The number of shares outstanding of the Regency Centers Corporation’s voting common stock was 94,127,031 as of February 18, 2015.
Portions of Regency Centers Corporation's proxy statement in connection with its 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III.
This report combines the annual reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 of Regency Centers Corporation and Regency Centers, L.P. Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, references to “Regency Centers Corporation” or the “Parent Company” mean Regency Centers Corporation and its controlled subsidiaries; and references to “Regency Centers, L.P.” or the “Operating Partnership” mean Regency Centers, L.P. and its controlled subsidiaries. The term “the Company” or “Regency” means the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, collectively.
The Parent Company is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) and the general partner of the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership's capital includes general and limited common Partnership Units (“Units”). As of December 31, 2014, the Parent Company owned approximately 99.8% of the Units in the Operating Partnership and the remaining limited Units are owned by investors. The Parent Company owns all of the Series 6 and 7 Preferred Units of the Operating Partnership. As the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, the Parent Company has exclusive control of the Operating Partnership's day-to-day management.
The Company believes it is important to understand the few differences between the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership in the context of how the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership operate as a consolidated company. The Parent Company is a REIT, whose only material asset is its ownership of partnership interests of the Operating Partnership. As a result, the Parent Company does not conduct business itself, other than acting as the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, issuing public equity from time to time and guaranteeing certain debt of the Operating Partnership. The Parent Company does not hold any indebtedness, but guarantees all of the unsecured public debt and approximately 15% of the secured debt of the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership holds all the assets of the Company and retains the ownership interests in the Company's joint ventures. Except for net proceeds from public equity issuances by the Parent Company, which are contributed to the Operating Partnership in exchange for partnership units, the Operating Partnership generates all remaining capital required by the Company's business. These sources include the Operating Partnership's operations, its direct or indirect incurrence of indebtedness, and the issuance of partnership units.
Stockholders' equity, partners' capital, and noncontrolling interests are the main areas of difference between the consolidated financial statements of the Parent Company and those of the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership's capital includes general and limited common Partnership Units, as well as Series 6 and 7 Preferred Units owned by the Parent Company. The limited partners' units in the Operating Partnership owned by third parties are accounted for in partners' capital in the Operating Partnership's financial statements and outside of stockholders' equity in noncontrolling interests in the Parent Company's financial statements. The Series 6 and 7 Preferred Units owned by the Parent Company are eliminated in consolidation in the accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Parent Company and are classified as preferred units of general partner in the accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Operating Partnership.
In addition to historical information, the following information contains forward-looking statements as defined under federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements include statements about anticipated changes in our revenues, the size of our development and redevelopment program, earnings per share and unit, returns and portfolio value, and expectations about our liquidity. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the real estate industry and markets in which the Company operates, and management's beliefs and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties are described further in the Item 1A. Risk Factors below. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto of Regency Centers Corporation and Regency Centers, L.P. appearing elsewhere herein. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements to reflect events or uncertainties after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of uncertain events.
Regency Centers began its operations as a publicly-traded REIT in 1993, and currently owns direct or partial interests in 322 shopping centers, the majority of which are grocery-anchored community and neighborhood centers. Our centers are located in the top markets of 23 states and the District of Columbia, and contain 38.2 million square feet of gross leasable area, or 28.4 million square feet when including only our pro rata share of the 120 centers partially owned through co-investment partnerships.
Creation of superior growth in shareholder value.
Engage a talented and dedicated team that operates efficiently and is recognized as a leader in the real estate industry and sustainability initiatives.
Opportunistically upgrade our portfolio by acquiring high quality shopping centers with superior upside in NOI growth funded from the sale of low growth assets.
Fund development program primarily from the sale of low-growth assets in the existing portfolio.
Maintain a well laddered debt maturity profile.
Believe in unwavering standards of honesty and integrity and build our reputation by maintaining the highest ethical principles.
Offer a challenging, safe and dynamic work environment and support the professional development and the personal life of each employee.
Encourage employees to achieve their personal health goals through a robust wellness program focused on education, awareness and prevention.
Contribute to the betterment of our communities by supporting philanthropic programs with employee contribution matching and paid time off to volunteer.
