NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Seritage Growth Properties (NYSE: SRG) (the “Company”), a national owner and developer of retail, residential and mixed-use properties today reported financial and operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022.

“In the third quarter the Company made tremendous progress advancing our plan of sale, which our shareholders overwhelmingly supported at our annual shareholders meeting last month. During the quarter and subsequent to quarter end, our gross proceeds from asset sales totaled $411.6 million, and we have now monetized $583.9 million of assets year to date. This allowed us to repay $280 million of debt from the beginning of Q3 to date, for a total of $440 million of principal repayments since the end of 2021, resulting in annualized interest savings of approximately $30.8 million. We have also developed a robust sales pipeline of over $800 million worth of assets either under contract or with accepted offers, providing a clear path towards further significant debt paydowns. In addition to our success in selling assets and paying down our debt, we continue to create value across the portfolio through leasing, development and securing entitlements” said Andrea Olshan, Chief Executive Officer and President.

Plan of Sale:

On October 24, 2022, at the 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the shareholders voted to approve the Plan of Sale as detailed in the Company’s Definitive Proxy statement filed with Securities and Exchange Commission on September 14, 2022.

Sale Highlights:

• Generated $235.2 million of gross proceeds during the three months ended September 30, 2022 from the sale of 22 wholly owned properties and 8 joint venture assets.
• Subsequent to quarter end, generated $176.4 million of gross proceeds from the sale of 12 assets.
• The Company has 10 assets under contract for sale with no due diligence contingencies for total anticipated proceeds of $124.9 million and 26 assets under contract for sale subject to customary due diligence for total anticipated proceeds of $421.5 million. All assets for sale are subject to closing conditions. Additionally, the Company has accepted offers and is currently negotiating definitive purchase and sale agreements on assets with accepted offers of approximately $299.2 million.

Financial Highlights:

For the three months ended September 30, 2022:

• Net loss attributable to common shareholders of ($4.7) million, or ($0.08) per share, as compared to net loss attributable to common shareholders of ($21.8) million, or ($0.50) per share for the same period last year.
• Total Net Operating Income (“Total NOI”) of $12.2 million, which is an increase of 50% when compared to assets held in the same manner at September 30, 2021.
• As of September 30, 2022, the Company had cash on hand of $140.6 million, including $10.8 million of restricted cash. As of November 4, 2022, the Company had cash on hand of $134.1 million, including $10.8 million of restricted cash.
• During the quarter, the Company made $170 million in principal repayments on the Company’s term loan facility (“Term Loan Facility”). Subsequent to quarter end, the Company made an additional $110 million in principal repayments, reducing the balance of the Term Loan Facility to $1.16 billion and resulting in a reduction to $360 million of paydowns required by July 31, 2023 to extend the Term Loan Facility for an additional two years.

Other Highlights

• Signed 13 leases covering 85 thousand square feet (75 thousand at share) in the third quarter at an average projected annual rent of $22.06 PSF ($21.20 PSF at share).
• Signed leases in the third quarter included:
  • Four new leases covering approximately 7 thousand square feet (4 thousand at share) at Premier assets at an average projected annual rent of $91.39 PSF net ($87.72 PSF at share), bringing the portfolio to 63.5% leased;
  • Six leases covering approximately 24 thousand square feet at Multi-Tenant Retail assets at an average projected annual rent of $34.13 PSF net, bringing occupancy of the Multi-Tenant Retail portfolio up to 84.2%;
  • Two retail leases covering approximately 39 thousand square feet at Non-Core assets at an average projected annual rent of $9.39 PSF net; and
  • One retail lease covering approximately 15 thousand square feet (7.5 thousand at share) at one other unconsolidated entity signed at an average projected annual rent of $5.64 PSF net.

• Leases signed subsequent to quarter end were:
  • One thousand square feet of second floor retail was leased at a Premier asset at a base rent of $44.00 PSF net; and
  • Ten thousand square feet (5 thousand at share) of ground floor retail at Premier assets at a base rent of $55.65 PSF net ($60.81 PSF at share).

• An additional eight leases under negotiation representing over 100 thousand square feet at an average projected base rent of $23.90 PSF net; and
• Brought 11 tenants online representing 207 thousand square feet (202 thousand at share) and $4.0 million in annual base rent ($3.6 million at share).

