Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto and Item 1A . “Risk Factors,” appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In this discussion, unless the context suggests otherwise, references to “our Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” mean Kite Realty Group Trust and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, including Kite Realty Group, L.P.
Overview
In the following overview, we discuss, among other things, the status of our business and properties, the effect that current U.S. economic conditions is having on our retail tenants and us, and the current state of the financial markets and how it impacts our financing strategy.
Our Business and Properties
Kite Realty Group Trust is a publicly held REIT that, through its majority-owned subsidiary, Kite Realty Group, L.P., owns interests in various operating subsidiaries and joint ventures engaged in the ownership, operation, acquisition, development and redevelopment of high-quality, open-air shopping centers and mixed-use assets that are primarily grocery-anchored and located in high-growth Sun Belt and select strategic gateway markets in the United States. We derive our revenue primarily from the collection of contractual rents and reimbursement payments from tenants under existing lease agreements at each of our properties. Therefore, our operating results depend materially on, among other things, the ability of our tenants to make required lease payments, the health and resilience of the U.S. retail sector, interest rate volatility, job growth, the real estate market and overall economic conditions.
As of December 31, 2022, we owned interests in 183 operating retail properties totaling approximately 28.8 million square feet and one office property with 0.3 million square feet. Of the 183 operating retail properties, 11 contain an office component. We also owned three development projects under construction as of this date.
Merger with RPAI
On October 22, 2021, we completed the Merger with RPAI in which we acquired 100 operating retail properties and five development projects along with multiple parcels of entitled land for future value creation, creating a top five open-air shopping center REIT. The combined high-quality, open-air portfolio is a mixture of predominantly necessity-based, grocery-anchored neighborhood and community centers, combined with vibrant mixed-use assets. The Merger served to more than double the Company’s presence in high-growth markets that have mild or temperate climates and no or relatively low income taxes, while also introducing and/or enhancing its presence in strategic gateway markets. In addition, the combined company has additional opportunities to further increase shareholder value, including leasing of pandemic-related vacancies, optimizing NOI margins, lowering the Company’s cost of capital, and completing select development projects.
Inflation
Inflationary concerns have been counteracting the retail sector’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and may affect consumer confidence and spending, which has impacted, and could continue to impact, our tenants’ sales and overall health and, in turn, put downward pricing pressure on rents that we are able to charge to new or renewing tenants, and in some cases, our percentage rents. While many of our leases contain provisions designed to mitigate the adverse impact of inflation, including, for example, requirements for tenants to pay a share of operating expenses and rent increases that are tied to consumer price index increases, the stated rent increases or limits on such tenant’s obligation to pay its share of operating expenses could be lower than the increase in inflation at any given time. Inflation may also increase labor or other general and administrative expenses that cannot be easily reduced.
Portfolio Update
As has become more evident since the COVID-19 pandemic began and as we began to operate as a combined company, high-quality real estate located in high-quality markets matters. Open-air centers are thriving for a variety of reasons including their ability to act as last mile fulfillment centers and their convenient and affordable nature for retailers and consumers. This includes conveniently located and easily accessible parking fields, lower operating costs as compared to other retail formats, and essential anchors that drive daily trips. In addition, the Company’s property types are particularly suited for retailers’ current and evolving needs, including curbside pick-up and buying online and picking up in store (“BOPIS”), that we believe
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will benefit from tenant demand for additional space. The strength of the Company’s real estate is evidenced by our continued strong cash leasing spreads and ABR for the retail portfolio of $20.02 per square foot. The Company has continued to improve its asset quality and through the Merger, acquired a refined portfolio of high-quality, open-air shopping centers and mixed-use assets.
In evaluating potential acquisition, development, and redevelopment opportunities, we look for strong sub-markets where average household income, educational attainment, population density, traffic counts and daytime workforce populations are above the broader market average. We also focus on locations that are benefiting from current population migratory patterns, namely major cities in business-friendly states with no or relatively low income taxes, and mild or temperate climates. In our largest sub-markets, household incomes are significantly higher and state income taxes are relatively lower than the medians for the broader markets.
In addition to targeting sub-markets with strong consumer demographics, we focus on having the most desirable tenant mix at each center. We have aggressively targeted and executed leases with prominent grocers including Publix, Lidl, Aldi, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s, expanding retailers such as T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods, Ross Dress for Less, Burlington, Old Navy, and pOpshelf, service and restaurant retailers and other retailers such as Ulta Beauty, REI, Five Below and Total Wine & More. Additionally, we have identified cost-efficient ways to relocate, re-tenant and renegotiate leases at several of our properties allowing us to attract more suitable tenants.
Capital and Financing Activities
In 2022, we were able to enhance our already-strong balance sheet, increase our financial flexibility, and improve our liquidity to fund future growth by increasing the capacity on our revolving line of credit to $1.1 billion in July 2022 and entering into a seven-year $300.0 million unsecured term loan. We ended 2022 with approximately $1.2 billion of combined cash and borrowing capacity on our revolving line of credit. In addition, as of December 31, 2022, we had $284.4 million of debt principal scheduled to mature through December 31, 2023, which we expect to retire using cash on hand and our revolving line of credit.
The three investment grade credit ratings we maintain provide us with access to the unsecured public bond market, which we may continue to use in the future to finance acquisitions, repay maturing debt and fix interest rates.
Results of Operations
As of December 31, 2022, we owned interests in 183 operating retail properties, one office property and three development projects currently under construction. The following table sets forth the total operating properties and development projects we owned as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020:
Number of Properties
2022 2021 2020
Operating retail properties (1)
183 180 83
Office properties 1 1 1
Development and redevelopment projects 3 8 5
(1) Included within operating retail properties are 11, 11 and 3 properties that contain an office component as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
The comparability of results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 is affected by our Merger with RPAI that was completed on October 22, 2021, in which we acquired 100 operating retail properties and five development projects, along with our development, redevelopment, and operating property acquisition and disposition activities in 2020 through 2022. Therefore, we believe it is most useful to review the comparisons of our results of operations for these years (as set forth below under “Comparison of Operating Results for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 ” ) in conjunction with the discussion of our activities during those periods, which is set forth below. Results from operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 reflect the combined operation for the approximately two and a half months following the Company’s Merger with RPAI on October 22, 2021.
