SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10‑K

 

 

 

 

 

OR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: NONE

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
YES ☒ NO ☐   

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 (d) of the Act.
YES ☐  NO ☒

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
YES ☒ NO ☐   

  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any,
every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section  232.405
of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit
and post such files).  
☒ Yes ☐  No 

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S‑K (section 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10‑K or any amendment to this Form 10‑K. ☒

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a

smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting

company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 

 

 

 Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). YES ☐  NO ☒

 

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting shares of common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, (i.e., by persons other than officers and directors of Alexander’s, Inc.) was $861,304,000 at June 30, 2016.

 

 

As of January 31, 2017, there were 5,107,290 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.

 

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

 

_____________________________

 

(1)     These items are omitted in part or in whole because the registrant will file a definitive Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after December 31, 2016, portions of which are incorporated by reference herein. 

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Certain statements contained herein constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance.  They represent our intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties.  Our future results, financial condition and business may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements.  You can find many of these statements by looking for words such as “approximates,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “would,” “may” or other similar expressions in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.  We also note the following forward-looking statements:  in the case of our development projects, the estimated completion date, estimated project costs and costs to complete; and estimates of dividends on shares of our common stock.  Many of the factors that will determine the outcome of these and our other forward-looking statements are beyond our ability to control or predict.  For a further discussion of factors that could materially affect the outcome of our forward-looking statements, see “Item 1A - Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. 

 

For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or the date of any document incorporated by reference.  All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section.  We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly, any revisions to our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

PART I

ITEM 1.     BUSINESS

GENERAL

Alexander’s, Inc. (NYSE: ALX) is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) incorporated in Delaware, engaged in leasing, managing, developing and redeveloping its properties.  All references to “we,” “us,” “our,” “Company” and “Alexander’s” refer to Alexander’s, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.  We are managed by, and our properties are leased and developed by, Vornado Realty Trust (“Vornado”) (NYSE: VNO).

 

We have seven properties in the greater New York City metropolitan area consisting of:

 

Operating properties

·         731 Lexington Avenue, a 1,311,000 square foot multi-use building, comprising the entire block bounded by Lexington Avenue, East 59^th Street, Third Avenue and East 58^th Street in Manhattan.  The building contains 889,000 and 174,000 of net rentable square feet of office and retail space, respectively, which we own, and 248,000 square feet of residential space consisting of 105 condominium units, which we sold.  Bloomberg L.P. (“Bloomberg”) occupies all of the office space.  The Home Depot (83,000 square feet), The Container Store (34,000 square feet) and Hennes & Mauritz (27,000 square feet) are the principal retail tenants;

 

·         Rego Park I, a 343,000 square foot shopping center, located on Queens Boulevard and 63^rd Road in Queens.  The center is anchored by a 195,000 square foot Sears department store, a 50,000 square foot Burlington Coat Factory, a 46,000 square foot Bed Bath & Beyond and a 36,000 square foot Marshalls. In January 2017, Sears announced that it plans to close its store in the second quarter of 2017. Under the terms of the lease, Sears is obligated to pay rent through lease expiration in March of 2021;

 

·         Rego Park II, a 609,000 square foot shopping center, adjacent to the Rego Park I shopping center in Queens.  The center is anchored by a 145,000 square foot Costco, a 135,000 square foot Century 21 and a 133,000 square foot Kohl’s.  In addition, 47,000 square feet is leased to Toys “R” Us/Babies “R” Us, a one-third owned affiliate of Vornado;

·         The Alexander apartment tower, located above our Rego Park II shopping center, contains 312 units aggregating 255,000 square feet and is 98.1% leased as of December 31, 2016;

 

·         Paramus, located at the intersection of Routes 4 and 17 in Paramus, New Jersey, consists of 30.3 acres of land that is leased to IKEA Property, Inc.; and

 

·         Flushing, a 167,000 square foot building, located at Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street in Queens, that is sub-leased to New World Mall LLC for the remainder of our ground lease term.

 

Property to be developed

·         Rego Park III, a 140,000 square foot land parcel adjacent to the Rego Park II shopping center in Queens, at the intersection of Junction Boulevard and the Horace Harding Service Road.

 

Relationship with Vornado

We are managed by, and our properties are leased and developed by, Vornado, pursuant to various agreements which expire in March of each year and are automatically renewable.  Vornado is a fully-integrated REIT with significant experience in managing, leasing, developing, and operating retail and office properties.

 

As of December 31, 2016, Vornado owned 32.4% of our outstanding common stock.  Steven Roth is the Chairman of our Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, the Managing General Partner of Interstate Properties (“Interstate”), a New Jersey general partnership, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chief Executive Officer of Vornado.  As of December 31, 2016, Mr. Roth, Interstate and its other two general partners, David Mandelbaum and Russell B. Wight, Jr. (who are also directors of the Company and trustees of Vornado) owned, in the aggregate, 26.3% of our outstanding common stock, in addition to the 2.2% they indirectly own through Vornado.  Joseph Macnow, our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, is the Executive Vice President – Finance and Chief Administrative Officer of Vornado.  Stephen W. Theriot, our Assistant Treasurer, is the Chief Financial Officer of Vornado.

 

 

Significant Tenants

Bloomberg accounted for $104,590,000, $94,468,000 and $91,109,000, representing approximately 46%, 45% and 45% of our total revenues in each of the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.  No other tenant accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues.  If we were to lose Bloomberg as a tenant, or if Bloomberg were to be unable to fulfill its obligations under its lease, it would adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.  In order to assist us in our continuing assessment of Bloomberg’s creditworthiness, we receive certain confidential financial information and metrics from Bloomberg.  In addition, we access and evaluate financial information regarding Bloomberg from other private sources, as well as publicly available data.

 

In January 2016, we entered into a lease amendment with Bloomberg which extends the lease term related to 192,000 square feet of office space at our 731 Lexington Avenue property to be coterminous with the other 697,000 square feet of office space leased by Bloomberg through February 2029, with a ten-year extension option.  In connection with the lease amendment, Bloomberg provided a $200,000,000 letter of credit, which amount may be reduced in certain circumstances. We may draw on this letter of credit subject to certain terms of the lease amendment, including an event of default by Bloomberg.

