Item 1A. Risk Factors
The risks and uncertainties described below are those that we deem currently to be material, and do not represent all of the risks that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently do not consider material may in the future become material and impair our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business could be materially harmed, and our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Our business, prospects, financial condition, or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected by the following:
RISKS RELATED TO OUR INDUSTRY, MARKET AND CUSTOMERS
Our performance and the market value of our securities are subject to risks associated with our investments in real estate assets and with trends in the real estate industry.
Our economic performance and the value of our real estate assets, and consequently the market value of the Company’s securities, are subject to the risk that our properties may not generate revenues sufficient to meet our operating expenses or other obligations. A deficiency of this nature would adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, the quoted trading price of our securities, and our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations.
A downturn in the housing market or decline in general economic conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and operations.
We believe that new home sales are an important indicator of future demand for our superpad sites, lots, and condominium units. Demand for new homes is sensitive to changes in economic conditions such as the level of employment, consumer confidence, consumer income, the availability of financing, and interest rate levels. The prior economic downturn severely affected both the number of homes that could be sold in our MPCs and the prices for which homebuilders could sell them. We cannot predict when another economic downturn in the housing market will occur. If there were another economic downturn in the housing market or in general economic conditions, the resulting decline in demand for new homes and condominium units would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our condominium sales are sensitive to interest rates and the ability of consumers to obtain mortgage financing.
The ability of the ultimate buyers of condominiums to finance their purchases is generally dependent on their personal savings and availability of third-party financing. Consequently, the demand for condominiums could be adversely affected by increases in interest rates (which generally rose in 2022 and 2023), unavailability of mortgage financing, increasing housing costs, and unemployment levels. Levels of income and savings, including retirement savings, available to condominium purchasers can be affected by declines in the capital markets. Any significant increase in the mortgage interest rates or decrease in available credit could reduce consumer demand for housing, and result in fewer condominium sales, which may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Purchasers may default on their obligations to purchase condominiums.
We enter into contracts for the sale of condominium units that generally provide for the payment of a substantial portion of the sales price at closing when a condominium unit is ready to be delivered and occupied. A significant amount of time may pass between the execution of a contract for the purchase of a condominium unit and the closing thereof. The rate of defaults may increase from historical levels due to the personal finances of purchasers being negatively impacted as a result of changing macroeconomic and other conditions, including slow growth or recession, higher interest rates, high unemployment, inflation, and/or tighter credit. Defaults by purchasers to pay any remaining portions of the sales prices for condominium units under contract may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Downturn in tenants’ businesses may reduce our revenues and cash flows.
A tenant may experience a downturn in its business, due to a variety of factors including rising inflation or supply chain issues, which may weaken its financial condition and result in its failure to make timely rental payments or result in defaults under our leases. The rate of defaults may increase from historical levels due to tenants’ businesses being negatively impacted by higher interest rates. In the event of default by a tenant, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights as the landlord and may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment.
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We maybenegatively impacted by the consolidation or closing of anchor stores.
Many of our mixed-used properties are anchored by “big box” tenants. We could be adversely affected if these or other anchor stores were to consolidate, close, or enter into bankruptcy. Given the current economic environment for certain retailers, there is a heightened risk an anchor store could close or enter into bankruptcy. Any losses resulting from the bankruptcy of any of our existing tenants could adversely impact our financial condition. Even if we own the anchor space, we may be unable to re-lease this area or to re-lease it on comparable terms. The loss of these revenues could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows. Further, the temporary or permanent loss of any anchor would likely reduce customer traffic in the retail center, which could lead to decreased sales at other retail stores. Rents obtained from other tenants may be adversely impacted as a result of co-tenancy clauses in their leases. One or more of these factors could cause the retail center to fail to meet its debt service requirements. The consolidation of anchor stores may also negatively affect lease negotiations and current and future development projects.
We may be unable to renew leases or re-lease available space.
We cannot provide any assurance that existing leases will be renewed, available space will be re-leased, or that our rental rates will be equal to or above the current rental rates. If the average rental rates for our properties decrease, existing tenants do not renew their leases, or available space is not re-leased, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations at the affected properties could be adversely affected.
Significant competition could have an adverse effect on our business.