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Acquisitions
In addition to the properties we acquired in the Merger, the following properties were acquired during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020:
Property Name MSA Acquisition Date Owned GLA
Eastgate Crossing Raleigh, NC December 2020 156,276
Nora Plaza outparcel Indianapolis, IN December 2021 23,722
Pebble Marketplace Las Vegas, NV February 2022 85,796
MacArthur Crossing two-tenant building Dallas, TX April 2022 56,077
Palms Plaza Miami, FL July 2022 68,976
Dispositions
The following operating properties were sold during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. We did not sell any operating properties during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Property Name MSA Disposition Date Owned GLA
Westside Market Dallas, TX October 2021 93,377
Plaza Del Lago (1)
Chicago, IL June 2022 100,016
Lincoln Plaza – Lowe’s (2)
Worcester, MA October 2022 —
(1) Plaza Del Lago also contains 8,800 square feet of residential space comprised of 18 multifamily rental units.
(2) We sold the ground lease interest in one tenant at an existing multi-tenant operating retail property. The total number of properties in our portfolio was not affected by this transaction.
Development and Redevelopment Projects
The following properties were under active development or redevelopment during portions of the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 and removed from our operating portfolio:
Project Name MSA Transition to
Development or Redevelopment (1)
Transition to
Operating Portfolio Owned
Commercial GLA
Courthouse Shadows (2)
Naples, FL June 2013 Sold 124,802
Hamilton Crossing Centre (3)(4)
Indianapolis, IN June 2014 Pending 92,283
The Corner (3)
Indianapolis, IN December 2015 Pending 24,000
Eddy Street Commons – Phase II South Bend, IN September 2017 December 2020 8,200
Eddy Street Commons – Phase III South Bend, IN September 2020 March 2022 18,600
Glendale Town Center (3)
Indianapolis, IN March 2019 December 2021 199,021
The Landing at Tradition – Phase II Port St. Lucie, FL September 2021 Pending 39,900
Carillon MOB (5)
Washington, D.C. October 2021 Pending 126,000
Circle East (5)
Baltimore, MD October 2021 September 2022 82,000
One Loudoun Downtown – Residential
and Pads G&H Commercial (5)
Washington, D.C. October 2021 Residential: June 2022
Commercial: December 2022 67,000
Shoppes at Quarterfield (5)
Baltimore, MD October 2021 June 2022 58,000
(1) Transition date represents the date the property was transferred from our operating portfolio into redevelopment status. For legacy RPAI projects, the transition date represents the later of the date of the closing of the Merger and the date the project was transferred into redevelopment status.
(2) This property was sold in July 2020.
(3) This property has been identified as a redevelopment property and is not included in the operating portfolio or the same property pool. The redevelopment projects at Hamilton Crossing Centre and The Corner will include the creation of a mixed-use development.
(4) A portion of the Hamilton Crossing Centre redevelopment was sold in January 2022.
(5) Project was assumed as part of the Merger with RPAI in October 2021.
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Comparison of Operating Results for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
The following table reflects changes in the components of our consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands) :
Year Ended December 31,
2022 2021 Change
Revenue:
Rental income $ 782,349 $ 367,399 $ 414,950
Other property-related revenue 11,108 4,683 6,425
Fee income 8,539 1,242 7,297
Total revenue 801,996 373,324 428,672
Expenses:
Property operating 107,217 55,561 51,656
Real estate taxes 104,589 49,530 55,059
General, administrative and other 54,860 33,984 20,876
Merger and acquisition costs 925 86,522 (85,597)
Depreciation and amortization 469,805 200,460 269,345
Total expenses 737,396 426,057 311,339
Gain on sales of operating properties, net 27,069 31,209 (4,140)
Operating income (loss) 91,669 (21,524) 113,193
Other (expense) income:
Interest expense (104,276) (60,447) (43,829)
Income tax (expense) benefit of taxable REIT subsidiary (43) 310 (353)
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries 256 (416) 672
Other income, net 240 355 (115)
Net loss (12,154) (81,722) 69,568
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (482) 916 (1,398)
Net loss attributable to common shareholders $ (12,636) $ (80,806) $ 68,170
Property operating expense to total revenue ratio 13.4 % 14.9 %
Rental income (including tenant reimbursements) increased $415.0 million, or 112.9%, due to the following (in thousands) :
Net change
2021 to 2022
Properties or components of properties sold during 2021 or 2022 $ (417)
Properties under redevelopment or acquired during 2021 and/or 2022 6,660
Properties acquired in the Merger with RPAI 402,842
Properties fully operational during 2021 and 2022 and other 5,865
Total $ 414,950
The net increase of $5.9 million in rental income for properties that were fully operational during 2021 and 2022 is primarily due to a $3.3 million increase in tenant reimbursements due to higher recoverable common area maintenance expenses and increases in base minimum rent of $2.8 million due to improved tenant performance, overage rent of $2.2 million and ancillary income of $1.4 million. These variances were partially offset by a $2.6 million increase in bad debt expense and a $1.3 million decrease in lease termination income. The occupancy of the fully operational properties increased from 88.0% for 2021 to 92.3% for 2022.
We continued to experience strong leasing volumes in 2022 and generate higher rents on new leases and renewals. The average rents for new comparable leases signed in 2022 were $27.07 per square foot compared to average expiring base rents of $19.65 per square foot in that period. The average base rents for renewals signed in 2022 were $18.52 per square foot compared to average expiring base rents of $17.06 per square foot in that period. For the entire portfolio, the spread between leased and occupied square footage is approximately 270 basis points and represents approximately $33.0 million of NOI, the majority of
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which will come online in 2023. In addition, the ABR per square foot of our operating retail portfolio continued to improve, as it increased to $20.02 per square foot as of December 31, 2022 from $19.36 per square foot as of December 31, 2021.
Other property-related revenue primarily consists of parking revenues, gains on the sale of land and other miscellaneous activity. This revenue increased by $6.4 million primarily as a result of higher gains on sales of undepreciated assets of $4.0 million recognized during the year ended December 31, 2022 and increases in miscellaneous income of $1.6 million and parking revenue of $0.8 million.
We recorded fee income of $8.5 million and $1.2 million during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, from property management and development services provided to third parties and unconsolidated joint ventures. The increase in fee income is primarily due to $7.1 million of development fees earned related to the development of a corporate campus for Republic Airways at Hamilton Crossing Centre.
