IRVINE, CALIF. — Sabra Health Care REIT Inc. shareholders have voted to approve the company’s planned merger with Care Capital Properties, despite objections of several major shareholders. The proposed merger was announced in May. If completed, the transaction will create a healthcare REIT with a pro forma total market capitalization of roughly $7.4 billion and an equity market capitalization of roughly $4.3 billion. The all-stock transaction is scheduled to close Thursday, subject to customary closing conditions. Several shareholders vehemently opposed the merger, most notably Hudson Bay Capital, which owns 3.9 percent of Sabra shares. The company cited a report by advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services that suggested Sabra was overpaying for CCP, and that headwinds in the skilled nursing sector would cause the CCP portfolio (which is nearly all skilled nursing) to struggle. The new REIT will be headquartered in Irvine and include a healthcare portfolio comprised of 564 investments across 43 states and Canada. Sabra’s current executive team will manage the company, which will continue to trade under the SBRA ticker symbol. The vote occurred at Sabra’s special meeting of stockholders. The company reports that holders of more than two thirds of the shares voted at the meeting in …
The recent announcement that online retail giant Amazon plans to acquire upscale grocery chain Whole Foods for $13.7 billion sent ripples through the commercial real estate industry when it was announced in June. The move signals a lot of trends and changes within the retail sector, according to a newly released report by real estate brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap. “The purchase highlights the importance of omnichannel platforms, which incorporate a blend of brick-and-mortar establishments with an online footprint to drive traffic and sales,” states the report. “In addition, grocery stores are typically retail center anchors, underscoring the importance of strip and neighborhood centers in the retail landscape.” The 11 largest grocery chains in the country all plan to expand this year, with many doing so aggressively. Discount grocer Aldi, which already has more than 1,600 locations, expects to open 900 new stores by 2022. This expansion within the grocery sector is snapping up a lot of available real estate. Combined with a low rate of new retail construction over the past seven years since the Great Recession, retail vacancy has reached a 16-year low of 5.4 percent. The flip side is that existing space is extremely constrained, and increased …
DEERFIELD, ILL. — The merger between Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA) and Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) has been terminated. Instead, Walgreens will purchase 2,186 stores and three distribution centers from Rite Aid for $5.2 billion. The previous merger agreement was unveiled in October 2015. In December 2016, Fred’s Pharmacy signed an agreement with Walgreens and Rite Aid to purchase 865 stores. Both of these agreements have been terminated, and Walgreens will pay Rite Aid the $325 million termination fee. Deerfield-based Walgreens will begin acquiring stores and related assets on a phased basis over a period of approximately six months, and intends to convert acquired stores to the Walgreens brand over time. Walgreens expects synergies from the new transaction to be in excess of $400 million.
SAN FRANCISCO AND WASHINGTON, D.C. — Data center REIT Digital Realty Trust Inc., (NYSE: DLR) has entered into an agreement to acquire competitor DuPont Fabros Technology Inc. (NYSE: DFT) in an all-stock merger with an enterprise value of $7.6 billion. The deal’s enterprise value includes $1.6 billion of assumed debt that is expected to be refinanced with a combination of investment-grade corporate bonds, among other securities. The merger is expected to close during the third or fourth quarter. Under the terms of the agreement, DuPont Fabros’ shareholders will receive 0.545 shares of Digital Realty stock for each share of DuPont Fabros stock. The merger is expected to generate as much as $18 million in overhead savings per year. “We are excited to execute two of the strategic objectives embodied in our corporate vision — diversifying our customer base and expanding our geographic presence,” says A. William Stein, CEO of San Francisco-based Digital Realty. “We believe this combination will enhance our ability to create significant long-term value for both sets of shareholders.” According to the company’s annual report, Digital Realty’s portfolio consists of 145 properties totaling roughly 23 million square feet across 33 global metropolitan areas. As of June 1, 2017, …
LOS ANGELES — The University of Southern California’s (USC) Lusk Center for Real Estate has announced the retirement of longtime chairman Stan Ross and the appointment of his successors, Emile Haddad and Bill Witte. Ross chaired the Lusk Center advisory board for the past 18 years. He became chairman after retiring as vice chairman of E&Y Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group. Ross has enjoyed a career in real estate that spans more than 60 years. Haddad is chairman and CEO of FivePoint Holdings. He will serve as the new chair, while Witte, chairman and CEO of Related California, will act as the new vice chair. The longtime members of the Lusk Center’s advisory board assume their new leadership duties July 1. Haddad and Witte will work together to guide the Lusk Center’s programs, as well as its support for research and academics, while continuing in their current roles with their respective companies.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Gymboree Corporation has appointed Daniel Griesemer as the company’s new president and chief executive officer. Griesemer joins Gymboree after a five-year tenure leading Tilly’s, an action sports-inspired teen and young adult apparel retailer where he served as president and CEO. Griesemer assumes his responsibilities from interim CEO Mark Weikel, who will continue his role as a member of the board of directors. In addition to his experience at Tilly’s, Griesemer previously served as president and CEO at Coldwater Creek, a women’s clothier, and held executive leadership positions at Gap Inc., GapKids and Gap Inc. International division. Griesemer began his career with Macy’s Stores. As of April 29, 2017, the The Gymboree Corporation operated 1,281 retail stores: 582 Gymboree stores, 172 Gymboree Outlet stores, 149 Janie and Jack shops and 378 Crazy 8 stores.
