Canada's largest REIT begins U.S. foray

RioCan's anticipated foray into the U.S. commercial real estate market came to fruition Monday.
The Canadian REIT announced it has agreed to acquire acquire shopping malls in the northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states as well as a minority stake in a U.S. developer for $181 million US. RioCan, Canada's largest shopping mall owner, has struck definitive agreements with Cedar Shopping Centers Inc., to take an equity stake in the Port Washington, N.Y. real estate investment trust, owner of 124 shopping centres, The Canadian Press reported.
RioCan and the U.S. firm will form a joint venture with the Canadian REIT owning 80 per cent of the assets. Continuing the emphasis on food-and-drug-based assets, the partners' first properties are seven grocery store-anchored shopping centres in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Connecticut currently owned by Cedar.
RioCan has also agreed to take a 15-per-cent stake in Cedar that comprises 6.7 million shares and 1.4 million warrants of the U.S. company. The Canadian REIT will invest $181 million, furnishing $106 million in net equity and assuming $75 million in mortgage debt on properties.
“RioCan's objective is to take a measured and defensive approach to investment in the U.S. market,” said president and CEO Edward Sonshine.
The announcement coincided with RioCan's third-quarter report, which included a profit of $28.4-million or 12 cents per unit for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $40.9 million or 19 cents per unit a year ago.
Cedar said the two companies expect to acquire up to $500-million worth of supermarket-anchored properties in the northeast and mid-Atlantic states in the next two years.
RioCan is Canada's largest REIT with a total capitalization of $7.8-billion (Canadian) and 247 retail properties, including 13 under development.