We recognize the importance of operating in a sustainable manner and are committed to reducing our environmental impact, including energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste. We are committed to transparency with regard to our sustainability performance, risks and opportunities, and will continue to increase disclosure using industry accepted reporting frameworks. We believe our commitment to sustainability supports the Company in achieving key strategic objectives, leads to better risk management, enhances our relationships with key stakeholders, and is in the best interest of our shareholders.
Our headquarters are located at One Independent Drive, Suite 114, Jacksonville, Florida. We presently maintain 17 market offices nationwide, where we conduct management, leasing, construction, and investment activities. As of December 31, 2014, we had 370 employees and we believe that our relations with our employees are good.
or are currently undergoing varying levels of environmental remediation, known environmental remediation is not currently expected to have a material financial impact on us due to insurance programs designed to mitigate the cost of remediation, various state-regulated programs that shift the responsibility and cost to the state, and existing accrued liabilities for remediation.
Our executive officers are appointed each year by our Board of Directors. Each of our executive officers has been employed by us in the position indicated in the list or positions indicated in the pertinent notes below. Each of our executive officers has been employed by us for more than five years.
(1) Ms. Palmer served as Senior Manager of Investment Services in 1996 and assumed the role of Vice President of Capital Markets in 1999. She served as Senior Vice President of Capital Markets from 2003 to 2012 until assuming the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in January 2013.
Our website may be accessed at www.regencycenters.com. All of our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) can be accessed free of charge through our website promptly after filing; however, in the event that the website is inaccessible, we will provide paper copies of our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, the most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, current reports filed or furnished on Form 8-K, and all related amendments, excluding exhibits, free of charge upon request. These filings are also accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
Our registrar and stock transfer agent is Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (“Wells Fargo Shareowner Services”), Mendota Heights, MN. We offer a dividend reinvestment plan (“DRIP”) that enables our stockholders to reinvest dividends automatically, as well as to make voluntary cash payments toward the purchase of additional shares. For more information, contact Wells Fargo Shareowner Services toll free at (800) 468-9716 or our Shareholder Relations Department at (904) 598-7000.
Our annual meeting will be held at The Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, 200 Ponte Vedra Blvd, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2015.
A shift in retail shopping from brick and mortar stores to internet sales may have an adverse impact on our revenues and cash flow.
Many retailers operating brick and mortar stores have made Internet sales a vital piece of their business. Although many of the retailers in our shopping centers either provide services or sell groceries, such that their customer base does not have a tendency toward online shopping, the shift to internet sales may adversely impact our retail tenants' sales causing those retailers to adjust the size or number of retail locations in the future. This shift could adversely impact our occupancy and rental rates, which would impact our revenues and cash flows.
Downturns in the retail industry likely will have a direct adverse impact on our revenues and cash flow.
Consequences of any armed conflict involving, or terrorist attack against, the United States.
To the extent that any of these conditions occur, they are likely to impact market rents for retail space, occupancy in the operating portfolios, our ability to sell, acquire or develop properties, and our cash available for distributions to stock and unit holders.
Our revenues and cash flow could be adversely affected if economic or market conditions deteriorate where our properties are geographically concentrated, which may impede our ability to generate sufficient income to pay expenses and maintain our properties.
The economic conditions in markets in which our properties are concentrated greatly influence our financial performance. During the year ended December 31, 2014, our properties in California, Florida, and Texas accounted for 30.6%, 11.3%, and 10.0%, respectively, of our net operating income from Consolidated Properties plus our pro-rata share from Unconsolidated Properties ("pro-rata basis"). Our revenues and cash available to pay expenses, maintain our properties, and for distributions to stock and unit holders could be adversely affected by this geographic concentration if market conditions, such as supply of or demand for retail space, deteriorate in California, Florida, or Texas relative to other geographic areas.
Renews at lower rental rates.
Some anchors have the right to vacate and prevent re-tenanting by paying rent for the balance of the lease term. Vacated anchor space, including space owned by the anchor, can reduce rental revenues generated by the shopping center because of the loss of the departed anchor tenant's customer drawing power. If a significant tenant vacates a property, co-tenancy clauses in select centers may allow other tenants to modify or terminate their rent or lease obligations. Co-tenancy clauses have several variants: they may allow a tenant to postpone a store opening if certain other tenants fail to open their stores; they may allow a tenant to close its store prior to lease expiration if another tenant closes its store prior to lease expiration; or more commonly, they may allow a tenant to pay reduced levels of rent until a certain number of tenants open their stores within the same shopping center.
