A&B Repositions, Then Sells, Two Phoenix, AZ Retail Centers; $35.6 Million Achieved for Carefree Marketplace and Mesa South.HONOLULU -- Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :ALEX) and its subsidiaries today completed the sale of two retail centers located in the Phoenix metropolitan area for a combined price of $35.6 million following completion of its objective to reposition both properties. The sale of Carefree Marketplace was to Jackett Carefree LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control ; Mesa South shopping center shopping center, a concentration of retail, service, and entertainment enterprises designed to serve the surrounding region. The modern shopping center differs from its antecedents—bazaars and marketplaces—in that the shops are usually amalgamated into was sold to Jackett Mesa South LLC. A&B had acquired Carefree Marketplace in 2001, following its purchase of Mesa South shopping center in 1999. "Our value-creation objectives for both of these properties have been achieved," explained A&B Land Group CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Stanley Kuriyama. "At the time of acquiring these properties, we recognized that both assets could benefit from Phoenix's strong population and economic growth, as well as ongoing improvements in transportation infrastructure. A&B has successfully repositioned both properties to maximize their values, and we are selling them in a response to unsolicited un·so·lic·it·ed adj. Not looked for or requested; unsought: an unsolicited manuscript; unsolicited opinions. unsolicited Adjective offers. A&B remains, however, confident in the broader Phoenix market -- we have no current plans to sell our other assets other assets Assets of relatively small value. For financial reporting purposes, firms frequently combine small assets into a single category rather than listing each item separately. in the area and will continue to actively seek other Phoenix investments." The 133,600 square foot Mesa South Center is located on an 18-acre parcel in a well-established residential community in the City of Mesa, east of Phoenix. This neighborhood shopping center was built in 1981. The smaller Carefree Marketplace -- 85,000 square feet of leasable area on a 6.5-acre parcel -- is located in Carefree, north of Scottsdale, which benefits from its proximity to several upscale master-planned communities. It was constructed in 1988. Norbert M. Buelsing, executive vice president of A&B Properties, Inc., A&B's real property development and management subsidiary, explained that A&B's original purchase decisions both were supported by population growth projections and the expectation of large-scale expansion of the area's freeway network. "Both properties were similar in many respects," Buelsing said. "Both were grocery anchored, rents for smaller tenant spaces were well below market, and the maintenance and appearance of the centers suffered from minimal involvement of their absentee ownership absentee ownership, system under which a person (or a corporation) controls and derives income from land in a region where he does not reside. Abuses existed in absenteeism in pre-Revolutionary France, in 19th-century Ireland, in E and SE Europe before World War I, . But each presented unique challenges. "With improved freeway access to the area, and educating tenants and leasing agents on Carefree's growth potential, we were successful in increasing Carefree's in-line rents by approximately 40% over a four-year period," said Buelsing. "In contrast, although Mesa South shopping center already had excellent roadway access, the center was challenged by the loss of its grocery anchor. We were able to attract several large sub-anchor tenancies for the former grocery location, which have proven to be popular regional draws. Tenants at the property now report that Mesa South ranks as one of their top performing Phoenix locations," said Buelsing. "A&B continues to see opportunities in the Phoenix market," added Buelsing. "Last year, we purchased Deer Valley Deer Valley is an alpine ski resort in the Wasatch Range in the Park City area of northern Utah. Deer Valley is for skiers only, as it prohibits snowboarding. During the 2002 Winter Olympics Deer Valley hosted the freestyle moguls and aerial, and alpine slalom events. Financial Center, in north Phoenix, and we still own Southbank II, an office property located near the airport." A&B's income portfolio of commercial properties in Hawaii and on the U.S. mainland currently consists of 5.7 million square feet of leasable retail, office and industrial space. A&B owns 90,000 acres of land in Hawaii, making it the state's fourth largest private landowner. The majority of A&B's recent acquisition and investment activity has been focused on Hawaii, where various A&B development projects are ongoing on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. A&B Properties, Inc. (www.abprop.com) is the real estate subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., a diversified diversified (di·verˑ·s corporation headquartered in Honolulu. A&B's major lines of business are ocean transportation (Matson Navigation Company Matson Navigation Company, a subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, is a private ocean transportation company with roots extending into the late 19th century. It is credited with introducing mass tourism to Hawaii with the opening of the Moana Hotel (now known as the Moana Surfrider Hotel) , Inc. and Matson Integrated Logistics, Inc.); real estate (A&B Properties, Inc.); and food products (Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company, Kauai Coffee Company, Inc.). Additional information about A&B may be found at its web site: www.alexanderbaldwin.com. Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. ," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statement. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the statements include, without limitation, overall economic conditions, failure to satisfy the closing conditions set forth in the definitive agreement and other risks associated generally with acquisitions and developments. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. This release should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. and our other filings with the SEC through the date of this release, which identify important factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this release. |
|
||||||||||||||

Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion