Press release from Business Wire
General Growth Properties Files Amended Plan of Reorganization and Investment Agreements
<p class=' bwtextaligncenter'> Modifications Increase GGP's Capital Structure Flexibility and Improve Investment Terms </p> <p class=' bwtextaligncenter'> GGP Remains on Target to Emerge from Chapter 11 in October 2010 with Strong Financial Foundation and Clear Strategic Plan </p>
Monday, August 02, 2010
General Growth Properties Files Amended Plan of Reorganization and Investment Agreements23:19 EDT Monday, August 02, 2010
CHICAGO (Business Wire) -- General Growth Properties, Inc. (NYSE: GGP) today announced it has filed
an Amended Plan of Reorganization, Disclosure Statement and amended
Investment Agreements with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the
Southern District of New York.
As previously announced, the Investment Agreements with affiliates of
Brookfield Asset Management, Fairholme Capital Management and Pershing
Square Capital Management (“Sponsors”) provide $8.55 billion of capital
commitments to GGP in connection with its plan for emergence from
Chapter 11. In addition, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, a
public pension plan, has agreed to invest $500 million in shares of New
GGP common stock at $10.25 per share, which will replace the Sponsors'
$500 million equity backstop.
The key modifications to the Plan of Reorganization and Investment
Agreements include:
Reinstatement of $1.3 billion of Rouse Bonds due in 2012 and 2013.
GGP's emergence financing needs will be satisfied in part by the
reinstatement of these bonds, so the company does not expect to need
the previously contemplated term loan.
Enhancement of the clawback feature of the Investment Agreements,
which gives GGP the ability to issue equity at higher prices and
retire a portion of the lower-priced equity in the Investment
Agreements, to extend the length of GGP's clawback right after the
company emerges from bankruptcy. In addition, $350 million of Pershing
Square's shares will be available for clawback for a period of 180
days after emergence. In order to facilitate the extension of Pershing
Square's clawback, $350 million of Pershing Square's initial
investment will be in the form of a note rather than equity. In the
event these shares are not clawed back from Pershing Square, the
Company has the option to retire the note by putting to Pershing
Square 35 million shares at a price of $10.00 per share.
Conversion of the $250 million backstop equity commitment for a rights
offering by Spinco to a $250 million stock purchase by the Sponsors at
closing. The price of the stock has been set at the economically
neutral price of $4.76 per share, reflecting the originally
contemplated backstop investment at $5.00 per share, net of fees
associated with the original rights offering. This modification is
expected to provide greater immediate liquidity to Spinco and allow
the company to avoid the need for short-term financing.
Consent to a sale at closing by the Sponsors of up to $500 million of
their allocated equity to an affiliate of The Blackstone Group on a
pro rata basis. The closing commitments of each of the Sponsors are
unaffected by these equity sales to Blackstone.
These modifications provide more flexibility to GGP in managing its
capital structure.
“We are very pleased with our ability to continue to enhance the
Investment Agreements and our capital structure for the benefit of the
company and its stakeholders,” said Thomas Nolan, president and chief
operating officer of GGP. “The amended clawback rights enhance our
ability to sell $1.9 billion of equity at higher prices than committed
by the Sponsors in the original Investment Agreements, market conditions
permitting. We have also improved our flexibility to manage our balance
sheet and access the capital markets. We remain on track to emerge from
Chapter 11 in October and continue to build on our leadership position
in the industry. At the same time, these modifications enhance Spinco's
ability to maximize value for its stakeholders.”
The full Amended Plan of Reorganization and accompanying Disclosure
Statement can be found at http://www.ggp.com/content/Docs/reorganizationAmended08022010.pdf.
The Bankruptcy Court has set the hearing to consider approval of the
Disclosure Statement for August 19, 2010, at 10:00 am EDT. Following
Bankruptcy Court approval of the Amended Disclosure Statement and
related voting solicitation procedures, GGP will solicit acceptances of
the Plan and seek its confirmation by the Bankruptcy Court.
UBS Investment Bank and Miller Buckfire & Co. LLC are serving as
financial advisors to General Growth Properties, and Weil, Gotshal &
Manges LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP are acting as legal counsel to the
Company.
ABOUT GGP
GGP currently has ownership interest and management responsibility for
more than 200 regional shopping malls in 43 states, as well as ownership
in planned community developments and commercial office buildings. The
Company's portfolio totals approximately 200 million square feet of
retail space and includes more than 24,000 retail stores nationwide. The
Company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol GGP.
NOTE
With respect to GGP's efforts to raise equity capital to replace some or
all of the Pershing Square, Fairholme and Texas Teachers commitments, as
noted, the Company has filed a registration statement relating to these
securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The securities
may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the
registration statement becomes effective. This press release does not
constitute an offer to sell these securities.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results
may differ materially from the results suggested by these
forward-looking statements, for a number of reasons, including, but not
limited to, our ability to successfully complete our plan of
reorganization and emerge from bankruptcy, our ability to refinance,
extend, restructure or repay our near and intermediate term debt, our
substantial level of indebtedness, our ability to raise capital through
equity issuances, asset sales or the incurrence of new debt, retail and
credit market conditions, impairments, our liquidity demands and retail
and economic conditions. Readers are referred to the documents filed by
General Growth Properties, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, which further identify the important risk factors which
could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking
statements in this release. The Company disclaims any obligation to
update any forward-looking statements.