Property operating expenses increased $51.7 million, or 93.0%, due to the following (in thousands) :
Net change
2021 to 2022
Properties or components of properties sold during 2021 or 2022 $ (245)
Properties under redevelopment or acquired during 2021 and/or 2022 1,032
Properties acquired in the Merger with RPAI 49,725
Properties fully operational during 2021 and 2022 and other 1,144
Total $ 51,656
The net increase of $1.1 million in property operating expenses for properties that were fully operational during 2021 and 2022 is primarily due to increases in insurance expense of $4.0 million and utilities of $0.6 million, partially offset by a $3.8 million decrease in repairs and maintenance and landscaping expenses. As a percentage of revenue, property operating expenses decreased from 14.9% to 13.4% primarily due to an increase in revenue in 2022.
Real estate taxes increased $55.1 million, or 111.2%, primarily as a result of the Merger with RPAI as detailed below (in thousands) :
Net change
2021 to 2022
Properties or components of properties sold during 2021 or 2022 $ 38
Properties under redevelopment or acquired during 2021 and/or 2022 724
Properties acquired in the Merger with RPAI 55,038
Properties fully operational during 2021 and 2022 and other (741)
Total $ 55,059
The net decrease of $0.7 million in real estate taxes for properties that were fully operational during 2021 and 2022 is primarily due to successful real estate tax appeals at certain properties in the portfolio, most notably for certain of our Texas properties. The majority of real estate tax expense is recoverable from tenants and such recovery is reflected within rental income.
General, administrative and other expenses increased $20.9 million, or 61.4%. This increase is primarily due to incremental head count as part of the Merger and higher share-based compensation expense.
The Company incurred $0.9 million and $86.5 million of merger and acquisition costs related to the Merger with RPAI during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Costs incurred during 2022 primarily consist of professional fees and technology costs while costs incurred during 2021 primarily consist of fairness opinion, severance charges, legal, professional, and data migration costs.
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Depreciation and amortization expense increased $269.3 million, or 134.4%, primarily as a result of the Merger with RPAI as detailed below (in thousands) :
Net change
2021 to 2022
Properties or components of properties sold during 2021 or 2022 $ 2,686
Properties under redevelopment or acquired during 2021 and/or 2022 4,723
Properties acquired in the Merger with RPAI 260,779
Properties fully operational during 2021 and 2022 and other 1,157
Total $ 269,345
The net increase of $4.7 million in depreciation and amortization for properties under redevelopment or acquired during 2021 and 2022 is primarily due to the acquisition of Pebble Marketplace and Palms Plaza in 2022. The net increase of $1.2 million in depreciation and amortization at properties that were fully operational during 2021 and 2022 is due to the timing of additions and disposals at operating properties.
We recorded a net gain of $27.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 on the sale of Plaza Del Lago, a portion of Hamilton Crossing Centre and the ground lease interest in Lowe’s at Lincoln Plaza compared to a net gain of $31.2 million on the sale of Westside Market and a portfolio of 17 ground leases for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Interest expense increased $43.8 million, or 72.5%, primarily due to interest costs of $39.1 million related to debt assumed in conjunction with the Merger.
Management’s discussion of the financial condition, changes in financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021, with comparison to the year ended December 31, 2020, was included in Item 7 . “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 , which is incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Net Operating Income and Same Property Net Operating Income
We use property net operating income (“NOI”), a non-GAAP financial measure, to evaluate the performance of our properties. We define NOI as income from our real estate, including lease termination fees received from tenants, less our property operating expenses. NOI excludes amortization of capitalized tenant improvement costs and leasing commissions and certain corporate level expenses, including merger and acquisition costs. We believe that NOI is helpful to investors as a measure of our operating performance because it excludes various items included in net income that do not relate to or are not indicative of our operating performance, such as depreciation and amortization, interest expense, and impairment, if any.
We also use same property NOI (“Same Property NOI”), a non-GAAP financial measure, to evaluate the performance of our properties. Same Property NOI is net income excluding properties that have not been owned for the full periods presented. However, due to the size of the RPAI portfolio acquired in the Merger with RPAI, which closed in October 2021, the legacy RPAI properties have been deemed to qualify for the same property pool beginning in 2022 if they had a full first quarter of operations in 2021 within the legacy RPAI portfolio prior to the Merger. Same Property NOI also excludes (i) net gains from outlot sales, (ii) straight-line rent revenue, (iii) lease termination income in excess of lost rent, (iv) amortization of lease intangibles, and (v) significant prior period expense recoveries and adjustments, if any. When we receive payments in excess of any accounts receivable for terminating a lease, Same Property NOI will include such excess payments as monthly rent until the earlier of the expiration of 12 months or the start date of a replacement tenant. We believe that Same Property NOI is helpful to investors as a measure of our operating performance because it includes only the NOI of properties that have been owned for the full periods presented. We believe such presentation eliminates disparities in net income due to the acquisition or disposition of properties during the particular periods presented, and thus provides a more consistent metric for the comparison of our properties. Same Property NOI includes the results of properties that have been owned for the entire current and prior year reporting periods. In order to provide meaningful comparative information across periods that, in some cases, predate the Merger, all information regarding the performance of the same property pool is presented as though the Merger was consummated on January 1, 2021 (i.e., as though the properties owned by RPAI prior to the Merger that are included in our same property pool had been owned by the Company for the entirety of all comparison periods for which same property pool information is presented).
NOI and Same Property NOI should not, however, be considered as alternatives to net income (calculated in accordance with GAAP) as indicators of our financial performance. Our computation of NOI and Same Property NOI may differ from the methodology used by other REITs and, therefore, may not be comparable to such other REITs.
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When evaluating the properties that are included in the same property pool, we have established specific criteria for determining the inclusion of properties acquired or those recently under development. An acquired property is included in the same property pool when there is a full quarter of operations in both years subsequent to the acquisition date. The properties acquired in the Merger with RPAI qualify for the same property pool beginning in 2022 if they had a full first quarter of operations in 2021 within the legacy RPAI portfolio prior to the Merger. Development and redevelopment properties are included in the same property pool four full quarters after the properties have been transferred to the operating portfolio. A redevelopment property is first excluded from the same property pool when the execution of a redevelopment plan is likely and we (a) begin recapturing space from tenants or (b) the contemplated plan significantly impacts the operations of the property. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the same property pool excludes (i) Glendale Town Center, Shoppes at Quarterfield and Circle East, which were reclassified from active redevelopment into our operating portfolio in December 2021, June 2022 and September 2022, respectively, (ii) the multifamily rental units and commercial portion at One Loudoun Downtown – Pads G & H, (iii) three active development and redevelopment projects, (iv) Arcadia Village, Pebble Marketplace and Palms Plaza, which were each acquired subsequent to January 1, 2021, and (v) office properties.