A significant percentage of our revenues are derived from smaller shop tenants and our net income could be adversely impacted if our smaller shop tenants are not successful.
A significant percentage of our revenues are derived from smaller shop tenants (those occupying less than 10,000 square feet). Smaller shop tenants may be more vulnerable to negative economic conditions as they have more limited resources than larger tenants. Such tenants continue to face increasing competition from non-store retailers and growing e-commerce. In addition, some of these retailers may seek to reduce their store sizes as they increasingly rely on alternative distribution channels, including internet sales, and adjust their square footage needs accordingly. The types of smaller shop tenants vary from retail shops to service providers. If we are unable to attract the right type or mix of smaller shop tenants into our centers, our net income could be adversely impacted.
Although minimum rent is supported by long-term lease contracts, tenants who file bankruptcy have the legal right to reject any or all of their leases and close related stores. In the event that a tenant with a significant number of leases in our shopping centers files bankruptcy and rejects its leases, we could experience a significant reduction in our revenues and may not be able to collect all pre-petition amounts owed by that party.
Our real estate assets may be subject to impairment charges.
Our long-lived assets, primarily real estate held for investment, are carried at cost unless circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. We evaluate whether there are any indicators, including property operating performance and general market conditions, that the value of the real estate properties (including any related amortizable intangible assets or liabilities) may not be recoverable. Through the evaluation, we compare the current carrying value of the asset to the estimated undiscounted cash flows that are directly associated with the use and ultimate disposition of the asset. Our estimated cash flows are based on several key assumptions, including rental rates, costs of tenant improvements, leasing commissions, anticipated holding periods, and assumptions regarding the residual value upon disposition, including the exit capitalization rate. These key assumptions are subjective in nature and could differ materially from actual results. Changes in our disposition strategy or changes in the marketplace may alter the holding period of an asset or asset group, which may result in an impairment loss and such loss could be material to the Company's financial condition or operating performance. To the extent that the carrying value of the asset exceeds the estimated undiscounted cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized equal to the excess of carrying value over fair value.
The fair value of real estate assets is subjective and is determined through comparable sales information and other market data if available, or through use of an income approach such as the direct capitalization method or the traditional discounted cash flow approach. Such cash flow projections consider factors, including expected future operating income, trends and prospects, as well as the effects of demand, competition and other factors, and therefore are subject to management judgment. Changes in those factors could impact the determination of fair value. In estimating the fair value of undeveloped land, we generally use market data and comparable sales information.
These subjective assessments have a direct impact on our net income because recording an impairment charge results in an immediate negative adjustment to net income. There can be no assurance that we will not take additional charges in the future related to the impairment of our assets. Any future impairment could have a material adverse effect on our net income in the period in which the charge is taken.
Adverse global market and economic conditions could cause us to recognize additional impairment charges or otherwise harm our performance.
assurance can be given that we would be able to recover the current carrying amount of all of our properties and investments in the future. Our failure to do so would require us to recognize additional impairment charges for the period in which we reached that conclusion, which could materially and adversely affect us and the market price of our common stock.
Unsuccessful development activities or a slowdown in development activities could have a direct impact on our revenues, revenue growth, and/or net income.
The lack of cash flow during the construction period.
Our acquisition activities may not produce the returns that we expect.
We may not be able to integrate an acquisition into our existing operations successfully.
We may experience difficulty or delay in renewing leases or re-leasing space.
We derive most of our revenue from rent received from our tenants. We are subject to the risks that, upon expiration or termination of leases, leases for space in our properties may not be renewed, space may not be re-leased, or the terms of renewal or re-lease, including the cost of required renovations or concessions to tenants, may be less favorable than current lease terms. As a result, our results of operations and our net income could be adversely impacted.
We may be unable to sell properties when appropriate because real estate investments are illiquid.
Real estate investments generally cannot be sold quickly. Our inability to respond promptly to unfavorable changes in the performance of our investments could have an adverse effect on our ability to meet our obligations and make distributions to our stock and unit holders.
Geographic concentration of our properties makes our business vulnerable to natural disasters and severe weather conditions, which could have an adverse effect on our cash flow and operating results.