WARRENDALE, PA. — Teen apparel retailer Rue21 filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, May 15 with plans to reorganize and restructure its assets and debts. In April, the company began to close approximately 400 underperforming stores of the 1,179 stores that it operates. The company stated Monday that it may evaluate further store closures as it continues to manage its real estate lease portfolio. The company expects to emerge from Chapter 11 in fall 2017 with a significantly deleveraged balance sheet. The company has obtained $125 million in debtor-in-possession financing, enabling it to continue day-to-day operations, including payment of employee wages, payment of vendors and honoring customer programs, such as gift cards. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is Rue21’s legal advisor, Rothschild Inc., as its investment banker and financial advisor and Berkeley Research Group as its restructuring advisor.
BOISE, IDAHO — Albertsons Cos. has promoted its executive vice president and chief operating officer, Wayne Denningham, to president and chief operating officer. Bob Miller remains chairman and CEO, a role he has held since April 2015. Denningham will continue to lead store operations with added oversight of marketing and merchandising, supply chain, manufacturing and integration, all of which will continue under their current leadership. Denningham began his career with Albertsons in 1977 as a clerk and worked his way up in the organization. He eventually served as both executive vice president of marketing and merchandising and executive vice president of operations. Albertsons is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia under 19 banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs.
INDIANAPOLIS — Appliance, electronics and furniture retailer hhgregg Inc. is liquidating its assets. The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana approved the initiation of the liquidation process, which began April 8. As previously announced, Tiger Capital Group LLC and Great American Group LLC will conduct a sale of the merchandise and equipment located at the company’s retail stores and distribution centers. Headquartered in Indianapolis, hhgregg was unable to secure a buyer within the expedited timeline set by creditors after previously filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 6. The company expects to close all 220 stores by the end of May, resulting in about 5,000 layoffs across the country, according to The Indianapolis Star, the local newspaper. hhgregg has not disclosed a complete list of stores, but click here to see the previously announced store closings listed as part of the bankruptcy filing. Approximately 60 hhgregg stores are located in the Midwest.
TOPEKA, KAN. — Payless ShoeSource has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced plans to immediately close nearly 400 underperforming stores. The company, which bills itself as the largest specialty family footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere, currently operates approximately 4,400 stores in more than 30 countries. The shoes and accessory retailer was founded in 1956 in Topeka, Kan. “This is a difficult, but necessary, decision driven by the continued challenges of the retail environment, which will only intensify,” says W. Paul Jones, the company’s CEO. “We will build a stronger Payless.” Payless has entered into a Plan Support Agreement (PSA) with its lenders to reduce its debt load by almost 50 percent. The plan will also allow Payless to lower its annual cash interest costs, access additional capital and provide a path to emergence from Chapter 11 with a sustainable capital structure. The agreement will also allow Payless to invest in areas that may provide further growth, including omnichannel expansion, product and inventory initiatives, and international expansion in Latin America and elsewhere. The company plans to optimize its store footprint through the immediate store closures, as well as managing its existing real estate lease portfolio. This may include modifying …