The following table presents Same Property NOI and a reconciliation to net loss attributable to common shareholders for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (unaudited) (dollars in thousands) :
Year Ended December 31,
2022 2021 Change
Number of properties in same property pool for the period (1)
177 177
Leased percentage at period end 94.7 % 93.5 %
Economic occupancy percentage (2)
91.2 % 90.1 %
Same Property NOI $ 531,440 $ 505,731 5.1 %
Reconciliation of Same Property NOI to most
directly comparable GAAP measure:
Net operating income – same properties $ 531,440 $ 505,731
Prior period collection impact – same properties 3,665 12,414
Net operating income – non-same activity (3)
46,546 (251,154)
Total property NOI 581,651 266,991 117.9 %
Other income, net 8,992 1,491
General, administrative and other (54,860) (33,984)
Merger and acquisition costs (925) (86,522)
Depreciation and amortization (469,805) (200,460)
Interest expense (104,276) (60,447)
Gain on sales of operating properties, net 27,069 31,209
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (482) 916
Net loss attributable to common shareholders $ (12,636) $ (80,806)
(1) Same Property NOI excludes (i) Glendale Town Center, Shoppes at Quarterfield and Circle East, which were reclassified from active redevelopment into our operating portfolio in December 2021, June 2022 and September 2022, respectively, (ii) the multifamily rental units and commercial portion at One Loudoun Downtown – Pads G & H, (iii) three active development and redevelopment projects, (iv) Arcadia Village, Pebble Marketplace and Palms Plaza, which were each acquired subsequent to January 1, 2021, and (v) office properties.
(2) Excludes leases that are signed but for which tenants have not yet commenced the payment of cash rent; calculated as a weighted average based on the timing of cash rent commencement and expiration during the period.
(3) Includes non-cash activity across the portfolio as well as NOI from properties not included in the same property pool, including properties sold during both periods.
Our Same Property NOI increased 5.1% in 2022 compared to 2021 primarily due to improved occupancy driven by continued strong leasing activity and an increase in overage rent.
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Funds From Operations
Funds from Operations (“FFO”) is a widely used performance measure for real estate companies and is provided here as a supplemental measure of our operating performance. We calculate FFO, a non-GAAP financial measure, in accordance with the best practices described in the April 2002 National Policy Bulletin of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”), as restated in 2018. The NAREIT white paper defines FFO as net income (calculated in accordance with GAAP), excluding (i) depreciation and amortization related to real estate, (ii) gains and losses from the sale of certain real estate assets, (iii) gains and losses from change in control, and (iv) impairment write-downs of certain real estate assets and investments in entities when the impairment is directly attributable to decreases in the value of depreciable real estate held by the entity.
Considering the nature of our business as a real estate owner and operator, the Company believes that FFO is helpful to investors in measuring our operational performance because it excludes various items included in net income that do not relate to or are not indicative of our operating performance, such as gains or losses from sales of depreciated property and depreciation and amortization, which can make periodic and peer analyses of operating performance more difficult. FFO excludes the 2021 gain on sale of the ground lease portfolios as these sales were part of our capital strategy distinct from our ongoing operating strategy of selling individual land parcels from time to time. FFO (a) should not be considered as an alternative to net income (calculated in accordance with GAAP) for the purpose of measuring our financial performance, (b) is not an alternative to cash flows from operating activities (calculated in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of our liquidity, and (c) is not indicative of funds available to satisfy our cash needs, including our ability to make distributions. Our computation of FFO may not be comparable to FFO reported by other REITs that do not define the term in accordance with the current NAREIT definition or that interpret the current NAREIT definition differently than we do.
From time to time, the Company may report or provide guidance with respect to “FFO, as adjusted,” which removes the impact of certain non-recurring and non-operating transactions or other items the Company does not consider to be representative of its core operating results including, without limitation, (i) gains or losses associated with the early extinguishment of debt, (ii) gains or losses associated with litigation involving the Company that is not in the normal course of business, (iii) merger and acquisition costs, (iv) the impact on earnings from employee severance, (v) the excess of redemption value over carrying value of preferred stock redemption, and (vi) the impact of prior period bad debt or the collection of accounts receivable previously written off (“prior period collection impact”), which are not otherwise adjusted in the Company’s calculation of FFO.
Our calculations of FFO and reconciliation to net income and FFO, as adjusted, for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 (unaudited) are as follows (in thousands) :
Year Ended December 31,
2022 2021 2020
Net loss $ (12,154) $ (81,722) $ (16,123)
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in properties (623) (514) (528)
Less: gain on sales of operating properties, net (27,069) (31,209) (4,733)
Add: depreciation and amortization of consolidated and
unconsolidated entities, net of noncontrolling interests
471,086 201,834 130,091
FFO of the Operating Partnership (1)
431,240 88,389 108,707
Less: Limited Partners’ interests in FFO
(5,395) (1,945) (2,826)
FFO attributable to common shareholders (1)
$ 425,845 $ 86,444 $ 105,881
FFO of the Operating Partnership (1)
$ 431,240 $ 88,389 $ 108,707
Add: merger and acquisition costs 925 86,522 —
Add: severance charges — — 3,253
Less: prior period collection impact (2,556) (3,707) —
FFO, as adjusted, of the Operating Partnership $ 429,609 $ 171,204 $ 111,960
(1) “FFO of the Operating Partnership” measures 100% of the operating performance of the Operating Partnership’s real estate properties. “FFO attributable to common shareholders” reflects a reduction for the redeemable noncontrolling weighted average diluted interest in the Operating Partnership.
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Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA)
We define EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, as net income before interest expense, income tax expense of the TRS, and depreciation and amortization. For informational purposes, we also provide Adjusted EBITDA, which we define as EBITDA less (i) EBITDA from unconsolidated entities, (ii) gains on sales of operating properties or impairment charges, (iii) merger and acquisition costs, (iv) other income and expense, (v) noncontrolling interest EBITDA, and (vi) other non-recurring activity or items impacting comparability from period to period. Annualized Adjusted EBITDA is Adjusted EBITDA for the most recent quarter multiplied by four. Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA is our share of net debt divided by Annualized Adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Annualized Adjusted EBITDA and Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA, as calculated by us, are not comparable to EBITDA and EBITDA-related measures reported by other REITs that do not define EBITDA and EBITDA-related measures exactly as we do. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Annualized Adjusted EBITDA do not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered alternatives to net income as an indicator of performance or as alternatives to cash flows from operating activities as an indicator of liquidity.