Portfolio

The table below represents a summary of the Company’s properties by planned usage as of September 30, 2022:

(in thousands except number of leases and acreage data)

(1) Square footage is presented at the Company’s proportional share.
(2) Based on signed leases at September 30, 2022.
(3) Represents ancillary tenants currently in place at assets intended for residential use.
(4) Represents assets the Company previously designated for sale.

Multi-Tenant Retail

During the three months ended September 30, 2022, the Company invested $9.2 million in its multi-tenant retail properties. The remaining capital expenditures in the multi-tenant retail portfolio are primarily comprised of tenant improvements. During the third quarter, the Company opened stores representing 188 thousand square feet and $3.0 million of annual base rent. The portfolio inclusive of SNO is 84.2% leased at an average lease term of over 10 years and average rates of $16.87 PSF gross.

The table below provides a summary of all Multi-Tenant Retail signed leases as of September 30, 2022, including unconsolidated entities at the Company’s proportional share:

During the three months ended September 30, 2022, the Company signed new leases at its retail properties totaling 24 thousand square feet at an average base rent of $34.13 PSF net. The Company has 4.3 million in-place leased square feet and approximately 185 thousand square feet signed but not opened. Seritage has total occupancy of 84.2% for its multi-tenant retail properties. As of September 30, 2022, there is an additional approximately 842 thousand square feet available for lease in the Multi-Tenant Retail portfolio, with multi-tenant retail leases under negotiation for 102 thousand square feet at an average base rent of $10.65 PSF net.

Premier Mixed-Use

The Company has one premier mixed-use project in the active leasing stage, which is our property in Aventura, FL. As of September 30, 2022, the Company has 66 thousand in-place leased square feet (43 thousand at share), 283 thousand square feet signed but not opened (205 thousand at share), and 201 thousand square feet available for lease (145 thousand at share) with leases under negotiation for over 20 thousand square feet.

The table below provides a summary of all signed leases at Premier assets as of September 30, 2022, including unconsolidated entities at the Company’s proportional share:

Premier - Retail

Premier - Office

During the three months ended September 30, 2022, the Company invested $15.1 million in its consolidated development and operating properties and an additional $2.9 million into its unconsolidated entities.

Aventura:

During the third quarter of 2022, the Company continued to advance 216,000 square feet of mixed-use activation at the project in Aventura, FL. The Company continues to advance construction on Aventura and remains on track to open its first tenants to the public in the fourth quarter of 2022, with rolling openings thereafter.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2022, the Company signed one new lease totaling two thousand square feet at an average base rent of $72.00 PSF net. As of September 30, 2022, the Company has 127 thousand square feet signed but not opened. With occupancy at 59.0%, the Company has 89 thousand square feet available for lease, of which 22 thousand square feet is in lease negotiation and has leasing activity on over an additional 20 thousand square feet.

San Diego UTC:

As of September 30, 2022, the property has 47 thousand in-place leased square feet and 156 thousand square feet signed but not opened. Subsequent to quarter close, the remaining 10 thousand square feet in vacant space was signed bringing office and retail space to 100% leased.

Dispositions

During the three months ended September 30, 2022, the Company sold 30 properties, generating $235.2 million of gross proceeds. The Company also repurchased one asset for $22.2 million, which it sold during the three months ended September 30, 2022. Of the Q3 transactions:

• $94.2 million of gross proceeds were from vacant or non-income producing assets sold at $40.09 PSF. The sale of these assets eliminates $4.9 million of carrying costs;
• $75.0 million of gross proceeds were from income producing stabilized properties, partially leased development sites and outparcel pads reflecting a 4.3% blended in-place capitalization rate; and
• $66.0 million of gross proceeds from monetizing unconsolidated entity interests.

During the quarter and subsequently, the Company was able to generate a robust sales pipeline. As of November 4, 2022, we had assets under contract for sale with no due diligence contingencies for total anticipated proceeds of $124.9 million and assets under contract for sale, subject to customary due diligence, for total anticipated proceeds of $421.5 million. All assets for sale are subject to closing conditions. Though all of these deals are anticipated to close prior to July 31, 2023, even if only a portion of the contracts actually closed prior to such date, the proceeds from such portion of the contracts that actually closed would provide sufficient proceeds to qualify the Company for the extension of its Term Loan Facility. Additionally, the Company has accepted offers and is currently negotiating definitive purchase and sale agreements on assets with offers of approximately $299.2 million.

