Cedar Shopping Centers Announces Strategic Alliance With RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust
26 Outubro 2009 - 6:05PM
PR Newswire (US)
- Agreements Contemplate Private Placement of Common Stock and
Joint Venture for Seven Existing Cedar Properties; Net Proceeds to
Cedar estimated at $100 million - - Cedar and RioCan also establish
joint venture for new acquisitions - - Company Updates Progress on
Renewal of Credit Facility - PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. Oct. 26
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc. ("Cedar" or
the "Company") (NYSE:CDR) today announced it has entered into
definitive agreements with RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust
(TSX: REI.UN) of Toronto, Canada ("RioCan") which provide for the
following: -- RioCan will make a $40 million private placement
investment of 6,666,666 shares of Cedar common stock at $6.00 per
share ("Private Placement") which is conditioned on approval by the
NYSE that is expected to occur within 10 days; -- Cedar will grant
to RioCan warrants to purchase 1,428,570 shares of Cedar common
stock, at an exercise price of $7.00 per share, exercisable over a
period of two years; -- Cedar and RioCan will enter into an 80%
(RioCan) and 20% (Cedar) joint venture for seven
supermarket-anchored properties presently owned by Cedar ("Existing
Property Joint Venture"); -- Cedar and RioCan will enter into an
agreement to acquire primarily supermarket-anchored properties in
northeast and mid-Atlantic states during the next two years in
amounts anticipated at up to $500 million in such 80% (RioCan) and
20% (Cedar) joint venture format ("Future Property Joint Venture");
and -- Cedar and RioCan will enter into a standstill agreement with
respect to RioCan's ownership of Cedar's common shares for a period
of three years. "We expect the great financial strength of RioCan
and its commitment to our Company to be beneficial for both
companies in the coming years," commented Leo Ullman, CEO of Cedar.
"We believe that this important investment in our Company will lead
to the creation of meaningful added value for the benefit of
shareholders as we move forward. We have been impressed by RioCan
and its management team led by Ed Sonshine. Through many meetings
and a great deal of time spent by RioCan with us in its due
diligence process, we have come to recognize great symmetry in our
conservative approaches to our respective property portfolios at
every level of our respective operations." Ed Sonshine, CEO of
RioCan, stated, "We are delighted to have been able to conclude the
private placement and joint venture arrangements with Cedar
Shopping Centers. We have been looking to establish a platform in
the United States for future growth of our company and we have been
greatly impressed with Cedar's management team, the quality and
stability of its property portfolio, and its demonstrated ability
to expand and enhance that portfolio. We look forward to a long and
mutually successful relationship with Cedar as part of our future
growth in the U.S." Aggregate net proceeds to Cedar will total an
estimated $100 million, which consists of $40 million from the
Private Placement and more than $60 million from the Existing
Property Joint Venture, less closing costs and fees. Closings
related to the Existing Property Joint Venture are expected to be
completed in the first quarter of 2010. Closing dates for all but
two properties are subject to timing of lender consents to the
transfer of properties to the Existing Property Joint Venture. Net
proceeds from the Private Placement and Existing Property Joint
Venture will be used to reduce Cedar's outstanding balances under
its secured revolving credit facility for stabilized properties and
secured revolving credit facility for development properties. In
addition to the above described transactions, Cedar and RioCan have
agreed to enter into a joint venture to acquire additional
properties over the next two years. The parties anticipate
acquisitions of as much as $500 million during that period. The
properties will primarily consist of supermarket-anchored shopping
centers in the northeastern United States. Related to the Future
Property Joint Venture, Cedar has granted to RioCan a right of
first refusal to participate on a joint venture basis (also 80%
RioCan and 20% Cedar) for two years on primarily supermarket
anchored properties and other properties in excess of 50,000 square
feet to be acquired by Cedar in the states of New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland and Virginia. In
both the Existing Property Joint Venture and Future Property Joint
Venture, Cedar will provide property management, leasing,
construction management and financial management services at
standard rates. Cedar will also be entitled to certain fees on
acquisitions, dispositions, financings and refinancings. Cedar and
RioCan have also entered into a "standstill" arrangement for a
period of three years during which RioCan will not be permitted to
acquire additional shares of Cedar without consent of the Cedar
Board of Directors ("Board"), subject to certain pre-emptive rights
granted to RioCan. RioCan will also have the right to designate one
director for election to Cedar's Board so long as its ownership
interest in Cedar remains at least 9.9%. RioCan's ownership
interest as a result of the Private Placement and the warrants, if
exercised, will be approximately 15% of Cedar's common shares
outstanding. Cedar also announced today that it has received
commitments aggregating more than $220 million from participating
lenders in the renewal of its secured revolving credit facility for
stabilized properties. The Company expects to close the renewal at
a level of more than $250 million during the 4th quarter of this
year. Goldman, Sachs & Co. is acting as exclusive financial
advisor to Cedar; Stroock & Stroock & Lavan L.L.P. is
acting as corporate, real estate and tax counsel to Cedar. RBC
Capital Markets is acting as financial advisor to RioCan. Goodmans
LLP and Sidley Austin LLP are acting as legal advisors to RioCan.
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and Deloitte LLP are acting
as tax advisors to RioCan. About RioCan Real Estate Investment
Trust RioCan is Canada's largest real estate investment trust with
a total capitalization of approximately CDN$7.8 billion as at
September 30, 2009. It owns and manages Canada's largest portfolio
of shopping centers with ownership interests in a portfolio of 247
retail properties, including 13 under development, containing an
aggregate of over 59 million square feet. For further information,
please refer to RioCan's website at http://www.riocan.com/. About
Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc. Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc. is a
fully-integrated real estate investment trust which focuses
primarily on ownership, operation, development and redevelopment of
"bread and butter" supermarket-anchored shopping centers in coastal
mid-Atlantic and New England states. The Company presently owns and
operates approximately 13.2 million square feet of GLA at 124
shopping center properties, of which approximately 75% are anchored
by supermarkets and/or drugstores with average remaining lease
terms of approximately 11 years. The Company's stabilized
properties have an occupancy rate of approximately 95%. The Company
has also announced a pipeline of seven additional substantially
pre-leased primarily supermarket- and drugstore-anchored
development properties. For additional financial and descriptive
information on the Company, its operations and its portfolio,
please refer to the Company's website at
http://www.cedarshoppingcenters.com/. DATASOURCE: Cedar Shopping
Centers, Inc. CONTACT: Leo S. Ullman, Chairman, CEO and President,
Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc., +1-516-944-4525, Web Site:
http://www.cedarshoppingcenters.com/
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