Considering the nature of our business as a real estate owner and operator, we believe that EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and the ratio of Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA are helpful to investors in measuring our operational performance because they exclude various items included in net income that do not relate to or are not indicative of our operating performance, such as gains or losses from sales of depreciated property and depreciation and amortization, which can make periodic and peer analyses of operating performance more difficult. For informational purposes, we also provide Annualized Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted as described above. We believe this supplemental information provides a meaningful measure of our operating performance. We believe presenting EBITDA and the related measures in this manner allows investors and other interested parties to form a more meaningful assessment of our operating results.
The following table presents a reconciliation of our EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Annualized Adjusted EBITDA to net income (the most directly comparable GAAP measure) and a calculation of Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands) :
Three Months Ended
December 31, 2022
Net loss $ (1,052)
Depreciation and amortization 112,709
Interest expense 26,827
Income tax expense of taxable REIT subsidiary 302
EBITDA 138,786
Unconsolidated EBITDA 957
Merger and acquisition costs (81)
Loss on sales of operating properties, net 57
Other income and expense, net (759)
Noncontrolling interests (84)
Adjusted EBITDA 138,876
Annualized Adjusted EBITDA (1)
$ 555,502
Company share of Net Debt:
Mortgage and other indebtedness, net $ 3,010,299
Plus: Company share of unconsolidated joint venture debt 41,015
Less: Partner share of consolidated joint venture debt (2)
(566)
Less: cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash (124,015)
Less: debt discounts, premiums and issuance costs, net (32,043)
Company share of Net Debt $ 2,894,690
Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA 5.2x
(1) Represents Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2022 (as shown in the table above) multiplied by four.
(2) Partner share of consolidated joint venture debt is calculated based upon the partner’s pro rata ownership of the joint venture, multiplied by the related secured debt balance.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
Our primary finance and capital strategy is to maintain a strong balance sheet with sufficient flexibility to fund our operating and investment activities in a cost-effective manner. We consider a number of factors when evaluating our level of indebtedness and when making decisions regarding additional borrowings or equity offerings, including the interest or dividend rate, the maturity date and the Company’s debt maturity ladder, the impact of financial metrics such as overall Company leverage levels and coverage ratios, and the Company’s ability to generate cash flow to cover debt service. We will continue to monitor the capital markets and may consider raising additional capital through the issuance of our common or preferred shares, unsecured debt securities, or other securities.
One of the benefits of the Merger was a strengthened balance sheet to provide the Company with increased liquidity, a well-staggered debt maturity ladder, and an appropriately sized development pipeline. We continued to improve the strength of our balance sheet in 2022. As part of the Merger, we assumed an $850.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility along with other indebtedness. In July 2022, we amended our revolving credit facility to increase the capacity of the unsecured revolving credit facility to $1.1 billion (as amended, the “2022 Revolving Facility”), of which the available borrowing capacity was $1.1 billion as of December 31, 2022, and entered into a seven-year $300.0 million unsecured term loan that was used to retire 2022 and 2023 debt maturities.
As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $115.8 million in cash on hand, $6.2 million in restricted cash and escrow deposits, $1.1 billion of remaining availability under the 2022 Revolving Facility, and $284.4 million of debt maturities due in 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we used the $125.0 million short-term deposit that matured on April 7, 2022 to repay borrowings on our revolving line of credit. We believe we will have adequate liquidity over the next 12 months and beyond to operate our business and meet our cash requirements.
We derive the majority of our revenue from tenants who lease space from us under existing lease agreements at each of our properties. Therefore, our ability to generate cash from operations is dependent on the rents that we are able to charge and collect from our tenants. While we believe that the nature of the properties in which we typically invest—primarily neighborhood and community shopping centers—provides a relatively stable revenue flow, an economic downturn and/or the ongoing effects of COVID-19, among other events, could adversely affect the ability of some of our tenants to meet their lease obligations.
Our Principal Capital Resources
For a discussion of cash generated from operations, see “Cash Flows” beginning on page 45. In addition to cash generated from operations, our other principal capital resources are discussed below.
Over the last several years, we have made substantial progress in enhancing our liquidity position and reducing our leverage and borrowing costs. We continue to focus on a balanced approach to growth and staggering debt maturities in order to retain our financial flexibility.
As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $1.1 billion available under the 2022 Revolving Facility for future borrowings. We also had $115.8 million in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2022.
We were in compliance with all applicable financial covenants under the 2022 Revolving Facility, unsecured term loans and senior unsecured notes as of December 31, 2022.
On July 29, 2022, the Operating Partnership entered into the Second Amendment (the “Second Amendment”) to the sixth amended and restated credit agreement with a syndicate of financial institutions to provide for a $250.0 million increase to the unsecured revolving credit facility, as amended, the “2022 Revolving Facility.” Under the Second Amendment, the Operating Partnership has the option to increase the 2022 Revolving Facility to an aggregate committed amount of up to $1.7 billion upon the Operating Partnership’s request, subject to certain conditions. In addition, the Operating Partnership entered into a seven-year $300.0 million unsecured term loan, the proceeds of which were used to repay the Operating Partnership’s existing $200.0 million unsecured term loan that was scheduled to mature on November 22, 2023, certain secured loans, and for other general corporate purposes.
On November 16, 2021, the Company filed with the SEC a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, which is effective for a term of three years, relating to the offer and sale, from time to time, of an indeterminate amount of equity and debt securities.
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Equity securities may be offered and sold by the Parent Company, and the net proceeds of any such offerings would be contributed to the Operating Partnership in exchange for additional General Partner Units. Debt securities may be offered and sold by the Operating Partnership with the Operating Partnership receiving the proceeds. From time to time, we may issue securities under this shelf registration statement for general corporate purposes, which may include acquisitions of additional properties, repayment of outstanding indebtedness, capital expenditures, the expansion, redevelopment, and/or improvement of properties in our portfolio, working capital and other general purposes.
On February 23, 2021, the Company and the Operating Partnership entered into an Equity Distribution Agreement (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”) with each of BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. and Raymond James & Associates, Inc., pursuant to which the Company may sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate sales price of $150.0 million of its common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share under an at-the-market offering program (the “ATM Program”). On November 30, 2021, the Company and the Operating Partnership amended the Equity Distribution Agreement to reflect their filing of a shelf registration statement on November 16, 2021 with the SEC. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has not sold any common shares under the ATM Program. The Operating Partnership intends to use the net proceeds, if any, to repay borrowings under its 2022 Revolving Facility and other indebtedness and for working capital and other general corporate purposes. The Operating Partnership may also use the net proceeds for acquisitions of operating properties and the development or redevelopment of properties, although there are currently no understandings, commitments or agreements to do so.