 

Competition

We operate in a highly competitive environment.  All of our properties are located in the greater New York City metropolitan area.  We compete with a large number of property owners and developers.  Principal factors of competition are the amount of rent charged, attractiveness of location and quality and breadth of services provided.  Our success depends upon, among other factors, trends of the global, national and local economies, the financial condition and operating results of current and prospective tenants and customers, the availability and cost of capital, construction and renovation costs, taxes, governmental regulations, legislation, population and employment trends, zoning laws, and our ability to lease, sublease or sell our properties, at profitable levels.  Our success is also subject to our ability to refinance existing debt on acceptable terms as it comes due.

 

Employees

We currently have 71 employees.

 

Executive Office

Our executive office is located at 210 Route 4 East, Paramus, New Jersey, 07652 and our telephone number is (201) 587-8541.

 

Available Information

Copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, as well as Reports on Forms 3, 4 and 5 regarding officers, directors, and 10% beneficial owners filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a), 15(d) or 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, are available free of charge on our website (www.alx-inc.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  Also available on our website are copies of our Audit Committee Charter, Compensation Committee Charter, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and Corporate Governance Guidelines.  In the event of any changes to these items, revised copies will be made available on our website.  Copies of these documents are also available directly from us, free of charge. 

 

On April 11, 2000, Vornado and Interstate filed with the SEC, the 26^th amendment to a Form 13D indicating that they, as a group, own in excess of 51% of our common stock.  This ownership level makes us a “controlled” company for the purposes of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.’s Corporate Governance Standards (the “NYSE Rules”).  This means that we are not required to, among other things, have a majority of the members of our Board of Directors be independent under the NYSE Rules, have all of the members of our Compensation Committee be independent under the NYSE Rules or to have a Nominating Committee.  While we have voluntarily complied with a majority of the independence requirements of the NYSE Rules, we are under no obligation to do so and this situation may change at any time.

ITEM 1a.  risk factors

Material factors that may adversely affect our business and operations are summarized below.  The risks and uncertainties described herein may not be the only ones we face.  Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may also adversely affect our business.  See “Forward-Looking Statements” contained herein on page 4.

 

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS’ VALUE AND INCOME FLUCTUATE DUE TO VARIOUS FACTORS.

The value of real estate fluctuates depending on conditions in the general economy and the real estate business.  These conditions may also adversely impact our revenues and cash flows.

 

The factors that affect the value of our real estate include, among other things:

 

·      global, national, regional and local economic conditions;

·      competition from other available space;

·      local conditions such as an oversupply of space or a reduction in demand for real estate in the area;

·      how well we manage our properties;

·      changes in market rental rates;

·      the timing and costs associated with property improvements and rentals;

·      whether we are able to pass all or portions of any increases in operating costs through to tenants;

·      changes in real estate taxes and other expenses;  

·      whether tenants and users such as customers and shoppers consider a property attractive;

·         changes in space utilization by our tenants due to technology, economic conditions and business environment;

·      the financial condition of our tenants, including the extent of tenant bankruptcies or defaults;

·      availability of financing on acceptable terms or at all;

·      inflation or deflation;

·      fluctuations in interest rates;

·      our ability to obtain adequate insurance;

·      changes in zoning laws and taxation;

·      government regulation;

·      consequences of any armed conflict involving, or terrorist attack against, the United States or individual acts of violence in public spaces, including retail centers;

·      potential liability under environmental or other laws or regulations;

·      natural disasters;

·      general competitive factors; and

·         climate changes.

 

The rents we receive and the occupancy levels at our properties may decline as a result of adverse changes in any of these factors.  If our rental revenues and/or occupancy levels decline, we generally would expect to have less cash available to pay our indebtedness and for distribution to our stockholders.  In addition, some of our major expenses, including mortgage payments, real estate taxes and maintenance costs generally do not decline when the related rents decline.

 

Capital markets and economic conditions can materially affect our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations, as well as the value of our debt and equity securities.

There are many factors that can affect the value of our equity securities and any debt securities we may issue in the future, including the state of the capital markets and economy.  Demand for office and retail space may decline nationwide as it did in 2008 and 2009, due to the economic downturn, bankruptcies, downsizing, layoffs and cost cutting.  Government action or inaction may adversely affect the state of the capital markets.  The cost and availability of credit may be adversely affected by illiquid credit markets and wider credit spreads may adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition, including our results of operations, and the liquidity and financial condition of our tenants.  Our inability or the inability of our tenants to timely refinance maturing liabilities and access the capital markets to meet liquidity needs may materially affect our financial condition and results of operations and the value of our equity securities and any debt securities we may issue in the future.

 

We are subject to risks that affect the general and New York City retail environments.

Certain of our properties are New York City retail properties.  As such, these properties are affected by the general and New York City retail environments, including the level of consumer spending and consumer confidence, change in relative strengths of world currencies, unemployment rates, the threat of terrorism, increasing competition from discount retailers, outlet malls, retail websites and catalog companies, and the impact of technological change upon the retail environment generally. These factors could adversely affect the financial condition of our retail tenants and the willingness of retailers to lease space in our retail locations.

 

Real estate is a competitive business.

We compete with a large number of property owners and developers, some of which may be willing to accept lower returns on their investments than we are.  Principal factors of competition include rents charged, attractiveness of location, the quality of the property and breadth and quality of services provided.  Our success depends upon, among other factors, trends of the global, national and local economies, the financial condition and operating results of current and prospective tenants and customers, the availability and cost of capital, construction and renovation costs, taxes, governmental regulations, legislation, population and employment trends, zoning laws, and our ability to lease, sublease or sell our properties, at profitable levels. 

 

We depend on leasing space to tenants on economically favorable terms and collecting rent from tenants who may not be able to pay.