Financial Summary

The table below provides a summary of the Company’s financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022:

For the quarter ended September 30, 2022:

• Total NOI for the third quarter of 2022 reflects the impact of $(1.0) million total NOI relating to sold properties.

Total NOI is comprised of:

The Company collected 99% of its base rent for the third quarter.

As of September 30, 2022, the Company had cash on hand of $140.6 million, including $10.8 million of restricted cash. The Company expects to use these sources of liquidity, together with a combination of future sales and/or potential debt and capital markets transactions, to fund its operations and select development activity. The availability of funding from sales of assets, partnerships and credit or capital markets transactions is subject to various conditions, and there can be no assurance that such transactions will be consummated. For more information on our liquidity position, including our going concern analysis, please see the notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements included in Part I, Item 1 and in the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” each in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Dividends

On February 16, 2022, the Company’s Board of Trustees declared a preferred stock dividend of $0.4375 per each Series A Preferred Share. The preferred dividend was paid on April 15, 2022 to holders of record on March 31, 2022.

On April 26, 2022, the Company’s Board of Trustees declared a preferred stock dividend of $0.4375 per each Series A Preferred Share. The preferred dividend will be payable on July 15, 2022 to holders of record on June 30, 2022.

On July 26, 2022, the Company’s Board of Trustees declared a preferred stock dividend of $0.4375 per each Series A Preferred Share. The preferred dividend will be payable on October 17, 2022 to holders of record on September 30, 2022.

On November 1, 2022, the Company’s Board of Trustees declared a preferred stock dividend of $0.4375 per each Series A Preferred Share. The preferred dividend will be payable on January 16, 2022 to holders of record on December 30, 2022.

The Company’s Board of Trustees does not expect to declare dividends on its common shares in 2022.

Strategic Review

The 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders occurred on October 24, 2022, following our filing of a final proxy statement with the SEC on September 14, 2022. During the meeting, the Plan of Sale was approved by the shareholders. The strategic review process remains ongoing as the Company executes the Plan of Sale, and the Company remains open minded to pursuing value maximizing alternatives, including a potential sale of the Company. There can be no assurance regarding the success of the process.

Sears Bankruptcy Litigation

On April 6, 2022, the Court entered an order in the Consolidated Litigation, upon the agreement of the parties thereto, providing for a mediation of the litigation. The parties and the Court extended the mediation several times, through August, and up until the settlement described below was reached.

On August 9, 2022, following the mediation, all of the parties to the Litigation and certain of the parties to the Shareholder Litigation (to which Seritage is not a defendant) entered into a settlement agreement pursuant to which the defendants paid to the Sears estate $175 million (of which the Seritage Defendants contributed approximately $35.0 million) in exchange for dismissal of the Consolidated Litigation and for the full and final satisfaction and release of all claims in the Consolidated Litigation (including, in the case of the Seritage Defendants, any and all claims between the Seritage Defendants and the Sears estate in the Sears bankruptcy proceeding).

On September 2, 2022, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York entered an order approving the settlement and, on October 18, 2022, the Litigation was dismissed. While the Company believes that the claims against the Seritage Defendants in the Litigation were without merit, the Company entered into the settlement, without admitting any fault or wrongdoing, in order to avoid the continued imposition of legal defense costs, distraction, and the uncertainty and risk inherent in any litigation.

The Company has reserved the settlement amount described above based on the Company’s contributions to the settlement of the Litigation. This estimate is recorded as litigation reserve in the condensed consolidated statement of operations during the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The Company paid the settlement amount described above in October 2022.