In the future, we will continue to monitor the capital markets and may consider raising additional capital through the issuance of our common shares, preferred shares or other securities. We may also raise capital by disposing of properties, land parcels or other assets that are no longer core components of our growth strategy. The sale price may differ from our carrying value at the time of sale.
Our Principal Liquidity Needs
Short-Term Liquidity Needs
Near-Term Debt Maturities . As of December 31, 2022, we had $189.4 million of secured debt, excluding scheduled monthly principal payments, and $95.0 million of unsecured debt scheduled to mature in 2023. We believe we have sufficient liquidity to repay these obligations from cash on hand and borrowings on the 2022 Revolving Facility.
Other Short-Term Liquidity Needs. The requirements for qualifying as a REIT and for a tax deduction for some or all of the dividends paid to shareholders necessitate that we distribute at least 90% of our taxable income on an annual basis. Such requirements cause us to have substantial liquidity needs over both the short and long term. Our short-term liquidity needs consist primarily of funds necessary to pay operating expenses associated with our operating properties, scheduled interest and principal payments on our debt of approximately $120 million and $3.0 million, respectively, in 2023, expected dividend payments to our common shareholders and Common Unit holders, and recurring capital expenditures.
In February 2023, our Board of Trustees declared a cash distribution of $0.24 per common share and Common Unit for the first quarter of 2023, which is expected to be paid on April 14, 2023 to common shareholders and Common Unit holders of record as of April 7, 2023. Future distributions, if any, are at the discretion of the Board of Trustees, who will continue to evaluate our sources and uses of capital, liquidity position, operating fundamentals, maintenance of our REIT qualification and other factors they may deem relevant. We believe we have sufficient liquidity to pay any dividend from cash on hand and borrowings on the 2022 Revolving Facility.
Other short-term liquidity needs include expenditures for tenant improvements, external leasing commissions and recurring capital expenditures. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we incurred $35.6 million for recurring capital expenditures on operating properties and $63.9 million for tenant improvements and external leasing commissions, which includes costs to re-lease anchor space at our operating properties related to tenants open and operating as of December 31, 2022 (excluding development and redevelopment properties). We currently anticipate incurring approximately $100 million of additional major tenant improvement costs related to leasing activity for space that is currently vacant at a number of our operating properties over the next 12 to 18 months. We believe we have the ability to fund these costs through cash flows from operations or borrowings on the 2022 Revolving Facility.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we completed major redevelopment construction activities at Eddy Street Commons – Phase III, Shoppes at Quarterfield, the residential and commercial portions of the project at One Loudoun Downtown and Circle East and placed these projects in service. As of December 31, 2022, we had three development projects under construction. Our share of total estimated costs for the three projects is $102.8 million, of which our share of the
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remaining expected funding requirement is estimated to be $70.9 million. As of December 31, 2022, we have incurred $26.7 million of these costs. We anticipate incurring the majority of the remaining costs for these projects over the next 24 months and believe we have the ability to fund these projects through cash flows from operations or borrowings on the 2022 Revolving Facility.
Share Repurchase Program
In February 2021, our Board of Trustees approved a share repurchase program, authorizing share repurchases up to an aggregate of $150.0 million (the “Share Repurchase Program”). In February 2022, the Company extended its Share Repurchase Program for an additional year, and in February 2023, extended the program for another year so it will now terminate on February 28, 2024, if not terminated or extended prior to that date. In April 2022, our Board of Trustees authorized a $150.0 million increase to the size of the Share Repurchase Program, authorizing share repurchases up to an aggregate of $300.0 million. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has not repurchased any shares under the Share Repurchase Program. The Company intends to fund any future repurchases under the Share Purchase Program with cash on hand or availability under the 2022 Revolving Facility, subject to any applicable restrictions. The timing of share repurchases and the number of common shares to be repurchased under the Share Repurchase Program will depend upon prevailing market conditions, regulatory requirements and other factors.
Long-Term Liquidity Needs
Our long-term liquidity needs consist primarily of funds necessary to pay for any new development projects, redevelopment of existing properties, non-recurring capital expenditures, acquisitions of properties, payment of indebtedness at maturity and obligations under ground leases.
Selective Acquisitions, Developments and Joint Ventures . We may selectively pursue the acquisition, development and redevelopment of other properties, which would require additional capital. It is unlikely that we would have sufficient funds on hand to meet these long-term capital requirements. We would have to satisfy these needs through additional borrowings, sales of common or preferred shares, issuance of Operating Partnership units, cash generated through property dispositions and/or participation in joint venture arrangements. We cannot be certain that we would have access to these sources of capital on satisfactory terms, if at all, to fund our long-term liquidity requirements. We evaluate all future opportunities against pre-established criteria including, but not limited to, location, demographics, expected return, tenant credit quality, tenant relationships, and the amount of existing retail space. Our ability to access the capital markets will depend on a number of factors, including general capital market conditions.
Potential Debt Repurchases. We may from time to time, depending on market conditions and prices, contractual restrictions, our financial liquidity and other factors, seek to repurchase our senior unsecured notes maturing at various dates through September 2030 in open market transactions, by tender offer or otherwise, as market conditions warrant.
Commitments under Ground Leases. We are obligated under 12 ground leases for approximately 98 acres of land as of December 31, 2022. Most of these ground leases require fixed annual rent payments and the expiration dates of the remaining initial terms of these ground leases range from 2025 to 2092.
Capital Expenditures on Consolidated Properties
The following table summarizes cash capital expenditures for our development and redevelopment projects and other capital expenditures for the year ended December 31, 2022 (in thousands) :
Year Ended
December 31, 2022
Active development and redevelopment projects $ 45,250
Redevelopment opportunities 363
Recurring operating capital expenditures (primarily tenant improvements) and other 112,927
Total $ 158,540
We capitalize certain indirect costs such as interest, payroll, and other general and administrative costs related to these development activities. If we had experienced a 10% reduction in development and redevelopment activities, without a corresponding decrease in indirect project costs, we would have recorded additional expense of $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.
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Impact of Changes in Credit Ratings on Our Liquidity
We have received investment grade corporate credit ratings from three nationally recognized credit rating agencies. These ratings did not change in 2022.
