WashREIT Completes Sales of Power Center Assets
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WashREIT (NYSE: WRE) (the “Company” or “WashREIT”) has completed the sales of three power centers—the Centre at Hagerstown, Frederick Crossing and Frederick County Square for combined gross proceeds of approximately $77 million. The power centers and the previously announced sale of five retail assets for $485 million closed at a blended capitalization rate1 in the low 6% range.
“We are successfully executing on our plan to recycle out of high-risk commercial assets into value-oriented multifamily assets and we are extremely pleased with the combined, transformative execution of the $1.1 billion of transactions completed year to date," said Paul T. McDermott, President and CEO of WashREIT. “We have significantly de-risked our portfolio, stabilized and strengthened future cash flows, and improved our ability to create long-term shareholder value.”
In addition to the power center sales, the completed transactions include: the acquisition of the Assembly multifamily portfolio, totaling 2,113 units across seven assets for approximately $461 million; the sale of Quantico Corporate Center for approximately $33 million; the acquisition of the Cascade at Landmark, a 277 unit multifamily asset for approximately $70 million; the sale of five shopping center retail assets totaling approximately 800,000 square feet for $485 million; and the sale of another $125 million to $175 million of commercial assets by year end.
WashREIT owns and operates uniquely positioned real estate assets in the Washington D.C. market. Backed by decades of experience, expertise and ambition, we create value by transforming insights into strategy and strategy into action. Our portfolio of 46 properties includes approximately 4 million square feet of commercial space and 6,658 multifamily apartment units. These 46 properties consist of 17 office properties, 8 retail centers and 21 multifamily properties. Our shares trade on the NYSE and our company currently has an enterprise value of more than $3 billion as of December 31, 2018. With a track record of driving returns and delivering satisfaction, we are a trusted authority in one of the nation's most competitive real estate markets.
Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 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,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” or “potential” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Washington REIT to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to the risks associated with the ownership of real estate in general and our real estate assets in particular; the risk that any of the assumptions on which our updated 2019 earnings guidance is based are incorrect, the risk of failure to enter into and/or complete contemplated acquisitions and dispositions at all, within the price ranges anticipated and on the terms and timing anticipated; the economic health of the greater Washington Metro region; fluctuations in interest rates; reductions in or actual or threatened changes to the timing of federal government spending; the risks related to use of third-party providers and joint venture partners; the ability to control our operating expenses; the economic health of our tenants; the supply of competing properties; shifts away from brick and mortar stores to ecommerce; the availability and terms of financing and capital and the general volatility of securities markets; compliance with applicable laws, including those concerning the environment and access by persons with disabilities; terrorist attacks or actions and/or cyber-attacks; weather conditions and natural disasters; ability to maintain key personnel; failure to qualify and maintain our qualification as a REIT and the risks of changes in laws affecting REITs; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in our filings with the SEC, including our 2018 Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. While forward-looking statements reflect our good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance. We undertake no obligation to update our forward-looking statements or risk factors or risk factors to reflect new information, future events, or otherwise.
(1) Capitalization rate is calculated by dividing the estimated 2019 NOI contribution from such assets by the estimated total gross proceeds that the Company expects to generate from their sale. Capitalization rate estimates are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions and are not guarantees of future performance, which may be affected by known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties, and factors that are beyond our control, including the risk that each of or both of the estimated NOI contribution from the assets or the estimated total gross proceeds from the sale of such assets change, as well as those risk factors contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018
Contact: Amy Hopkins
Phone: 202-774-3253
E-mail: ahopkins@washreit.com
Released August 27, 2019