Our financial results depend significantly on leasing space in our properties to tenants on economically favorable terms.  In addition, because a majority of our income is derived from renting real property, our income, funds available to pay indebtedness and funds available for distribution to stockholders will decrease if certain of our tenants cannot pay their rent or if we are not able to maintain our occupancy levels on favorable terms.  If a tenant does not pay its rent, we might not be able to enforce our rights as landlord without delays and might incur substantial legal and other costs.  During periods of economic adversity, there may be an increase in the number of tenants that cannot pay their rent and an increase in vacancy rates.

 

We may be unable to renew leases or relet space as leases expire.

When our tenants decide not to renew their leases upon their expiration, we may not be able to relet the space. Even if tenants do renew or we can relet the space, the terms of renewal or reletting, taking into account among other things, the cost of improvements to the property and leasing commissions, may be less favorable than the terms in the expired leases. In addition, changes in space utilization by our tenants may impact our ability to renew or relet space without the need to incur substantial costs in renovating or redesigning the internal configuration of the relevant property. If we are unable to promptly renew the leases or relet the space at similar rates or if we incur substantial costs in renewing or reletting the space, our cash flow and ability to service debt obligations and pay dividends and distributions to security holders could be adversely affected.

 

Bankruptcy or insolvency of tenants may decrease our revenues, net income and available cash.

From time to time, some of our tenants have declared bankruptcy, and other tenants may declare bankruptcy or become insolvent in the future.  The bankruptcy or insolvency of a major tenant could cause us to have difficulty leasing the remainder of the affected property.  Our leases generally do not contain restrictions designed to ensure the creditworthiness of our tenants.  As a result, the bankruptcy or insolvency of a major tenant could result in a lower level of net income and funds available to pay our indebtedness or make distributions to stockholders. 

 

731 Lexington Avenue accounts for a substantial portion of our revenues.  Loss of or damage to the building would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

731 Lexington Avenue accounted for $147,567,000, $137,411,000 and $133,024,000, representing approximately 65%, 66% and 66% of our total revenues in each of the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.  Loss of or damage to the building in excess of our insurance coverage, including as a result of a terrorist attack, would adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Bloomberg represents a significant portion of our revenues.  Loss of Bloomberg as a tenant or deterioration in Bloomberg’s credit quality could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Bloomberg accounted for $104,590,000, $94,468,000 and $91,109,000, representing approximately 46%, 45% and 45% of our total revenues in each of the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.  No other tenant accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues.  If we were to lose Bloomberg as a tenant, or if Bloomberg were to be unable to fulfill its obligations under its lease, it would adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

 

We face risks associated with our tenants being designated “Prohibited Persons” by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and   similar requirements. 

Pursuant to Executive Order 13224 and other laws, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) maintains a list of persons designated as terrorists or who are otherwise blocked or banned (“Prohibited Persons”) from conducting business or engaging in transactions in the United States and thereby restricts our doing business with such persons. In addition, our leases, loans and other agreements may require us to comply with OFAC and related requirements, and any failure to  do so may result in a breach of such agreements.  If a tenant or other party with whom we conduct business is placed on the OFAC list or is otherwise a party with whom we are prohibited from doing business, we may be required to terminate the lease or other agreement.  Any such termination could result in a loss of revenue or otherwise negatively affect our financial results and cash flows.

 

Our business and operations would suffer in the event of system failures. 

Despite system redundancy, the implementation of security measures and the existence of a disaster recovery plan for our internal information technology systems, our systems are vulnerable to damages from any number of sources, including computer viruses, unauthorized access, energy blackouts, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication failures.  Any system failure or accident that causes interruptions in our operations could result in a material disruption to our business.  We may also incur additional costs to remedy damages caused by such disruptions.

 

The occurrence of cyber incidents, or a deficiency in our cybersecurity, could negatively impact our business by causing a disruption to our operations, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information, and/or damage to our business relationships, all of which could negatively impact our financial results.

We face risks associated with security breaches, whether through cyber attacks or cyber intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to e-mails, persons who access our systems from inside or outside our organization, and other significant disruptions of our IT networks and related systems. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber attack or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Our IT networks and related systems are essential to the operation of our business and our ability to perform day-to-day operations (including managing our building systems) and, in some cases, may be critical to the operations of certain of our tenants. Although we make efforts to maintain the security and integrity of these types of IT networks and related systems, and we have implemented various measures to manage the risk of a security breach or disruption, there can be no assurance that our security efforts and measures will be effective or that attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful or damaging. Even the most well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because the techniques used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed to not be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is impossible for us to entirely mitigate this risk.

 

A security breach or other significant disruption involving our IT networks and related systems could disrupt the proper functioning of our networks and systems and therefore our operations and/or those of certain of our tenants; result in the unauthorized access to, and destruction, loss, theft, misappropriation or release of, proprietary, confidential, sensitive or otherwise valuable information of ours or others, which others could use to compete against us or which could expose us to damage claims by third-parties for disruptive, destructive or otherwise harmful purposes and outcomes; result in our inability to maintain the building systems relied upon by our tenants for the efficient use of their leased space; require significant management attention and resources to remedy any damages that result; subject us to claims for breach of contract, damages, credits, penalties or termination of leases or other agreements; or damage our reputation among our tenants and investors generally. Any or all of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

 

We may incur significant costs to comply with environmental laws and environmental contamination may impair our ability to lease and/or sell real estate.

Our operations and properties are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations concerning the protection of the environment including air and water quality, hazardous or toxic substances and health and safety.  Under some environmental laws, a current or previous owner or operator of real estate may be required to investigate and clean up hazardous or toxic substances released at a property.  The owner or operator may also be held liable to a governmental entity or to third parties for property damage or personal injuries and for investigation and clean-up costs incurred by those parties because of the contamination.  These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of the release of the substances or caused such release.  The presence of contamination or the failure to remediate contamination may impair our ability to sell or lease real estate or to borrow using the real estate as collateral.  Other laws and regulations govern indoor and outdoor air quality including those that can require the abatement or removal of asbestos-containing materials in the event of damage, demolition, renovation or remodeling and also govern emissions of and exposure to asbestos fibers in the air.  The maintenance and removal of lead paint and certain electrical equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are also regulated by federal and state laws.  We are also subject to risks associated with human exposure to chemical or biological contaminants such as molds, pollens, viruses and bacteria which, above certain levels, can be alleged to be connected to allergic or other health effects and symptoms in susceptible individuals.  We could incur fines for environmental compliance and be held liable for the costs of remedial action with respect to the foregoing regulated substances or related claims arising out of environmental contamination or human exposure at or from our properties.