In the future, these ratings could change based upon, among other things, the impact that prevailing economic conditions may have on our results of operations and financial condition. Credit rating reductions by one or more rating agencies could also adversely affect our access to funding sources, the cost and other terms of obtaining funding, as well as our overall financial condition, operating results and cash flow.
Cash Flows
As of December 31, 2022, we had cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $122.0 million. We may be subject to concentrations of credit risk with regards to our cash and cash equivalents. We place our cash and short-term investments with highly rated financial institutions. While we attempt to limit our exposure at any point in time, occasionally such cash and investments may temporarily be in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) insurance limits. We also maintain certain compensating balances in several financial institutions in support of borrowings from those institutions. Such compensating balances were not material to the consolidated balance sheets.
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2022 to the Year Ended December 31, 2021
Our cash flow activities are summarized as follows (in thousands) :
Year Ended December 31,
2022 2021 Change
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 379,283 $ 100,351 $ 278,932
Net cash used in investing activities (45,149) (91,033) 45,884
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (312,527) 44,459 (356,986)
Increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 21,607 53,777 (32,170)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of year 100,363 46,586
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year $ 121,970 $ 100,363
Cash provided by operating activities was $379.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and $100.4 million for the same period of 2021. The cash flows were positively impacted by the Merger, which generated significant incremental operating income due to the increased scale of the Company. This improvement was partially offset by higher general and administrative expenses due to increased head count and higher interest costs related to the debt assumed in the Merger.
Cash used in investing activities was $45.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and $91.0 million for the same period of 2021. Highlights of significant cash sources and uses in investing activities are as follows:
• We received the proceeds from a $125.0 million short-term deposit that matured in April 2022;
• We acquired Pebble Marketplace, the two-tenant building adjacent to MacArthur Crossing and Palms Plaza in 2022 for $100.1 million compared to the acquisition of a multi-tenant retail outparcel at Nora Plaza in 2021 and acquisition deposits for $10.4 million;
• We received net proceeds of $80.4 million from the sale of Plaza Del Lago, a portion of Hamilton Crossing Centre and other land parcels in 2022 compared to net proceeds of $80.7 million from the sale of Westside Market, 17 ground leases and other land parcels in 2021; and
• Capital expenditures increased by $101.2 million driven by the construction activity at our development projects and anchor leasing activity, partially offset by a change in construction payables of $6.3 million in 2022.
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Cash used in financing activities was $312.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to cash provided by financing activities of $44.5 million for the same period of 2021. Highlights of significant cash sources and uses in financing activities are as follows:
• We entered into a seven-year $300.0 million unsecured term loan and borrowed $155.0 million on our unsecured revolving line of credit in 2022;
• In 2022, we repaid (i) a $200.0 million unsecured term loan that was scheduled to mature in 2023, (ii) $210.0 million of borrowings on our unsecured revolving line of credit, with no amount outstanding as of December 31, 2022, and (iii) mortgages payable totaling $155.2 million along with $3.8 million of scheduled principal payments using proceeds from the $300.0 million unsecured term loan, $125.0 million short-term deposit and property sales;
• We made distributions to common shareholders and holders of common partnership interests in the Operating Partnership of $182.2 million in 2022 compared to distributions of $60.0 million in 2021; and
• In 2021, we issued $175.0 million of exchangeable senior notes in a private placement offering to proactively fund a portion of our 2022 debt maturities and other borrowings. In connection with this issuance, we incurred transaction costs of $6.0 million and purchased capped calls for $9.8 million.
Management’s discussion of the cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2020, with comparison to the year ended December 31, 2021, was included in Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Other Matters
Financial Instruments
We are exposed to capital market risk, such as changes in interest rates. In order to reduce the volatility related to interest rate risk, we may enter into interest rate hedging arrangements from time to time. We do not use derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
Obligations in Connection with Projects Under Construction
We are obligated under various completion guarantees with certain lenders and lease agreements with tenants to complete all or portions of a development project and tenant-specific space currently under construction. We believe we currently have sufficient financing in place to fund these projects and expect to do so primarily through free cash flow or borrowings on the 2022 Revolving Facility.
In addition, we have provided a repayment guaranty on a $33.8 million construction loan associated with the development of the Embassy Suites at the University of Notre Dame, consistent with our 35% ownership interest. Our portion of the repayment guaranty is limited to $5.9 million and the guaranty’s term is through July 1, 2024, the maturity date of the construction loan. As of December 31, 2022, the outstanding loan balance was $33.5 million, of which our share was $11.7 million.
We also provide repayment and completion guaranties on loans totaling $66.2 million associated with the development of The Corner mixed-use project in the Indianapolis MSA. As of December 31, 2022, the outstanding balance of the loans was $30.6 million, of which our share was $15.3 million.
Our share of estimated future costs for under construction and future developments and redevelopments is further discussed beginning on page 43 in the “Short- and Long-Term Liquidity Needs” section.
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Outstanding Indebtedness
The following table provides details on our outstanding consolidated indebtedness as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, adjusted for hedges (in thousands) :
December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021
Senior unsecured notes $ 1,749,635 $ 1,749,635
Senior exchangeable notes – fixed rate 175,000 175,000
Unsecured revolving line of credit — 55,000
Unsecured term loans 820,000 720,000
Mortgages payable – fixed rate 205,328 363,577
Mortgages payable – variable rate 28,293 29,013
Debt discounts, premiums and issuance costs, net 32,043 58,583
Total mortgage and other indebtedness, net $ 3,010,299 $ 3,150,808
Consolidated indebtedness, including weighted average interest rates and weighted average maturities as of December 31, 2022, is summarized below (dollars in thousands) :
Amount
Outstanding Ratio Weighted Average
Interest Rate Weighted
Average Years
to Maturity
Fixed rate debt (1)
$ 2,794,963 94 % 3.96 % 4.3
Variable rate debt (2)
183,293 6 % 8.08 % 3.2
Debt discounts, premiums and issuance costs, net 32,043 N/A N/A N/A
Total $ 3,010,299 100 % 4.21 % 4.2
(1) Fixed rate debt includes the portion of variable rate debt that has been hedged by interest rate swaps. As of December 31, 2022, $820.0 million in variable rate debt is hedged to a fixed rate for a weighted average of 2.7 years.
(2) Variable rate debt includes the portion of fixed rate debt that has been hedged by interest rate swaps. As of December 31, 2022, $155.0 million in fixed rate debt is hedged to a floating rate for a weighted average of 2.7 years.