The nature and extent of the competition we face depend on the type of property. With respect to our MPCs, we compete with other landholders and residential and commercial property developers in the development of properties in the respective MPC regions. Numerous residential and commercial developers, some with greater financial and other resources, compete with us in seeking resources for development and prospective purchasers and tenants. Competition from other real estate developers may adversely affect our ability to attract purchasers and sell residential and commercial real estate, sell undeveloped rural land, attract and retain experienced real estate development personnel, or obtain construction materials and labor. These competitive conditions can make it difficult to sell land at desirable prices and can adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
There are numerous shopping facilities that compete with our operating retail properties in attracting retailers to lease space. In addition, retailers at these properties face continued competition from other retailers, including internet retailers, retailers at other regional shopping centers, outlet malls and other discount shopping centers, discount shopping clubs, and catalog companies. Competition of this type could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, we compete with other major real estate investors with significant capital for attractive investment and development opportunities. These competitors include REITs and private institutional investors.
The concentration of our properties in certain states may make our revenues and the value of our assets vulnerable to adverse changes in local economic conditions.
Many of the properties we own are located in the same or in a limited number of geographic regions, including Texas, Hawai‘i, Nevada, New York, and Maryland. In October 2021, we announced the launch of Teravalis, a new large-scale master planned community in the West Valley of Phoenix, Arizona. Our current and future operations at the properties in these states are generally subject to significant fluctuations by various factors that are beyond our control such as the regional and local economy, which may be negatively impacted by material relocation by residents, industry slowdowns, plant closings, increased unemployment, lack of availability of consumer credit, levels of consumer debt, housing market conditions, adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, climate change and other factors, as well as the local real estate conditions, such as an oversupply of, or a reduction in demand for, retail space or retail goods and the availability and creditworthiness of current and prospective tenants.
In addition, some of our properties are subject to various other factors specific to those geographic areas. For example, tourism is a major component of both the local economies in Hawai‘i and Nevada. Ward Village, which is located in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, and Summerlin, which is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, may be impacted by the local and global tourism industry. These properties are susceptible to many factors that affect travel and tourism related to Hawai‘i and Las Vegas, including cost and availability of air services and the impact of any events that disrupt air travel to and from these regions. Moreover, these properties may be affected by risks such as acts of terrorism and natural disasters, including major fires, floods, and earthquakes, as well as severe or inclement weather, which could also decrease tourism activity in Las Vegas or Hawai‘i.
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Further, Summerlin is to some degree dependent on the gaming industry, which could be adversely affected by changes in consumer trends and preferences and other factors over which we have no control. The gaming industry is characterized by an increasingly high degree of competition among a large number of participants, including riverboat casinos, dockside casinos, land-based casinos, video lottery, sweepstakes, and poker machines, many of which are located outside of Las Vegas. Furthermore, competition from internet lotteries, sweepstakes, and other internet-wagering gaming services, which allow their customers to wager on a wide variety of sporting events and play Las Vegas-style casino games from home or in non-casino settings, could negatively impact the population in the Las Vegas area.
Markets and the local economies surrounding our properties in Columbia, Maryland are heavily influenced by government spending and activity. A reduction of government spending in this market generally could decrease the demand for housing and retail space in this geographic region.
The Woodlands, The Woodlands Hills, and Bridgeland in the Houston, Texas region depend significantly on the energy sector. Our success depends to a large extent upon the business activity, population, income levels, employment trends, and real estate activity in and around Houston, Texas. In the event that oil prices fall and remain depressed for a sustained period, demand may decrease for housing and commercial space in The Woodlands, Bridgeland, and The Woodlands Hills.
Additionally, the success of Summerlin, our master planned community in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Teravalis, our new master planned community in the Phoenix, Arizona region, may be negatively impacted by changes in temperature due to climate change, increased stress on water supplies caused by climate change and population growth and other factors over which we have no control.
If any or all of the factors discussed above were to occur and result in our inability to sell or lease our residential and commercial property in any of these geographic regions, it would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our business model includes entering into joint venture arrangements with strategic partners, and our strategic partners may have different interests than us.
We currently have and intend to enter into additional joint venture partnerships. These joint venture partners may bring local market knowledge and relationships, development experience, industry expertise, financial resources, financing capabilities, brand recognition, and credibility or other competitive advantages. In the future, we may not have sufficient resources, experience and/or skills to locate desirable partners. We also may not be able to attract partners who want to conduct business in the locations where our properties are located, and who have the assets, reputation, or other characteristics that would optimize our development opportunities.
While we generally participate in making decisions for our jointly owned properties and assets, we might not always have the same objectives as the partner in relation to a particular asset, and we might not be able to formally resolve any issues that arise. In addition, actions by a partner may subject property owned by the joint venture to liabilities greater than those contemplated by the joint venture agreements, be contrary to our instructions or requests or result in adverse consequences. We cannot control the ultimate outcome of any decision made by our partners, which may be detrimental to our interests.