 

Each of our properties has been subjected to varying degrees of environmental assessment at various times.  To date, these environmental assessments have not revealed any environmental condition material to our business.  However, identification of new compliance concerns or undiscovered areas of contamination, changes in the extent or known scope of contamination, human exposure to contamination or changes in cleanup or compliance requirements could result in significant costs to us.

 

In addition, we may become subject to costs or taxes, or increases therein, associated with natural resource or energy usage (such as a “carbon tax”).  These costs or taxes could increase our operating costs and decrease the cash available to pay our obligations or distribute to equity holders.

 

Some of our potential losses may not be covered by insurance.

We maintain general liability insurance with limits of $300,000,000 per occurrence and per property, and all-risk property and rental value insurance coverage with limits of $1.7 billion per occurrence, including coverage for acts of terrorism, with sub-limits for certain perils such as floods and earthquakes on each of our properties.

 

Fifty Ninth Street Insurance Company, LLC (“FNSIC”), our wholly owned consolidated subsidiary, acts as a direct insurer for coverage for acts of terrorism, including nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological (“NBCR”) acts, as defined by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, which expires in December 2020.  Coverage for acts of terrorism (including NBCR acts) is up to $1.7 billion per occurrence and in the aggregate.  Coverage for acts of terrorism (excluding NBCR acts) is fully reinsured by third party insurance companies and the Federal government with no exposure to FNSIC.  For NBCR acts, FNSIC is responsible for a $348,000 deductible ($293,000 effective January 1, 2017) and 16% of the balance (17% effective January 1, 2017) of a covered loss, and the Federal government is responsible for the remaining 84% (83% effective January 1, 2017) of a covered loss.  We are ultimately responsible for any loss incurred by FNSIC.

 

We continue to monitor the state of the insurance market and the scope and costs of coverage for acts of terrorism.  However, we cannot anticipate what coverage will be available on commercially reasonable terms in the future.  We are responsible for deductibles and losses in excess of our insurance coverage, which could be material.

 

Our mortgage loans are non-recourse to us and contain customary covenants requiring us to maintain insurance.  Although we believe that we have adequate insurance coverage for purposes of these agreements, we may not be able to obtain an equivalent amount of coverage at reasonable costs in the future.  If lenders insist on greater coverage than we are able to obtain, it could adversely affect our ability to finance or refinance our properties.

 

Compliance or failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act or other safety regulations and requirements could result in substantial costs.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) generally requires that public buildings, including our properties, meet certain federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons.  Noncompliance could result in the imposition of fines by the federal government or the award of damages to private litigants and/or legal fees to their counsel.  If, under the ADA, we are required to make substantial alterations and capital expenditures in one or more of our properties, including the removal of access barriers, it could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, as well as the amount of cash available for distribution to stockholders.

 

Our properties are subject to various federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state and local fire and life safety requirements.  If we fail to comply with these requirements, we could incur fines or private damage awards.  We do not know whether existing requirements will change or whether compliance with future requirements will require significant unanticipated expenditures that will affect our cash flow and results of operations.

 

We depend upon anchor tenants to attract shoppers at our Rego Park I and II retail properties.

Our Rego Park I and II retail properties are anchored by well-known department stores and other tenants who generate shopping traffic.  The value of these properties would be adversely affected if our anchor tenants failed to meet their contractual obligations, sought concessions in order to continue operations or ceased their operations, including as a result of bankruptcy.  If the sales of stores operating in our properties were to decline significantly due to economic conditions, closing of anchors or for other reasons, tenants may be unable to pay their minimum rents or expense recovery charges.  In the event of a default by a tenant or anchor, we may experience delays and costs in enforcing our rights as landlord. In January 2017, Sears announced that it plans to close its store in the second quarter of 2017. Under the terms of the lease, Sears is obligated to pay rent through lease expiration in March of 2021.

 

OUR INVESTMENTS ARE CONCENTRATED IN THE GREATER NEW YORK CITY METROPOLITAN AREA. CIRCUMSTANCES AFFECTING THIS AREA GENERALLY COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESS.

All of our properties are in the greater New York City metropolitan area and are affected by the economic cycles and risks inherent in that area.

All of our revenues come from properties located in the greater New York City metropolitan area.  Real estate markets are subject to economic downturns and we cannot predict how economic conditions will impact this market in either the short-term or long-term.  Declines in the economy or declines in the real estate market in this area could hurt our financial performance and the value of our properties.  In addition to the factors affecting the national economic condition generally, the factors affecting economic conditions in this area include:

 

·      financial performance and productivity of the media, advertising, financial, technology, retail, insurance and real estate industries;

·      unemployment levels;

·      business layoffs or downsizing;

·      industry slowdowns;

·      relocations of businesses;

·      changing demographics;

·      increased telecommuting and use of alternative work places;

·         changes in the number of domestic and international tourists to our markets (including, as a result of changes in the relative strengths of world currencies);

·      infrastructure quality; and

·      any oversupply of, or reduced demand for, real estate.

 

It is impossible for us to assess the future effects of trends in the economic and investment climates of the greater New York City metropolitan region, and more generally of the United States, on the real estate market in this area.  Local, national or global economic downturns, would negatively affect our business and profitability.

 

Terrorist attacks, such as those of September 11, 2001 in New York City, may adversely affect the value of our properties and our ability to generate cash flow.

All of our properties are located in the greater New York City metropolitan area, and our most significant property, 731 Lexington Avenue, is located on Lexington Avenue and 59^th Street in Manhattan.  In response to a terrorist attack or the perceived threat of terrorism, tenants in this area may choose to relocate their businesses to less populated, lower-profile areas of the United States that are not as likely to be targets of future terrorist activity and fewer customers may choose to patronize businesses in this area.  This would trigger a decrease in the demand for space in these markets, which could increase vacancies in our properties and force us to lease our properties on less favorable terms.  As a result, the value of our properties and the level of our revenues could decline materially.