A significant portion of our property gross leasable area is located in areas that are susceptible to earthquakes, tropical storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and other natural disasters. As of December 31, 2014, approximately 23.6%, 15.0%, and 10.5% of our property gross leasable area, on a pro-rata basis, was located in California, Florida, and Texas, respectively. Intense weather conditions during the last decade have caused our cost of property insurance to increase significantly. We recognize that the frequency and / or intensity of extreme weather events may continue to increase due to climate change, and as a result, our exposure to these events could increase. These weather conditions also disrupt our business and the business of our tenants, which could affect the ability of some tenants to pay rent and may reduce the willingness of residents to remain in or move to the affected area. Therefore, as a result of the geographic concentration of our properties, we face risks, including higher costs, such as uninsured property losses and higher insurance premiums, and disruptions to our business and the businesses of our tenants.
enter, which could adversely affect the results of our expansion into those markets, and we may be unable to achieve our desired return on our investments in new markets. If we are unsuccessful in expanding into new markets, it could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
An uninsured loss or a loss that exceeds the insurance coverage on our properties could subject us to loss of capital or revenue on those properties.
We carry comprehensive liability, fire, flood, extended coverage, rental loss, and environmental insurance for our properties with policy specifications and insured limits customarily carried for similar properties. We believe that the insurance carried on our properties is adequate and consistent with industry standards. There are, however, some types of losses, such as losses from hurricanes, terrorism, wars or earthquakes, for which the insurance levels carried may not be sufficient to fully cover catastrophic losses impacting multiple properties. In addition, tenants generally are required to indemnify and hold us harmless from liabilities resulting from injury to persons or damage to personal or real property, on or off the premises, due to activities conducted by tenants or their agents on the properties (including without limitation any environmental contamination), and at the tenant's expense, to obtain and keep in full force during the term of the lease, liability and property damage insurance policies. However, our tenants may not properly maintain their insurance policies or have the ability to pay the deductibles associated with such policies. Should a loss occur that is uninsured or in an amount exceeding the combined aggregate limits for the policies noted above, or in the event of a loss that is subject to a substantial deductible under an insurance policy, we could lose all or part of our capital invested in, and anticipated revenue from, such properties, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition, as well as our ability to make distributions to stock and unit holders.
Loss of our key personnel could adversely affect our business and operations.
We depend on the efforts of our key executive personnel. Although we believe qualified replacements could be found for our key executives, the loss of their services could adversely affect our business and operations.
•adversely affect our ability to minimize our expenses of operation.
Costs of environmental remediation could reduce our cash flow available for distribution to stock and unit holders.
Under various federal, state and local laws, an owner or manager of real property may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on the property. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of hazardous or toxic substances. The cost of any required remediation could exceed the value of the property and/or the aggregate assets of the owner or the responsible party. The presence of, or the failure to properly remediate, hazardous or toxic substances may adversely affect our ability to sell or lease a contaminated property or to use the property as collateral for a loan. Any of these developments could reduce cash flow and our ability to make distributions to stock and unit holders.
All of our properties are required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), which generally requires that buildings be made accessible to people with disabilities. Compliance with ADA requirements could require removal of access barriers, and noncompliance could result in imposition of fines by the U.S. government or an award of damages to private litigants, or both. While the tenants to whom we lease properties are obligated by law to comply with the ADA provisions, and typically under tenant leases are obligated to cover costs associated with compliance, if required changes involve greater expenditures than anticipated, or if the changes must be made on a more accelerated basis than anticipated, the ability of these tenants to cover costs could be adversely affected. In addition, we are required to operate the properties in compliance with fire and safety regulations, building codes and other land use regulations, as they may be adopted by governmental entities and become applicable to the properties. We may be required to make substantial capital expenditures to comply with these requirements, and these expenditures could have a material adverse effect on our ability to meet our financial obligations and make distributions to our stock and unit holders.
If we do not maintain the security of tenant-related information, we could incur substantial costs and become subject to litigation.
We have implemented an online payment system where we receive certain information about our tenants that depends upon secure transmissions of confidential information over public networks, including information permitting cashless payments. A compromise of our security systems that results in information being obtained by unauthorized persons could adversely affect our operations, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and could result in litigation against us or the imposition of penalties. In addition, a security breach could require us to expend significant resources related to our information security systems and could result in a disruption of our operations.
We rely extensively on computer systems to process transactions and manage our business and disruptions in both our primary and secondary (back-up) systems could harm our ability to run our business.
material interruption in both of our computer systems and back-up systems may have a material adverse effect on our business or results of operations.
We do not have voting control over our joint venture investments, so we are unable to ensure that our objectives will be pursued.
