INDIANAPOLIS — David Simon, CEO and president of Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG), says he is pleased with the company’s first-quarter results and that business has “substantially improved after addressing the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.” According to Simon, the mall owner is experiencing cash flow growth, increasing shopper traffic, increasing retailer sales and leasing momentum across its portfolio. Additionally, Simon says it is experiencing similar results in its recently acquired Taubman Realty Group portfolio, and is “encouraged by collective progress in increasing profitability.” Simon reported that its first-quarter revenue fell to $1.2 billion, compared with $1.3 billion the same period a year ago. For the three-month period ending March 31, occupancy at Simon’s U.S. malls and outlet properties totaled 90.8 percent, compared with 94 percent the year prior. Simon’s stock price closed at $126.75 per share Monday, May 10, up from $55.08 per share one year ago. Simon’s global property portfolio is comprised of more than 200 malls and outlet centers. It also owns an 80 percent interest in Taubman Realty Group, which owns 24 retail assets in the U.S. and Asia.
NEW YORK CITY — Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) has unveiled plans to overhaul its flagship Herald Square store at the corner of 34th Street and Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The plan would add a commercial office tower atop the store. The size and design features of the office component were not disclosed. The plan includes a private investment totaling $235 million by Macy’s that would modernize the public spaces around the flagship store, including upgraded subway access, improved transit connections and pedestrian-friendly and car-free streetscapes at Broadway Plaza and Herald Square. Macy’s would improve Herald Square Subway Station’s entrances and add publicly accessible elevators at Seventh Avenue, Broadway, 34th Street and 35th Street that are compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The renewal plan is expected to generate $269 million annually in new tax revenues for New York City, support 16,290 annual jobs and spark $4.29 billion in annual economic output, according to Macy’s. “Today’s announcement is a resounding vote of confidence for Manhattan and the entire state, and a strong indication that New York’s retailers and consumers will drive this economic recovery,” says Melissa O’Connor, president and CEO of the Retail Council of New York State, the …
SHREVEPORT, LA. — Amazon Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZ) has planned a 650,000-square-foot fulfillment center in the northwestern Louisiana city of Shreveport. The Louisiana Economic Development (LED) organization claims the development will generate $200 million in capital investment and add more than 1,000 jobs to the local economy. The site of the multi-level building, which will feature automated inventory management and shipping technology, is located within Hunter Industrial Park, a 135-acre development situated within three miles of interstates 20,49 and 220. The property will also be LEED certified. The Shreveport Times reports that the fulfillment center will be Amazon’s first in northern Louisiana. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant announced a fulfillment center in Carencro, located outside of Lafayette in the southern part of the state, in December, and is also planning to convert the Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge into a fulfillment center, according to the local newspaper. Of the seven Amazon facilities that have been announced or are under construction in Louisiana, the Shreveport fulfillment center will be the largest. Construction is set to begin immediately with completion expected in September 2022. In addition to the 1,000 full-time jobs at the facility, development of the new fulfillment center is expected to create …
CINCINNATI — Phillips Edison & Co. Inc. (PECO) has filed a registration statement on Form S-11 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed public offering in conjunction with the listing of its stock on a national stock exchange. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. The Cincinnati-based retail REIT intends to list its stock under the ticker symbol “PECO.” Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, BofA Securities and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC will be acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. PECO is an owner and operator of grocery-anchored shopping centers. As of March 31, the company owned equity interests in 300 properties, including 278 wholly owned assets and 22 owned through two unconsolidated joint ventures with institutional partners. PECO’s first-quarter results presentation will take place Wednesday, May 19.
ROCK FALLS, ILL. — MAG Capital Partners LLC has acquired a 645,000-square-foot industrial property in the Northwest Illinois community of Rock Falls for an undisclosed price. Cimco Recycling LLC leases the property, which is known as the I-88 Distribution Center. Cimco has occupied the facility since 2018. It previously served as the home of a Stanley Black & Decker plant. Mary Garnett and Jim Tuesley of Barnes & Thornburg LLP represented MAG Capital Partners in the transaction. Kent Williams, Matt Taylor and Steven Weinstock of Marcus & Millichap represented the undisclosed seller. Fort Worth, Texas-based MAG Capital Partners is led by principals Dax T.S. Mitchell and Andrew Gi.