 

Natural disasters and the effects of climate change could have a concentrated impact on the area which we operate and could adversely impact our results.

Our investments are in the greater New York City metropolitan area and since they are concentrated along the Eastern Seaboard, natural disasters, including hurricanes, could impact our properties.  Potentially adverse consequences of “global warming” could similarly have an impact on our properties.  As a result, we could become subject to significant losses and/or repair costs which may or may not be fully covered by insurance and to the risk of business interruption.  The incurrence of these losses, costs or business interruptions may adversely affect our operating and financial results.

WE MAY ACQUIRE OR SELL ASSETS OR DEVELOP PROPERTIES.  OUR FAILURE OR INABILITY TO CONSUMMATE THESE TRANSACTIONS OR MANAGE THESE TRANSACTIONS COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL RESULTS.

We may acquire or develop properties and this may create risks, including failing to complete such activities on time or within budget, competition for such activities that could increase our costs, being unable to lease newly acquired, developed or redeveloped properties at rents sufficient to cover our costs, difficulties in integrating acquisitions and weaker than expected performance.

Although our stated business strategy is not to engage in acquisitions, we may acquire or develop properties when we believe that an acquisition or development project is otherwise consistent with our business strategy.  We may not, however, succeed in consummating desired acquisitions or in completing developments on time or within budget.  In addition, we may face competition in pursuing acquisition or development opportunities that could increase our costs.  When we do pursue a project or acquisition, we may not succeed in leasing newly-developed, redeveloped or acquired properties at rents sufficient to cover costs of acquisition, development or redevelopment and operations.  Difficulties in integrating acquisitions may prove costly or time-consuming and could divert management’s attention.  Acquisitions or developments in new markets or types of properties where we do not have the same level of market knowledge may result in weaker than anticipated performance.  We may abandon acquisition or development opportunities that we have begun pursuing and consequently fail to recover expenses already incurred and have devoted management time to a matter not consummated. 

 

It may be difficult to buy and sell real estate quickly, which may limit our flexibility.

Real estate investments are relatively difficult to buy and sell quickly.  Consequently, we may have limited ability to vary our portfolio promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions.  Moreover, our ability to buy, sell, or finance real estate assets may be adversely affected during periods of uncertainty or unfavorable conditions in the credit markets as we, or potential buyers of our assets, may experience difficulty in obtaining financing.

 

We have an investment in marketable equity securities.  The value of this investment may decline.

We have an investment in Macerich, a retail shopping center company.  As of December 31, 2016, this investment had a carrying amount of $37,918,000.  A significant decline in the value of this investment due to, among other reasons, Macerich’s operating performance or economic or market conditions, may result in the recognition of an impairment loss, which could be material.

 

 

OUR ORGANIZATIONAL AND FINANCIAL STRUCTURE GIVES RISE TO OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL RISKS.

Substantially all of our assets are owned by subsidiaries.  We depend on dividends and distributions from these subsidiaries.  The creditors of these subsidiaries are entitled to amounts payable to them by the subsidiaries before the subsidiaries may pay any dividends or distributions to us.

Substantially all of our properties and assets are held through our subsidiaries.  We depend on cash distributions and dividends from our subsidiaries for substantially all of our cash flow.  The creditors of each of our direct and indirect subsidiaries are entitled to payment of that subsidiary’s obligations to them when due and payable before that subsidiary may make distributions or dividends to us.  Thus, our ability to pay dividends, if any, to our security holders depends on our subsidiaries’ ability to first satisfy their obligations to their creditors and our ability to satisfy our obligations, if any, to our creditors.

 

In addition, our participation in any distribution of the assets of any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries upon the liquidation, reorganization or insolvency of the subsidiary, is only after the claims of the creditors, including trade creditors, and preferred security holders, if any, of the applicable direct or indirect subsidiaries are satisfied.

 

Our existing financing documents contain covenants and restrictions that may restrict our operational and financial flexibility.

As of December 31, 2016, we had outstanding mortgage indebtedness of $1,056,147,000, secured by four of our properties.  These mortgages contain covenants that limit our ability to incur additional indebtedness on these properties, provide for lender approval of tenants’ leases in certain circumstances, and provide for yield maintenance or defeasance premiums to prepay them.  These mortgages may significantly restrict our operational and financial flexibility.  In addition, if we were to fail to perform our obligations under existing indebtedness or become insolvent or were liquidated, secured creditors would be entitled to payment in full from the proceeds of the sale of the pledged assets prior to any proceeds being paid to other creditors or to any holders of our securities.  In such an event, it is possible that we would have insufficient assets remaining to make payments to other creditors or to any holders of our securities. 

 

We have a substantial amount of indebtedness that could affect our future operations.

As of December 31, 2016, total debt outstanding was $1,056,147,000. We are subject to the risks normally associated with debt financing, including the risk that our cash flow from operations will be insufficient to meet required debt service. Our debt service costs generally will not be reduced if developments at the property, such as the entry of new competitors or the loss of major tenants, cause a reduction in the income from the property. Should such events occur, our operations may be adversely affected. If a property is mortgaged to secure payment of indebtedness and income from such property is insufficient to pay that indebtedness, the property could be foreclosed upon by the mortgagee resulting in a loss of income and a decline in our total asset value.

 

We have outstanding debt, and the amount of debt and its cost may increase and refinancing may not be available on acceptable terms.

As of December 31, 2016, total debt outstanding was $1,056,147,000 and our ratio of total debt to total enterprise value was 35.8%.  “Enterprise value” means the market equity value of our common stock, plus debt, less cash and cash equivalents at such date.  In addition, we have significant debt service obligations.  For the year ended December 31, 2016, our scheduled cash payments for principal and interest were $22,957,000.  In the future, we may incur additional debt, and thus increase the ratio of total debt to total enterprise value.  If our level of indebtedness increases, there may be an increased risk of default which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.  In addition, in a rising interest rate environment, the cost of refinancing our existing debt and any new debt or market rate security or instrument may increase.  Continued uncertainty in the equity and credit markets may negatively impact our ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms or at all, which may negatively affect our ability to refinance our debt.   

