAS — J.C. Penney Co. announced on Wednesday that it would reduce its workforce by approximately 1,000 corporate, field management and international positions as part of its store optimization and restructuring plan. The Plano-based retailer, which employs about 90,000 people worldwide, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May and announced plans to close about 150 stores two weeks later. According to CNBC, J.C. Penney has reached an agreement with its creditors to extend submission of its new business plan and identify potential investors in the business. The network reports that mall developers Simon Property Group and Brookfield Properties are both in talks to buy the 118-year-old retailer, as are Sycamore Partners and Authentic Brands, the respective parent companies of department stores Belk and Barneys.
NEW YORK CITY — RTW Retailwinds Inc. (RTW), parent company of women’s apparel chains New York & Co., Fashion to Figure and Happy x Nature, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection along with its subsidiaries. The filing came Monday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. The company expects to close a significant portion, if not all, of its 378 brick-and-mortar stores and has launched a store closing and liquidation process. In the near term, however, New York City-based RTW will continue to operate its business and reopen stores that were previously temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of July 13, 92 percent of its brick-and-mortar retail and outlet locations across 32 states had reopened. RTW, which was first incorporated in 1918, says that the bankruptcy will enable it to maintain operations in the ordinary course of business, including the payment of employee wages and benefits, payment of suppliers and vendors and the use of cash collateral.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) has reopened its casino in the western Massachusetts city of Springfield at 25 percent of its original capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of July 13, there were 112,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state of Massachusetts and 8,330 deaths. At this time, the resort’s 240-room hotel and spa remain closed, limiting the amenity options for guests to the 125,000-square-foot casino and three of the property’s food and beverage establishments, which will also operate at limited occupancies. Valet parking is also unavailable at this time. Employees and guests are required to wear masks in public settings, and plexiglass barriers have been installed in certain areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain. MGM has also set up handwashing stations throughout casino floor and will use digital menus as its restaurants to minimize sharing of surfaces.
RED BANK, N.J. — Colliers International has completed its acquisition of Maser Consulting, a design and engineering firm based in Red Bank, New Jersey. Maser’s senior leadership team will continue to drive operations and will retain a significant equity stake in the business going forward. The operations will be rebranded as Colliers Engineering Services in the first half of 2021. Maser employs more than 1,000 people across 34 offices in 12 states.
SEATTLE — Privately held kitchenware retailer Sur La Table has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Seattle-based company is set to close 56 of its 121 stores, according to reports by The New York Times, making it the latest retailer to struggle under strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following store closures and bankruptcy proceedings, Sur La Table has entered into a stalking horse agreement — or an initial bid on the assets of a bankrupt company — to affiliates of New York City-based Fortress Investment Group. The private equity firm is working with Los Angeles-based STORY3 Capital Partners, a private equity and debt investor that has previously invested in retailers such as Hot Topic, Nordstrom, Oakley, True Religion and West Marine. Jason Goldberger, CEO of Sur La Table, says the company will focus on its successful stores, online platform and in-person cooking classes post-sale. “This sale process will result in a revitalized Sur La Table, positioned to thrive in a post-COVID-19 retail environment,” says Goldberger. “Sur La Table will have a balance sheet and retail footprint optimized to position the company for a bright future that continues our nearly 50-year tradition of offering high-quality cooking products and experiences …
UNION, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY) plans to close 200 stores over the next two years. The Union-based company made the announcement during its earnings statement for its fiscal first quarter, which runs from March through May. The report shows sales plummeted in the quarter due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdowns affecting non-essential retailers. For the three-month period, net sales were approximately $1.3 billion, a 49 percent year-over-year decrease. Bed Bath & Beyond reports that 90 percent of its physical locations were closed for the majority of the quarter, causing in-store sales to decline 77 percent. During the same period, sales on the digital platform grew 82 percent. “From the beginning of this crisis, we have taken measured, purposeful steps to help keep our people safe and our customers serviced, and we are proud of the way our teams have navigated this unprecedented challenge with speed and agility,” says Mark Tritton, president and CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond. “At the same time, our actions to strengthen our financial position and liquidity are enhancing our flexibility and capacity to invest and rebuild our business for long-term success.” As of May 30, Bed Bath & Beyond operated 1,478 …
BALTIMORE — Armada Hoffler Properties and WeWork have mutually agreed to terminate WeWork’s 69,000-square-foot office lease at Wills Wharf in Baltimore’s Harbor Point neighborhood. The New York City-based coworking company was slated to occupy the top two stories of the office portion of Wills Wharf. A Canopy by Hilton hotel will be situated on the top four floors of the 12-story, 325,000-square-foot building. Armada Hoffler has begun marketing the space again to join other office tenants, which include EY, Jellyfish and Bright Horizons. WeWork also terminated its lease with landlord Columbia Property Trust at 189 Madison Ave. in New York City.
NEW YORK CITY — Walker & Dunlop has acquired Beler Advisory Group (BAG), a locally based independent real estate finance firm. Mo Beler, former principal at BAG, will join Walker & Dunlop’s New York City capital markets debt and equity team, which is currently led by Aaron Appel, Jonathan Schwartz, Keith Kurland and Adam Schwartz. Beler, a 15-year industry veteran who has closed more than $6 billion in debt and equity transactions in his career, founded the company in 2019.