COLUMBUS, OHIO — Washington Prime Group (NYSE: WPG), an Ohio-based owner-operator of regional malls and shopping centers, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. WPG cited insurmountable operating challenges tied to the COVID-19 pandemic as the primary catalyst behind the move. Against that backdrop, both CNBC and Reuters reported that many of the company’s tenants were unable to pay rent at various points in time over the last 16 months as public health mandates and lockdowns decimated foot traffic throughout the brick-and-mortar retail market. The company, which was originally spun off by Simon Property Group in 2014, has negotiated a restructuring support agreement with its primary creditors, led by Connecticut-based private equity firm SVP Global, which hold approximately 73 percent of WPG’s outstanding corporate debt. The agreement also allows WPG to deleverage its balance sheet by nearly $950 million through the equitization of unsecured notes and a $190 million paydown of WPG’s revolving credit and term loan facilities. Lastly, the RSA provides for an effective four-year extension of the remaining credit facility debt. In addition, WPG has secured $100 million in debtor-in-possession financing to fund its daily operations as it …