 

We might fail to qualify or remain qualified as a REIT, and may be required to pay income taxes at corporate rates.

Although we believe that we will remain organized and will continue to operate so as to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we might fail to remain qualified.  Qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes is governed by highly technical and complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) for which there are only limited judicial or administrative interpretations and depends on various facts and circumstances that are not entirely within our control.  In addition, legislation, new regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions may significantly change the relevant tax laws and/or the federal income tax consequences of qualifying as a REIT.

 

If, with respect to any taxable year, we fail to maintain our qualification as a REIT and do not qualify under statutory relief provisions, we could not deduct distributions to stockholders in computing our taxable income and would have to pay federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. The federal income tax payable would include any applicable alternative minimum tax. If we had to pay federal income tax, the amount of money available to distribute to stockholders and pay our indebtedness would be reduced for the year or years involved, and we would no longer be required to make distributions to stockholders. In addition, we would also be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost, unless we were entitled to relief under the relevant statutory provisions.

 

We face possible adverse changes in tax laws, which may result in an increase in our tax liability.

From time to time changes in state and local tax laws or regulations are enacted, which may result in an increase in our tax liability.  The shortfall in tax revenues for states and municipalities in recent years may lead to an increase in the frequency and size of such changes.  If such changes occur, we may be required to pay additional taxes on our assets or income.  These increased tax costs could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and the amount of cash available for payment of dividends.

 

Loss of our key personnel could harm our operations and adversely affect the value of our common stock.

We are dependent on the efforts of Steven Roth, our Chief Executive Officer.  Although we believe that we could find a replacement, the loss of his services could harm our operations and adversely affect the value of our common stock.

ALEXANDER’S CHARTER DOCUMENTS AND APPLICABLE LAW MAY HINDER ANY ATTEMPT TO ACQUIRE US.

Provisions in Alexander’s certificate of incorporation and by laws, as well as provisions of the Code and Delaware corporate law, may delay or prevent a change in control of the Company or a tender offer, even if such action might be beneficial to stockholders, and limit the stockholders’ opportunity to receive a potential premium for their shares of common stock over then prevailing market prices.

 

Primarily to facilitate maintenance of its qualification as a REIT, Alexander’s certificate of incorporation generally prohibits ownership, directly, indirectly or beneficially, by any single stockholder of more than 9.9% of the outstanding shares of preferred stock of any class or 4.9% of outstanding common stock of any class.  The Board of Directors may waive or modify these ownership limits with respect to one or more persons if it is satisfied that ownership in excess of these limits will not jeopardize Alexander’s status as a REIT for federal income tax purposes.  In addition, the Board of Directors has, subject to certain conditions and limitations, exempted Vornado and certain of its affiliates from these ownership limitations.  Stock owned in violation of these ownership limits will be subject to the loss of rights and other restrictions.  These ownership limits may have the effect of inhibiting or impeding a change in control.

 

Alexander’s Board of Directors is divided into three classes of directors.  Directors of each class are chosen for three-year staggered terms.  Staggered terms of directors may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control or management, even though changes in management or a change in control might be in the best interest of our stockholders.

 

In addition, Alexander’s charter documents authorize the Board of Directors to:

 

·      cause Alexander’s to issue additional authorized but unissued common stock or preferred stock;

·      classify or reclassify, in one or more series, any unissued preferred stock;

·      set the preferences, rights and other terms of any classified or reclassified stock that Alexander’s issues; and

·      increase, without stockholder approval, the number of shares of beneficial interest that Alexander’s may issue.

 

The Board of Directors could establish a series of preferred stock with terms that could delay, deter or prevent a change in control of Alexander’s or other transaction that might involve a premium price or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders, although the Board of Directors does not, at present, intend to establish a series of preferred stock of this kind.  Alexander’s charter documents contain other provisions that may delay, deter or prevent a change in control of the Company or other transaction that might involve a premium price or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.

 

In addition, Vornado, Interstate and its three general partners (each of whom are both trustees of Vornado and Directors of Alexander’s) together beneficially own approximately 58.7% of our outstanding shares of common stock.  This degree of ownership is likely to reduce the possibility of a tender offer or an attempt to change control of the Company by a third party.

 

We may change our policies without obtaining the approval of our stockholders.

Our operating and financial policies, including our policies with respect to acquisitions of real estate or other assets, growth, operations, indebtedness, capitalization and dividends, are exclusively determined by our Board of Directors.  Accordingly, our stockholders do not control these policies.

 

OUR OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS MAY GIVE RISE TO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.

Steven Roth, Vornado and Interstate may exercise substantial influence over us.  They and some of our other directors and officers have interests or positions in other entities that may compete with us.

As of December 31, 2016, Interstate and its partners owned approximately 7.1% of the common shares of beneficial interest of Vornado and approximately 26.3% of our outstanding common stock.  Steven Roth, David Mandelbaum and Russell B. Wight, Jr. are the partners of Interstate.  Mr. Roth is the Chairman of our Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chief Executive Officer of Vornado and the Managing General Partner of Interstate.  Mr. Wight and Mr. Mandelbaum are both trustees of Vornado and members of our Board of Directors.  In addition, Vornado manages and leases the real estate assets of Interstate.

 

As of December 31, 2016, Vornado owned 32.4% of our outstanding common stock, in addition to the 26.3% owned by Interstate and its partners.  In addition to the relationships described in the immediately preceding paragraph, Dr. Richard West is a trustee of Vornado and a member of our Board of Directors and Joseph Macnow is our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and the Executive Vice President – Finance and Chief Administrative Officer of Vornado.  Stephen W. Theriot, our Assistant Treasurer, is the Chief Financial Officer of Vornado.