Mortgage indebtedness is collateralized by certain real estate properties and leases and is generally repaid in monthly installments of interest and principal with maturities over various terms through 2032.
The variable interest rate on mortgage indebtedness is based on the Bloomberg Short Term Bank Yield Index (“BSBY”) plus 160 basis points. As of December 31, 2022, the one-month BSBY interest rate was 4.36%. Fixed interest rates on mortgages payable range from 3.75% to 5.73%.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. As disclosed in Note 2, the preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions about future events that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. We believe that the following discussion addresses our most critical accounting policies, which are those that are most important to the compilation of our financial condition and results of operations and, in some cases, require management’s most difficult, subjective, and complex judgments.
Acquisition of Investment Properties
In accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations , we accounted for the October 2021 Merger with RPAI as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting, which requires the application of a screen test to evaluate if substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets to determine whether a transaction is accounted for as an asset acquisition or business combination.
Upon acquisition of real estate operating properties, including those assets acquired in the Merger with RPAI, we estimate the fair value of acquired identifiable tangible assets and identified intangible assets and liabilities, assumed debt, and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree at the date of acquisition, based on evaluation of information and estimates available at that date. Based on these estimates, we record the estimated fair value to the applicable assets and liabilities. In making
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estimates of fair value, a number of sources are used, including information obtained as a result of pre-acquisition due diligence, marketing and leasing activities. The estimates of fair value were determined to have primarily relied upon Level 2 and Level 3 inputs, as defined below.
Fair value is determined for tangible assets and intangibles, including:
• the fair value of the building on an as-if-vacant basis and the fair value of land determined either by comparable market data, real estate tax assessments, independent appraisals or other relevant data;
• above-market and below-market in-place lease values for acquired properties, which are based on the present value (using an interest rate that reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to the in-place leases and (ii) management’s estimate of fair market lease rates for the corresponding in-place leases, measured over the remaining non-cancelable term of the leases. Any below-market renewal options are also considered in the in-place lease values. The capitalized above-market and below-market lease values are amortized as a reduction of or addition to rental income over the term of the lease. Should a tenant vacate, terminate its lease, or otherwise notify us of its intent to do so, the unamortized portion of the lease intangibles would be charged or credited to income;
• the value of having a lease in place at the acquisition date. We use independent and internal sources for our estimates to determine the respective in-place lease values. Our estimates of value are made using methods similar to those used by independent appraisers. Factors we consider in our analysis include an estimate of costs to execute similar leases, including tenant improvements, leasing commissions and foregone costs and rent received during the estimated lease-up period as if the space was vacant. The value of in-place leases is amortized to expense over the remaining initial terms of the respective leases; and
• the fair value of any assumed financing that is determined to be above- or below-market terms. We use third party and independent sources for our estimates to determine the respective fair value of each mortgage and other indebtedness, including related derivative instruments, assumed. The fair market value of each is amortized to interest expense over the remaining initial terms of the respective instruments.
We also consider whether there is any value to in-place leases that have a related customer relationship intangible value. Characteristics we consider in determining these values include the nature and extent of existing business relationships with the tenant, growth prospects for developing new business with the tenant, the tenant’s credit quality, and expectations of lease renewals, among other factors. To date, no tenant relationship has been developed that is considered to have a current intangible value.
Valuation of Investment Properties
Management reviews operational and development projects, land parcels and intangible assets for impairment on a property-by-property basis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. This review for possible impairment requires certain assumptions, estimates, and significant judgment. Examples of situations considered to be impairment indicators for both operating properties and development projects include, but are not limited to:
• a substantial decline in or continued low occupancy rate or cash flow;
• expected significant declines in occupancy in the near future;
• continued difficulty in leasing space;
• a significant concentration of financially troubled tenants;
• a reduction in the anticipated holding period;
• a cost accumulation or delay in project completion date significantly above and beyond the original development or redevelopment estimate;
• a significant decrease in the market price not in line with general market trends; and
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• any other quantitative or qualitative events or factors deemed significant by the Company’s management or Board of Trustees.
Impairment losses for investment properties and intangible assets are measured when the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by the investment properties during the expected holding period are less than the carrying amounts of those assets. The evaluation of impairment is subject to certain management assumptions, including projected net operating income, anticipated hold period, expected capital expenditures and the capitalization rate used to estimate the property’s residual value. Impairment losses are recorded as the excess of the carrying value over the estimated fair value of the asset. Our impairment review for land and development properties assumes we have the intent and ability to complete the developments or projected uses for the land parcels. If we determine those plans will not be completed or our assumptions with respect to operating assets are not realized, an impairment loss may be appropriate.
Depreciation may be accelerated for a redevelopment project, including partial demolition of existing structures, after the asset is assessed for impairment.
Operating properties will be classified as held for sale only when those properties are available for immediate sale in their present condition and for which management believes it is probable that a sale of the property will be completed within one year, among other factors. Operating properties classified as held for sale are carried at the lower of cost or fair value less estimated costs to sell. Depreciation and amortization are suspended during the held-for-sale period.
Revenue Recognition
As a lessor of real estate assets, the Company retains substantially all of the risks and benefits of ownership and accounts for its leases as operating leases.
Contractual minimum base rent, percentage rent, and expense reimbursements from tenants for common area maintenance costs, insurance and real estate taxes are our principal sources of revenue. Base minimum rents are recognized on a straight-line basis over the terms of the respective leases. Certain lease agreements contain provisions that grant additional rents based on a tenant’s sales volume (contingent overage rent). Overage rent is recognized when tenants achieve the specified sales targets as defined in their lease agreements. If we determine that collectibility is probable, we recognize income from rentals based on the methodology described above. If we determine that collectibility is not probable, we recognize income only to the extent that cash has been received from the tenant. We have accounts receivable due from tenants and are subject to the risk of tenant defaults and bankruptcies that may affect the collection of outstanding receivables. These receivables are reduced for credit loss, which is recognized as a reduction to rental income. We regularly evaluate the collectibility of these lease-related receivables by analyzing past due account balances and consider such facts as the credit quality of our customer, historical write-off experience, tenant credit-worthiness and current economic trends when evaluating the collectibility of rental income. Although we estimate uncollectible receivables and provide for them through charges against income, actual experience may differ from those estimates.
We recognize the sale of real estate when control transfers to the buyer. As part of our ongoing business strategy, we will, from time to time, sell properties, land parcels and outlots, some of which are ground-leased to tenants.
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