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A&B REPOSITIONS, THEN SELLS, TWO PHOENIX, AZ RETAIL CENTERS
$35.6 Million Achieved for Carefree Marketplace and Mesa South
HONOLULU – (June 28, 2006) – Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (NASDAQ: 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; Mesa South shopping center was sold to Jackett Mesa South LLC. A&B
had acquired Carefree Marketplace in 2001 and Mesa South shopping center
in 1999.
“Our value-creation objectives for both of these properties have been
achieved,” explained A&B Land Group CEO 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 response to unsolicited offers. A&B remains,
however, confident in the broader Phoenix market -- we have no current
plans to sell our other assets in the area and will continue to 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 owners. 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 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 corporation headquartered in Honolulu. A&B’s major lines of
business are ocean transportation (Matson Navigation Company, 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,” within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act 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 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.
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