We have invested substantial capital as a partner in a number of joint venture investments for the acquisition or development of properties. These investments involve risks not present in a wholly-owned project as we do not have voting control over the ventures, although we do have approval rights over major decisions. The other partner may (i) have interests or goals that are inconsistent with our interests or goals or (ii) otherwise impede our objectives. The other partner also may become insolvent or bankrupt. These factors could limit the return that we receive from such investments or cause our cash flows to be lower than our estimates.
The termination of our co-investment partnerships could adversely affect our cash flow, operating results, and our ability to make distributions to stock and unit holders.
If co-investment partnerships owning a significant number of properties were dissolved for any reason, we would lose the asset and property management fees from these co-investment partnerships, which could adversely affect our operating results and our cash available for distribution to stock and unit holders.
Higher market capitalization rates for our properties could adversely impact our ability to sell properties and fund developments and acquisitions, and could dilute earnings.
As part of our funding strategy, we sell operating properties that no longer meet our investment standards or those with a limited future growth profile. These sales proceeds are used to fund the construction of new developments, redevelopments and acquisitions. An increase in market capitalization rates could cause a reduction in the value of centers identified for sale, which would have an adverse impact on the amount of cash generated. In order to meet the cash requirements of our development program, we may be required to sell more properties than initially planned, which could have a negative impact on our earnings.
To qualify as a REIT, the Parent Company must, among other things, distribute to its stockholders each year at least 90% of its REIT taxable income (excluding any net capital gains). Because of these distribution requirements, we may not be able to fund all future capital needs with income from operations. We therefore will have to rely on third-party sources of capital, which may or may not be available on favorable terms or at all. Our access to third-party sources of capital depends on a number of things, including the market's perception of our growth potential and our current and potential future earnings. Our access to debt depends on our credit rating, the willingness of creditors to lend to us and conditions in the capital markets. In addition to finding creditors willing to lend to us, we are dependent upon our joint venture partners to contribute their pro rata share of any amount needed to repay or refinance existing debt when lenders reduce the amount of debt our joint ventures are eligible to refinance.
In addition, our existing debt arrangements also impose covenants that limit our flexibility in obtaining other financing, such as a prohibition on negative pledge agreements. Additional equity offerings may result in substantial dilution of stockholders' interests and additional debt financing may substantially increase our degree of leverage.
Without access to external sources of capital, we would be required to pay outstanding debt with our operating cash flows and proceeds from property sales. Our operating cash flows may not be sufficient to pay our outstanding debt as it comes due and real estate investments generally cannot be sold quickly at a return we believe is appropriate. If we are required to deleverage our business with operating cash flows and proceeds from property sales, we may be forced to reduce the amount of, or eliminate altogether, our distributions to stock and unit holders or refrain from making investments in our business.
Our ability to make scheduled payments or to refinance our indebtedness will depend primarily on our future performance, which to a certain extent is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. In addition, we do not expect to generate sufficient funds from operations to make balloon principal payments on our debt when due. If we are unable to refinance our debt on acceptable terms, we may be forced (i) to dispose of properties, which might result in losses, or (ii) to obtain financing at unfavorable terms, either of which could reduce the cash flow available for distributions to stock and unit holders. If we cannot make required mortgage payments, the mortgagee could foreclose on the property securing the mortgage.
Our unsecured notes, unsecured term loan, and unsecured line of credit contain customary covenants, including compliance with financial ratios, such as ratio of total debt to gross asset value and fixed charge coverage ratio. Fixed charge coverage ratio is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") divided by the sum of interest expense and scheduled mortgage principal paid to our lenders plus dividends paid to our preferred stockholders. Our debt arrangements also restrict our ability to enter into a transaction that would result in a change of control. These covenants may limit our operational flexibility and our acquisition activities. Moreover, if we breach any of the covenants in our debt agreements, and do not cure the breach within the applicable cure period, our lenders could require us to repay the debt immediately, even in the absence of a payment default. Many of our debt arrangements, including our unsecured notes, unsecured term loan, and unsecured line of credit are cross-defaulted, which means that the lenders under those debt arrangements can put us in default and require immediate repayment of their debt if we breach and fail to cure a default under certain of our other material debt obligations. As a result, any default under our debt covenants could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, our results of operations, our ability to meet our obligations, and the market value of our stock.
