MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 18, 2005--Reckson Associates
Realty Corp. (NYSE: RA) announced today that the Company has closed on
the acquisition of a 150,000 square foot, Class A office building
located at One Giralda Farms in Madison, New Jersey, for approximately
$24.3 million.
Reckson has acquired One Giralda Farms from Schering Plough who
developed the property as its corporate headquarters and will lease
the entire property from Reckson under a short-term lease agreement.
Reckson plans to subsequently complete a $10 million repositioning of
the building. Upon completion of the repositioning, One Giralda Farms
will offer the highest quality services and amenities and accommodate
tenants of varying sizes allowing Reckson to build upon its reputation
as the "Landlord of Choice" in the New York Tri-State area.
The One Giralda Farms acquisition follows Reckson's recent
acquisition in July of 2004 of Three Giralda Farms, a 141,000 square
foot, Class A office building acquired for a total anticipated
investment of approximately $31 million. Within two months after
acquiring Three Giralda Farms, the Company successfully signed a
long-term lease with Daiichi Pharmaceutical Corporation to occupy the
entire building.
Both One and Three Giralda Farms are part of the highly desirable
Giralda Farms Corporate Campus, a 1.25 million square foot complex of
Class A office buildings located in Madison/Chatham Townships, New
Jersey. Reckson also owns 154 acres of land at the Giralda Farms
Corporate Campus with development rights for approximately 1.1 million
square feet, with 436,000 square feet already fully designed and
approved for construction.
Scott Rechler, Reckson's President and Chief Executive Officer,
stated, "We are proud to announce yet another important acquisition in
our New Jersey Division. One Giralda Farms reflects our focus on
acquiring core Class A office properties that leverage our market
franchise power. This acquisition demonstrates our team's ability to
source off-market opportunities that offer excellent market
fundamentals and long-term growth potential."
Reckson is purchasing One Giralda Farms at an approximate 25%
discount to replacement cost on a fully invested basis and expects to
generate stabilized net operating income ("NOI") and GAAP NOI yields
of approximately 9.0%.
One Giralda Farms is a superior quality, four story, Class A
office building, situated within a pristine corporate park. The
property contains high-grade finishes while featuring amenities that
include a cafe, corporate dining facility, conference facilities and
below grade parking. The building is strategically located with direct
access to Route 24 and Interstate 287, minutes from the express trains
to New York City and approximately 25 miles from both the Holland and
Lincoln Tunnels.
Todd Rechler, Corporate Senior Vice President and Managing
Director of Reckson's New Jersey Division, said, "We are pleased to
have acquired One Giralda on the heels of our recent success with the
acquisition and lease-up of Three Giralda Farms, its neighboring
property. Both of these assets offer outstanding amenities, state of
the art infrastructures and premier locations within one of New
Jersey's most desirable corporate parks, giving us the opportunity to
once again offer tenants a premier asset in a prestigious market."
The Route 24 Corridor sub-market, where One Giralda Farms is
located, is known for its abundance of first-class amenities including
the exclusive Mall at Short Hills, the 5-Diamond Hilton Short Hills,
noted restaurants, conference centers and renowned arts venues like
the Paper Mill Play House. This corridor, which is regarded as one of
the most desirable sub-markets in New Jersey, extends from Short Hills
to Chatham/Madison through the Florham Park region.
Reckson Associates Realty Corp. is a self-administered and
self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in the
acquisition, leasing, financing, management and development of Class A
office properties.
Reckson's core growth strategy is focused on the markets
surrounding and including New York City. The Company is one of the
largest publicly traded owners, managers and developers of Class A
office properties in the New York Tri-State area, with 87 properties
comprised of approximately 15.9 million square feet either owned or
controlled, or under contract. For additional information on Reckson
Associates Realty Corp., please visit the Company's web site at
www.reckson.com.
Certain matters discussed herein, including guidance concerning
the Company's future performance, are "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions,
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of results and no
assurance can be given that the expected results will be delivered.
Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, trends
and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expected. Among those risks, trends and uncertainties are
the general economic climate, including the conditions affecting
industries in which our principal tenants compete; financial condition
of our tenants; changes in the supply of and demand for office
properties in the New York Tri-State area; changes in interest rate
levels; changes in the Company's credit ratings; changes in the
Company's cost of and access to capital; downturns in rental rate
levels in our markets and our ability to lease or re-lease space in a
timely manner at current or anticipated rental rate levels; the
availability of financing to us or our tenants; changes in operating
costs, including utility, real estate taxes, security and insurance
costs; repayment of debt owed to the Company by third parties
(including FrontLine Capital Group); risks associated with joint
ventures; liability for uninsured losses or environmental matters; and
other risks associated with the development and acquisition of
properties, including risks that development may not be completed on
schedule, that the tenants will not take occupancy or pay rent, or
that development or operating costs may be greater than anticipated.
For further information on factors that could impact Reckson,
reference is made to Reckson's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Reckson undertakes no responsibility to update or
supplement information contained in this press release.
CONTACT: Reckson Associates Realty Corp.
Scott Rechler / Michael Maturo
Todd Rechler, 631/694-6900
Fax: 631/622-6790
or
Beckerman Public Relations
Anna Ciringione, 908/781-6420
SOURCE: Reckson Associates Realty Corp.