LOS ANGELES — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap, has arranged the sale-leaseback of a 28-property portfolio of net-leased Fred Meyer stores in the West. While the price was not disclosed, Marcus & Millichap’s research department claims that the sale is the largest retail transaction since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fred Meyer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kroger (NYSE: KR) and features a superstore-style format. Benderson Development acquired the 4.5 million-square-foot portfolio. The Fred Meyer portfolio is located in Shoreline, Bellingham, Everett, Lynnwood, Longview, Vancouver, Puyallup, Richland and Tacoma, Washington; Eugene, Salem, Albany, Beaverton, Corvallis, Portland, Medford, Oregon City, Roseburg, Springfield, The Dalles and Tualatin, Oregon; Nampa and Garden City, Idaho; and Anchorage, Alaska. “The Pacific Northwest has always been one of our top areas of interest to grow our national footprint,” says Randy Benderson, president and director of Benderson Development. “Fred Meyer is a leader in these markets and we’re very pleased to strengthen and enhance our long-term partnership with them.” Kroger will execute new 25-year absolute net leases for each property, with an initial portfolio-wide base rent totaling $25 million per year. Tom Lagos, Patrick Toomey, Jose Carrazana, Jessica Baram and Ryan …
CHICAGO AND HOLMDEL, N.J. — Equity Commonwealth (NYSE: EQC) and Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corp. (NYSE: MNR) have agreed to merge, signaling their intent to build a leading industrial real estate business and participate in the long-term growth of the sector. Based on the structure of the deal, Equity Commonwealth would acquire Monmouth in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.4 billion, including the assumption of debt. The combined company is expected to have a pro forma equity market capitalization of approximately $5.5 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Monmouth shareholders will receive 0.67 shares of Equity Commonwealth stock for every share of Monmouth stock they own. Equity Commonwealth and Monmouth shareholders are expected to own approximately 65 percent and 35 percent, respectively, of the pro forma company following the close of the transaction. Monmouth’s portfolio comprises 120 industrial properties totaling 24.5 million square feet. The Holmdel-based company is also under contract to purchase six properties totaling 1.8 million square feet, with the deals expected to close later this year or early next. Equity Commonwealth is a Chicago-based office REIT with a portfolio of four properties totaling 1.5 million square feet. “The transaction provides Equity Commonwealth with a high-quality, …
ATLANTA AND NASHVILLE, TENN. — Piedmont Healthcare has signed a purchase agreement with HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE: HCA) for the acquisition of four Georgia hospitals and one clinic for a purchase price of $950 million. The two parties are targeting a closing date of July 31. Pending regulatory approval, Piedmont will acquire the 310-bed Eastside Medical Center in Snellville and the 119-bed Cartersville Medical Center in Cartersville, which are both located in metro Atlanta. The acquisition will also include three facilities in Macon: the 310-bed Coliseum Medical Center, the 103-bed Coliseum Northside and the 40-bed Coliseum Center for Behavioral Health. With the acquisition, Piedmont Healthcare is continuing to expand its footprint in metro Atlanta as well as strengthen its portfolio of best-in-class hospitals. Nonprofit watchdog organization Leapfrog Group rated HCA’s Coliseum Medical Centers, Coliseum Northside and Cartersville Medical Center as “A” hospitals in its spring 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades report released last week. “HCA Healthcare has instilled a high standard of care into these facilities, and we are proud that they have trusted Piedmont to continue this legacy,” says Kevin Brown, president and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare. For HCA, the transaction increases the Nashville-based company’s financial flexibility for investments …
By Steve Van, president & CEO, Prism Hotels & Resorts While 2020 was a trying year for companies in every industry, the hospitality sector has been really taking it on the chin. Restaurateurs and airline executives might disagree, but hoteliers have arguably had it worse than any other industry. The financial impact on the hotel business from COVID-19 is 10 times worse than the hit from the late 2000s recession — and that’s a very big deal. With the rate of business travel falling off a cliff and leisure travel down more than ever around the world, 2020 was a year that many hospitality executives would like to forget. But that doesn’t mean the sky is falling — or that brighter times aren’t in store. But what do those timelines look like? How should hotel professionals be managing the current crisis, and what are the real estate implications for investors? Let’s take a clear-eyed look at the good, the bad and the ugly and try and answer those questions by examining key trends and thinking about what’s likely to come next for hotel developers, operators and investors. Southern Sunshine One important caveat to the story of catastrophic hotel business drop-offs …
HEALDSBURG, CALIF. — Ohana Real Estate Investors has sold the Montage Healdsburg, a 130-room luxury hotel located within California’s Sonoma County wine country. Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. (NYSE: SHO) bought the resort for $265 million, more than $2 million per key. Montage Healdsburg is a newly built, 258-acre resort situated within walking distance of downtown Healdsburg. The property offers bungalow-style guest rooms and suites alongside shared amenities including a full-service spa; multiple swimming pools; an archery range; pickleball courts; bocce ball; dining options including a multi-level main restaurant and an outdoor bar and grill overlooking the resort’s vineyards; and meeting and event space. The property also offers a number of 4,500-square-foot, move-in-ready residences titled Harvest Homes, which feature four bedrooms with bed-to-bath parity. Ohana will retain ownership of the residential parcels within the property, and has begun constructing homes and selling custom homesites affiliated with the resort. “This sale reflects the strong interest from investors in best-in-class, leisure-oriented resorts as the hotel industry begins to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says James Cole, head of asset management at Ohana. Dentons was legal advisor to Ohana on the transaction. This disposition marks Ohana’s second sale of a hotel …