Although a significant amount of our outstanding debt has fixed interest rates, we do borrow funds at variable interest rates under our credit facilities. Increases in interest rates would increase our interest expense on any variable rate debt to the extent we have not hedged our exposure to changes in interest rates. In addition, increases in interest rates will affect the terms under which we refinance our existing debt as it matures, to the extent we have not hedge our exposure to changes in interest rates. This would reduce our future earnings and cash flows, which could adversely affect our ability to service our debt and meet our other obligations and also could reduce the amount we are able to distribute to our stock and unit holders.
We may acquire properties or portfolios of properties through tax-deferred contribution transactions, which could result in stockholder dilution and limit our ability to sell such assets.
not yield the economic benefits we anticipate, which could adversely affect us.
arrangements may not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes. There can be no assurance that our hedging arrangements will qualify for hedge accounting or that our hedging activities will have the desired beneficial impact on our results of operations. Should we desire to terminate a hedging agreement, there could be significant costs and cash requirements involved to fulfill our obligations under the hedging agreement. Failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes may adversely affect our results of operations.
Changes in economic and market conditions could adversely affect the market price of our securities.
These factors may cause the market price of our securities to decline, regardless of our financial condition, results of operations, business or prospects. It is impossible to ensure that the market price of our securities, including our common stock, will not fall in the future. A decrease in the market price of our common stock could reduce our ability to raise additional equity in the public markets. Selling common stock at a decreased market price would have a dilutive impact on existing stockholders.
We cannot assure you we will continue to pay dividends at historical rates.
If we do not maintain or periodically increase the dividend on our common stock, it could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and other securities.
Changes in accounting standards may adversely impact our financial results.
The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), in conjunction with the SEC, has several key projects on their agenda that could impact how we currently account for our material transactions, including lease accounting and other convergence projects with the International Accounting Standards Board. At this time, we are unable to predict with certainty which, if any, proposals may be passed or what level of impact any such proposal could have on the presentation of our consolidated financial statements, our results of operations and our financial ratios required by our debt covenants.
involve questions of interpretation. For example, to qualify as a REIT, at least 95% of our gross income must come from specific passive sources, like rent, that are itemized in the REIT tax laws. There can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or a court would agree with the positions we have taken in interpreting the REIT requirements. We are also required to distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, excluding capital gains. The fact that we hold many of our assets through co-investment partnerships and their subsidiaries further complicates the application of the REIT requirements. Furthermore, Congress and the IRS might make changes to the tax laws and regulations, and the courts might issue new rulings, that make it more difficult, or impossible, for the Parent Company to remain qualified as a REIT.
Also, unless the IRS granted relief under certain statutory provisions, the Parent Company would remain disqualified as a REIT for four years following the year it first failed to qualify. If the Parent Company failed to qualify as a REIT (currently and/or with respect to any tax years for which the statute of limitations has not expired), we would have to pay significant income taxes, reducing cash available to pay dividends, which would likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of our securities. In addition, we would no longer be required to pay any dividends to stockholders. Although we believe that the Parent Company qualifies as a REIT, we cannot assure you that the Parent Company will continue to qualify or remain qualified as a REIT for tax purposes.
Even if the Parent Company qualifies as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we are required to pay certain federal, state and local taxes on our income and property. For example, if we have net income from “prohibited transactions,” that income will be subject to a 100% tax. In general, prohibited transactions include sales or other dispositions of property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. The determination as to whether a particular sale is a prohibited transaction depends on the facts and circumstances related to that sale. While we have undertaken a significant number of asset sales in recent years, we do not believe that those sales should be considered prohibited transactions, but there can be no assurance that the IRS would not contend otherwise.
Subject to limited exceptions, dividends paid by REITs (other than distributions designated as capital gain dividends or returns of capital) are not eligible for reduced rates for qualified dividends paid by "C" corporations and are taxable at ordinary income tax rates. The more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate qualified dividends could cause investors who are individuals, trusts and estates to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the shares of REITs, including the shares of our capital stock.
A foreign person disposing of a U.S. real property interest, including shares of a U.S. corporation whose assets consist principally of U.S. real property interests is generally subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain recognized on the disposition. This tax does not apply, however, to the disposition of stock in a REIT if the REIT is "domestically controlled." In general, we will be a domestically controlled REIT if at all times during the five-year period ending on the applicable stockholder’s disposition of our stock, less than 50% in value of our stock was held directly or indirectly by non-U.S. persons. If we were to fail to qualify as a domestically controlled REIT, gain recognized by a foreign stockholder on a disposition of our common stock would be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless our common stock was traded on an established securities market and the foreign stockholder did not at any time during a specified testing period directly or indirectly own more than 5% of our outstanding common stock.