On March 2, 2021, the Company brought a lawsuit in Delaware state court against QBE Insurance Corporation, Endurance American Insurance Company, Allianz Global Risks US Insurance Company and Continental Casualty Company, each of which are D&O insurance providers of the Company (the “D&O Insurers”). The Company’s lawsuit is seeking, among other things, declaratory relief and money damages as a result of certain of the D&O Insurers refusal to pay certain costs and expenses related to the defense of the Litigation discussed above. Any amounts received from the insurers will offset the Seritage Defendants' contribution. Subsequent to September 30, 2022, the Company reached settlement agreements with two of the D&O Insurers for gross proceeds of $12.7 million. The litigation remains outstanding with respect to the remaining D&O Insurers.

Supplemental Report

A Supplemental Report will be available in the Investors section of the Company’s website, www.seritage.com.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic has caused significant impacts on the real estate industry in the United States, including the Company’s properties.

As a result of the development, fluidity and uncertainty surrounding this situation, the Company expects that these conditions may change, potentially significantly, in future periods and results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 may not be indicative of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business for future periods. As such, the Company cannot reasonably estimate the impact of COVID-19 on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows over the foreseeable future.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company makes reference to NOI and Total NOI which are financial measures that include adjustments to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”).

Neither of NOI or Total NOI are measures that (i) represent cash flow from operations as defined by GAAP; (ii) are indicative of cash available to fund all cash flow needs, including the ability to make distributions; (iii) are alternatives to cash flow as a measure of liquidity; or (iv) should be considered alternatives to net income (which is determined in accordance with GAAP) for purposes of evaluating the Company’s operating performance. Reconciliations of these measures to the respective GAAP measures the Company deems most comparable have been provided in the tables accompanying this press release.

Net Operating Income ("NOI”) and Total NOI

NOI is defined as income from property operations less property operating expenses. Other real estate companies may use different methodologies for calculating NOI, and accordingly the Company’s depiction of NOI may not be comparable to other real estate companies. The Company believes NOI provides useful information regarding Seritage, its financial condition, and results of operations because it reflects only those income and expense items that are incurred at the property level.

The Company also uses Total NOI, which includes its proportional share of unconsolidated properties. This form of presentation offers insights into the financial performance and condition of the Company as a whole given the Company’s ownership of unconsolidated properties that are accounted for under GAAP using the equity method.

The Company also considers NOI and Total NOI to be a helpful supplemental measure of its operating performance because it excludes from NOI variable items such as termination fee income, as well as non-cash items such as straight-line rent and amortization of lease intangibles.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” or “potential” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases that are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and that do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and contingencies, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, which may cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: declines in retail, real estate and general economic conditions; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business of the Company’s tenants and business, income, cash flow, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, ability to service the Company’s debt obligations and ability to pay dividends and other distributions to shareholders; risks relating to redevelopment activities; contingencies to the commencement of rent under leases; the terms of the Company’s indebtedness and other legal requirements to which the Company is subject; failure to achieve expected occupancy and/or rent levels within the projected time frame or at all; the impact of ongoing negative operating cash flow on the Company’s ability to fund operations and ongoing development; the Company’s ability to access or obtain sufficient sources of financing to fund the Company’s liquidity needs; the Company’s relatively limited history as an operating company; and environmental, health, safety and land use laws and regulations. For additional discussion of these and other applicable risks, assumptions and uncertainties, see the “Risk Factors” and forward-looking statement disclosure contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in Part II, Item 1A of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022. While the Company believes that its forecasts and assumptions are reasonable, the Company cautions that actual results may differ materially. The Company intends the forward-looking statements to speak only as of the time made and do not undertake to update or revise them as more information becomes available, except as required by law.

About Seritage Growth Properties

Seritage is principally engaged in the ownership, development, redevelopment, management and leasing of retail and mixed-use properties throughout the United States. As of September 30, 2022, the Company’s portfolio consisted of interests in 121 properties comprised of approximately 16.1 million square feet of gross leasable area ("GLA") or build-to-suit leased area, approximately 313 acres held for or under development and approximately 7.9 million square feet or approximately 631 acres to be disposed of. The portfolio consists of approximately 13.5 million square feet of GLA held by 104 wholly owned properties (such properties, the “Consolidated Properties”) and 2.6 million square feet of GLA held by 17 unconsolidated entities (such properties, the “Unconsolidated Properties”).

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Seritage Growth Properties
(212) 355-7800
[email protected]

Source: Seritage Growth Properties