 

Because of their overlapping interests, Vornado, Mr. Roth, Interstate and the other individuals noted in the preceding paragraphs may have substantial influence over Alexander’s, and on the outcome of any matters submitted to Alexander’s stockholders for approval.  In addition, certain decisions concerning our operations or financial structure may present conflicts of interest among Vornado, Messrs. Roth, Mandelbaum and Wight and Interstate and other security holders.  Vornado, Mr. Roth and Interstate may, in the future, engage in a wide variety of activities in the real estate business which may result in conflicts of interest with respect to matters affecting us, such as, which of these entities or persons, if any, may take advantage of potential business opportunities, the business focus of these entities, the types of properties and geographic locations in which these entities make investments, potential competition between business activities conducted, or sought to be conducted, by us, competition for properties and tenants, possible corporate transactions such as acquisitions, and other strategic decisions affecting the future of these entities.

 

There may be conflicts of interest between Vornado, its affiliates and us.

Vornado manages, develops and leases our properties under agreements that have one-year terms expiring in March of each year, which are automatically renewable.  Because we share common senior management with Vornado and because four of the trustees of Vornado are on our Board of Directors, the terms of the foregoing agreements and any future agreements may not be comparable to those we could have negotiated with an unaffiliated third party.

 

For a description of Interstate’s ownership of Vornado and Alexander’s, see “Steven Roth, Vornado and Interstate may exercise substantial influence over us.  They and some of our other directors and officers have interests or positions in other entities that may compete with us.” above.

THE NUMBER OF SHARES OF ALEXANDER’S COMMON STOCK AND THE MARKET FOR THOSE SHARES GIVE RISE TO VARIOUS RISKS.

The price of our common shares has been volatile and may fluctuate.

The trading price of our common shares has been volatile and may continue to fluctuate widely as a result of a number of factors, many of which are outside of our control.  In addition, the stock market is subject to fluctuations in the share prices and trading volumes that affect the market prices of the shares of many companies.  These broad market fluctuations have in the past and may in the future adversely affect the market price of our common shares.  Among the factors that could affect the price of our common shares are:

·         our financial condition and performance;

·         the financial condition of our tenants, including the extent of tenant bankruptcies or defaults;

·         actual or anticipated quarterly fluctuations in our operating results and financial condition;

·         our dividend policy;

·         the reputation of REITs and real estate investments generally and the attractiveness of REIT equity securities in comparison to other equity securities, including securities issued by other real estate companies, and fixed income securities;

·         uncertainty and volatility in the equity and credit markets;

·         fluctuations in interest rates;

·         changes in revenue or earnings estimates or publication of research reports and recommendations by financial analysts or actions taken by rating agencies with respect to our securities or those of other REITs;

·         failure to meet analysts’ revenue or earnings estimates;

·         speculation in the press or investment community;

·         strategic actions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions or restructurings;

·         the extent of institutional investor interest in us;

·         the extent of short-selling of our common shares and the shares of our competitors;

·         fluctuations in the stock price and operating results of our competitors;

·         general financial and economic market conditions and, in particular, developments related to market conditions for REITs and other real estate related companies;

·         domestic and international economic factors unrelated to our performance; and

·         all other risk factors addressed elsewhere in this annual report on form 10-K.

A significant decline in our stock price could result in substantial losses for stockholders.

Alexander’s has additional shares of its common stock available for future issuance, which could decrease the market price of the common stock currently outstanding.

The interest of our current stockholders could be diluted if we issue additional equity securities.  As of December 31, 2016, we had authorized but unissued 4,826,550 shares of common stock, par value of $1.00 per share and 3,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share; of which 8,505 shares of common stock are reserved for issuance upon redemption of the deferred stock units previously granted to our Board of Directors.  In addition, 498,376 shares are available for future grant under the terms of our 2016 Omnibus Stock Plan.  These awards may be granted in the form of options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights, deferred stock units, or other equity-based interests, and if granted, would reduce that number of shares available for future grants, provided however that an award that may be settled only in cash, would not reduce the number of shares available under the plan.  We cannot predict the impact that future issuances of common or preferred stock or any exercise of outstanding options or grants of additional equity-based interests would have on the market price of our common stock.

ITEM 1B.     UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

There are no unresolved comments from the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

ITEM 2.     properties

The following table shows the location, ownership, approximate size (excluding parking garages) and occupancy of each of our properties as of December 31, 2016.

 

ITEM 2.        PROPERTIES – continued

 

Operating Properties

 

731 Lexington Avenue

731 Lexington Avenue, a 1,311,000 square foot multi-use building, comprises the entire block bounded by Lexington Avenue, East 59^th Street, Third Avenue and East 58^th Street in Manhattan, New York, and is situated in the heart of one of Manhattan’s busiest business and shopping districts, with convenient access to several subway and bus lines. The property is located across the street from Bloomingdale’s flagship store and only a few blocks away from Fifth Avenue and 57^th Street.  The building contains 889,000 and 174,000 of net rentable square feet of office and retail space, respectively, which we own, and 248,000 square feet of residential space consisting of 105 condominium units, which we sold.  Bloomberg occupies all of the office space.  The Home Depot (83,000 square feet), The Container Store (34,000 square feet) and Hennes & Mauritz (27,000 square feet) are the principal retail tenants.

 

In January 2016, we entered into a lease amendment with Bloomberg which extends the lease term related to 192,000 square feet of office space at our 731 Lexington Avenue property to be coterminous with the other 697,000 square feet of office space leased by Bloomberg through February 2029, with a ten-year extension option.  In connection with the lease amendment, Bloomberg provided a $200,000,000 letter of credit, which amount may be reduced in certain circumstances. We may draw on this letter of credit subject to certain terms of the lease amendment, including an event of default by Bloomberg.

 

The office portion of 731 Lexington Avenue is encumbered by a mortgage loan with a balance of $300,000,000 as of December 31, 2016.  The interest-only loan is at LIBOR plus 0.95% (1.65% as of December 31, 2016) and matures in March 2017, with four one-year extension options. In connection therewith, we purchased an interest rate cap with a notional amount of $300,000,000 that caps LIBOR at a rate of 6.0%. 