The REIT provisions of the Code limit our ability to hedge our liabilities. Generally, income from a hedging transaction we enter into either to manage risk of interest rate changes with respect to borrowings incurred or to be incurred to acquire or carry real estate assets, or to manage the risk of currency fluctuations with respect to any item of income or gain (or any property which generates such income or gain) that constitutes “qualifying income” for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests applicable to REITs, does not constitute “gross income” for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests, provided that we properly identify the hedging transaction pursuant to the applicable sections of the Code and Treasury Regulations. To the extent that we enter into other types of hedging transactions, or fail to make the proper tax identifications, the income from those transactions is likely to be treated as non-qualifying income for purposes of both gross income tests. As a result of these rules, we may need to limit our use of otherwise advantageous hedging techniques or implement those hedges through a taxable REIT subsidiary, or TRS. The use of a TRS could increase the cost of our hedging activities (because our TRS would be subject to tax on income or gain resulting from hedges entered into by it) or expose us to greater risks than we would otherwise want to bear. In addition, net losses in a TRS will generally not provide any tax benefit except for being carried forward for use against future taxable income in the TRS.
Restrictions on the ownership of the Parent Company's capital stock to preserve its REIT status could delay or prevent a change in control.
The issuance of the Parent Company's capital stock could delay or prevent a change in control.
The Parent Company's articles of incorporation authorize our Board of Directors to issue up to 30,000,000 shares of preferred stock and 10,000,000 shares of special common stock and to establish the preferences and rights of any shares issued. The issuance of preferred stock or special common stock could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control. The provisions of the Florida Business Corporation Act regarding control share acquisitions and affiliated transactions could also deter potential acquisitions by preventing the acquiring party from voting the common stock it acquires or consummating a merger or other extraordinary corporate transaction without the approval of our disinterested stockholders.
Certain Consolidated Properties are encumbered by mortgage loans of $541.6 million, excluding debt premiums and discounts, as of December 31, 2014.
The weighted average annual effective rent for the consolidated portfolio of properties, net of tenant concessions, is $18.30 and $17.40 per square foot ("SqFT") as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
Certain Unconsolidated Properties are encumbered by mortgage loans of $1.4 billion, excluding debt premiums and discounts, as of December 31, 2014.
The weighted average annual effective rent for the unconsolidated portfolio of properties, net of tenant concessions, is $17.85 and $17.34 per SqFT as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
(1) Stores owned by anchor tenant that are attached to our centers.
Our leases for tenant space under 5,000 square feet generally have terms ranging from three to five years. Leases greater than 10,000 square feet generally have lease terms in excess of five years, mostly comprised of anchor tenants. Many of the anchor leases contain provisions allowing the tenant the option of extending the term of the lease at expiration. Our leases provide for the monthly payment in advance of fixed minimum rent, additional rents calculated as a percentage of the tenant's sales, the tenant's pro-rata share of real estate taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance (“CAM”) expenses, and reimbursement for utility costs if not directly metered.
(2) Minimum rent includes current minimum rent and future contractual rent steps, but excludes additional rent such as percentage rent, common area maintenance, real estate taxes and insurance reimbursements.
During 2015, we have a total of 909 leases expiring, representing 1.8 million square feet of GLA. These expiring leases have an average base rent of $22.07 per SqFT. The average base rent of new leases signed during 2014 was $22.02 per SqFT. During periods of recession or when occupancy is low, tenants have more bargaining power, which may result in rental rate declines on new or renewal leases. In periods of recovery and/or when occupancy levels are high, landlords have more bargaining power, which generally results in rental rate growth on new and renewal leases. Based on current economic trends and expectations, and pro-rata percent leased of 95.4%, we expect to see an overall increase in rental rate on new and renewal leases during 2015. Exceptions may arise in certain geographic areas or at specific shopping centers based on the local economic situation, competition, location, and size of the space being leased, among other factors. Additionally, significant changes or uncertainties affecting micro- or macroeconomic climates may cause significant changes to our current expectations.
See the following property table and also see Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis for further information about our Consolidated and Unconsolidated Properties.