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Ala Moana, Ward centers open despite bankruptcy
Parent company General Growth has $27 billion in debt
By Associated Press
and Star-Bulletin staff
POSTED: 08:49 a.m. HST, Apr 16, 2009
Ala Moana Center and Ward Centers are open for business today even though parent company General Growth Properties Inc. announced it and some subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The Chicago-based owner and manager of more than 200 shopping malls across the nation said shoppers at its malls will not be affected by its bankruptcy filing.
With $27 billion in debt, General Growth is paying the price for its aggressive expansion at the height of the real estate boom. Like many homeowners during the frenzy, the company bought several properties at top dollar and now is finding lenders unwilling to refinance.
The real estate crisis has been slow to affect the market for retail, hotels and office buildings. But the delinquency rate for commercial loans, while still relatively low, is creeping up and could deepen the economic recession.
“While we have worked tirelessly in the past several months to address our maturing debts, the collapse of the credit markets has made it impossible for us to refinance maturing debt outside of Chapter 11,” Chief Executive Adam Metz said in a statement.
The news sent the real estate investment trust’s stock down 16 cents, or 15 percent, to 89 cents in midmorning trading. The stock traded last spring as high as $44.23.
The move by the General Growth had been widely anticipated since the fall, when the company warned it might have to seek bankruptcy protection if it didn’t get lenders to rework its debt terms. Efforts to negotiate with its creditors ultimately fell short late last month.
Chapter 11 protection typically allows a company to hold off creditors and operate as normal while it develops a financial reorganization plan.
The company had about $29.6 billion in assets at the end of the year, according to documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York.
The company noted that some subsidiaries, including its third party management business and joint ventures, were not part of the bankruptcy petition.
Four malls in Hawaii are managed by General Growth Management Inc. and are not owned by General Growth Properties. GGMI did not file for Chapter 11 protection, meaning that operations at the four shopping centers are not affected by General Growth Properties’ filing.
Hawaii shopping centers managed but not owned by GGP are Queen Ka’ahumanu Center on Maui, Kings’ Shops on the Big Island, Windward Mall on Oahu and Kapolei Commons, West Oahu.
General Growth said it intends to reorganize with the aim of cutting its corporate debt and extending the terms of its mortgage maturities. The company has a financing commitment from Pershing Square Capital Management of about $375 million to use to operate during the bankruptcy process.
Last month, General Growth said it got lenders to waive default on a $2.58 billion credit agreement until the end of the year.
But its Rouse Co. subsidiary failed to convince enough holders of unsecured notes worth $2.25 billion as of Dec. 31 to accept a proposal that would let the unit avoid penalties for being behind on its debt payments and give it some time to refinance its debt load.
In February, the company reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter funds from operations and a dip in revenue amid weaker retail rents.
The company has suspended its dividend, halted or slowed nearly all development projects and cut its work force by more than 20 percent. It also has sold some of its non-mall assets.
Ala Moana Center and Ward Centers are open for business today even though parent company General Growth Properties Inc. announced it and some subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The Chicago-based owner and manager of more than 200 shopping malls across the nation said shoppers at its malls will not be affected by its bankruptcy filing.
With $27 billion in debt, General Growth is paying the price for its aggressive expansion at the height of the real estate boom. Like many homeowners during the frenzy, the company bought several properties at top dollar and now is finding lenders unwilling to refinance.
The real estate crisis has been slow to affect the market for retail, hotels and office buildings. But the delinquency rate for commercial loans, while still relatively low, is creeping up and could deepen the economic recession.
“While we have worked tirelessly in the past several months to address our maturing debts, the collapse of the credit markets has made it impossible for us to refinance maturing debt outside of Chapter 11,” Chief Executive Adam Metz said in a statement.
The news sent the real estate investment trust’s stock down 16 cents, or 15 percent, to 89 cents in midmorning trading. The stock traded last spring as high as $44.23.
The move by the General Growth had been widely anticipated since the fall, when the company warned it might have to seek bankruptcy protection if it didn’t get lenders to rework its debt terms. Efforts to negotiate with its creditors ultimately fell short late last month.
Chapter 11 protection typically allows a company to hold off creditors and operate as normal while it develops a financial reorganization plan.
The company had about $29.6 billion in assets at the end of the year, according to documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York.
The company noted that some subsidiaries, including its third party management business and joint ventures, were not part of the bankruptcy petition.
Four malls in Hawaii are managed by General Growth Management Inc. and are not owned by General Growth Properties. GGMI did not file for Chapter 11 protection, meaning that operations at the four shopping centers are not affected by General Growth Properties’ filing.
Hawaii shopping centers managed but not owned by GGP are Queen Ka’ahumanu Center on Maui, Kings’ Shops on the Big Island, Windward Mall on Oahu and Kapolei Commons, West Oahu.
General Growth said it intends to reorganize with the aim of cutting its corporate debt and extending the terms of its mortgage maturities. The company has a financing commitment from Pershing Square Capital Management of about $375 million to use to operate during the bankruptcy process.
Last month, General Growth said it got lenders to waive default on a $2.58 billion credit agreement until the end of the year.
But its Rouse Co. subsidiary failed to convince enough holders of unsecured notes worth $2.25 billion as of Dec. 31 to accept a proposal that would let the unit avoid penalties for being behind on its debt payments and give it some time to refinance its debt load.
In February, the company reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter funds from operations and a dip in revenue amid weaker retail rents.
The company has suspended its dividend, halted or slowed nearly all development projects and cut its work force by more than 20 percent. It also has sold some of its non-mall assets.
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- Prep briefs
- Say and Look have Aiea and 'Iolani talking, watching wins
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- Local aces
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- Scoreboard
- TV & Radio
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