 

The retail portion of 731 Lexington Avenue is encumbered by a mortgage loan with a balance of $350,000,000 as of December 31, 2016. The interest-only loan is at LIBOR plus 1.40% (2.05% as of December 31, 2016) and matures in August 2020, with two one-year extension options.

 

Rego Park I

Rego Park I, a 343,000 square foot shopping center, located on Queens Boulevard and 63^rd Road in Queens, New York, is anchored by a 195,000 square foot Sears department store, a 50,000 square foot Burlington Coat Factory, a 46,000 square foot Bed Bath & Beyond and a 36,000 square foot Marshalls. In January 2017, Sears announced that it plans to close its store in the second quarter of 2017. Under the terms of the lease, Sears is obligated to pay rent through lease expiration in March of 2021. The center contains a parking deck (1,241 spaces) that provides for paid parking.

 

In March 2016, we completed a two-year extension of the 100% cash collateralized loan with a balance of $78,246,000 as of December 31, 2016.  The loan bears interest at 0.35%, is prepayable at any time without penalty and matures in March 2018. 

 

Rego Park II

Rego Park II, a 609,000 square foot shopping center, adjacent to the Rego Park I shopping center in Queens, New York, is anchored by a 145,000 square foot Costco, a 135,000 square foot Century 21 and a 133,000 square foot Kohl’s.  In addition, 47,000 square feet is leased to Toys “R” Us/Babies “R” Us, a one-third owned affiliate of Vornado.  The center contains a parking deck (1,326 spaces) that provides for paid parking.

 

This center is encumbered by a first mortgage loan with a balance of $259,901,000 as of December 31, 2016.  The loan bears interest at LIBOR plus 1.85% (2.62% as of December 31, 2016) and matures in November 2018.

 

ITEM 2.        PROPERTIES – continued

The Alexander Apartment Tower

The Alexander apartment tower, located above our Rego Park II shopping center, contains 312 units aggregating 255,000 square feet and is 98.1% leased as of December 31, 2016.

 

Paramus

We own 30.3 acres of land located at the intersection of Routes 4 and 17 in Paramus, New Jersey.  The land is located directly across from the Garden State Plaza regional shopping mall and is within two miles of three other regional shopping malls and ten miles of New York City.  The land has been ground leased to IKEA Property, Inc. since 2001.  The lease expires in 2041, with a purchase option in 2021 for $75,000,000.  The property is encumbered by a $68,000,000 interest-only mortgage loan with a fixed rate of 2.90%, which matures in October 2018.  The annual triple-net rent is the sum of $700,000 plus the amount of debt service on the mortgage loan.  If the purchase option is exercised, we will receive net cash proceeds of approximately $7,000,000 and recognize a gain on sale of land of approximately $60,000,000.  If the purchase option is not exercised, the triple-net rent for the last 20 years would include debt service sufficient to fully amortize $68,000,000 over the remaining 20-year lease term.

 

Flushing

Flushing is located on Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street in the downtown, commercial section of Flushing, Queens, New York.  Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street are active shopping districts and there are many national retailers located in the area.  A subway entrance is located directly in front of the property with bus service across the street.  The property comprises a four-floor building containing 167,000 square feet and a parking garage, which is sub-leased to New World Mall LLC for the remainder of our ground lease term, which expires in 2027 and has one 10-year extension option.

 

Property to be Developed

 

Rego Park III

We own 140,000 square feet of land adjacent to the Rego Park II shopping center in Queens, New York, at the intersection of Junction Boulevard and the Horace Harding Service Road.  The land is currently being used for paid public parking. In 2016, the Company began the entitlement process.

ITEM 3.        LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We are from time to time involved in legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business.  In our opinion, after consultation with our legal counsel, the outcome of such matters will not have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. 

 

On June 24, 2014, Sears Roebuck and Co. (“Sears”) filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against Vornado and us (and certain of our subsidiaries) with regard to space that Sears leases at our Rego Park I property alleging that the defendants are liable for harm Sears has suffered as a result of (a) water intrusions into the premises, (b) two fires in February 2014 that caused damages to those premises, and (c) alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the premises’ parking garage.  Sears asserted various causes of actions for damages and sought to compel compliance with landlord’s obligations to repair the premises and to provide security, and to compel us to abate a nuisance that Sears claims was a cause of the water intrusions into its premises.  In addition to injunctive relief, Sears sought, among other things, damages of not less than $4 million and future damages it estimated would not be less than $25 million. In March 2016, Sears withdrew its claim for future damages leaving a remaining claim for property damages, which we estimate to be approximately $650,000 based on information provided by Sears. We intend to defend the remaining claim vigorously. The amount or range of reasonable possible losses, if any, is not expected to be greater than $650,000.

ITEM 4.        MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

PART II

 

ITEM 5.      MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

 

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ALX.”  Set forth below are the high and low sales prices for the shares of our common stock for each full quarterly period within the two most recent years and any dividends paid per share during such periods.

 

 

On January 18, 2017, we increased our regular quarterly dividend to $4.25 per share (a new indicated annual rate of $17.00 per share).  As of January 31, 2017, there were approximately 251 holders of record of our common stock. 

 

 

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

 

During 2016, we did not sell any unregistered securities.

 

Information relating to compensation plans under which our equity securities are authorized for issuance is set forth under Part III, Item 12 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and such information is incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

Recent Purchases of Equity Securities

 

During 2016, we did not repurchase any of our equity securities.

Performance Graph 

 

The following graph is a comparison of the five-year cumulative return of our common stock, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (the “S&P 500 Index”) and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts’ (“NAREIT”) All Equity Index, a peer group index.  The graph assumes that $100 was invested on December 31, 2011 in our common stock, the S&P 500 Index and the NAREIT All Equity Index and that all dividends were reinvested without the payment of any commissions.  There can be no assurance that the performance of our stock will continue in line with the same or similar trends depicted in the graph below.

  

 

 

  

 

ITEM 6.     selected financial data

The following table sets forth selected financial and operating data.  This data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and “Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.  This data may not be comparable to, or indicative of, future operating results.