The bankruptcy or, to a lesser extent, financial distress of any of our joint venture partners could materially and adversely affect the relevant property or properties. If this occurred, we would be precluded from taking some actions affecting the estate of the other investor without prior court approval which would, in most cases, entail prior notice to other parties and a hearing. At a minimum, the requirement to obtain court approval may delay the actions we would or might want to take. If the relevant joint venture through which we have invested in a property has incurred recourse obligations, the discharge in bankruptcy of one of the other partners might result in our ultimate liability for a greater portion of those obligations than would otherwise be required.
Because real estate is illiquid, we may not be able to sell properties when in our best interest.
Real estate investments generally, and in particular large office and mixed-use properties like those that we develop and construct, often cannot be sold quickly. The capitalization rates at which properties may be sold could be higher than historic rates, thereby reducing our potential proceeds from the sale. Consequently, we may not be able to alter our portfolio promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions. All of these factors reduce our ability to respond to changes in the performance of our investments and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Some of our properties are subject to potential natural or other disasters.
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A number of our properties are located in areas which are subject to natural or other disasters, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and oil spills. We cannot predict the extent of damage that may result from such adverse weather events, which depend on a variety of factors beyond our control. Some of our properties, including Houston-area MPCs, Ward Village, and the Seaport are located in regions that could be affected by increases in sea levels, the frequency or severity of hurricanes and tropical storms, or environmental disasters, whether such events are caused by global climate changes or other factors. Additionally, adverse weather events can cause widespread property damage and significantly depress the local economies in which the Company operates and have an adverse impact on the Company’s business, financial condition, and operations.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Our MPC segment is highly dependent on homebuilders.
We are highly dependent on our relationships with homebuilders to purchase superpad sites and lots at our MPCs. Our business will be adversely affected if homebuilders do not view our MPCs as desirable locations for homebuilding operations or due to a change in demand, our inability to achieve certain pricing arrangements, or upon an overall decline in general market conditions. Also, some homebuilders may be unwilling or unable to close on previously committed lot purchases due to our failure to meet certain conditions in our agreements or otherwise. As a result, we may sell fewer lots and in certain instances suspend any of our MPC developments. This would result in lower land sales revenues, which could have an adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.
The Seaport’s operational results are volatile, which could have an adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.
The Seaport’s operational results are volatile. The increased volatility is largely the result of: (i) seasonality; (ii) potential sponsorship revenue; (iii) potential event revenue; and (iv) business operating risks from our various managed businesses. We own, either wholly or through joint ventures, and in some instances operate several start-up businesses in the Seaport. As a result, the revenues and expenses of these businesses directly impact the net operating income of the Seaport, which could have an adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations. This is in contrast to our other retail properties where we generally receive lease payments from unaffiliated tenants and are not necessarily impacted by the operating performance of their underlying businesses.
We are exposed to risks associated with the development, redevelopment, or construction of our properties.
Our development, redevelopment, and construction activities expose us to risks such as:
–inability to obtain construction financing for the development or redevelopment of properties
–increased construction costs for a project that exceeded our original estimates due to increases in materials, labor, or other costs, which could make completion of the project less profitable because market rents or condominium prices may not increase sufficiently to compensate for the increased construction costs
–supply chain issues and increased difficulty for workforce recruitment which may lead to construction delays and increased project development costs
–claims for construction defects after a property has been developed
–poor performance or nonperformance by any of our joint venture partners or other third parties on whom we rely
–health and safety incidents and site accidents
–easement restrictions which may impact our development costs and timing
–compliance with building codes and other local regulations
–the inability to secure tenants necessary to support commercial projects
If any of the aforementioned risks were to occur during the development, redevelopment, or construction of our properties, it could have a substantial negative impact on the project’s success and result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
Our development projects may subject us to certain liabilities.
We may hire and supervise third-party contractors to provide construction, engineering, and various other services for wholly owned development projects or development projects undertaken by real estate ventures in which we hold an equity interest. Certain of these contracts are structured such that we are the principal rather than the agent. As a result, we may assume liabilities in the course of the project and be subjected to, or become liable for, claims for construction defects, negligent performance of work or other similar actions by third parties we have engaged.
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Adverse outcomes of disputes or litigation could negatively impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition, particularly if we have not limited the extent of the damages to which we may be liable, or if our liabilities exceed the amounts of the insurance that we carry. Moreover, our tenants and condominium owners may seek to hold us accountable for the actions of contractors because of our role even if we have technically disclaimed liability as a legal matter, in which case we may determine it necessary to participate in a financial settlement for purposes of preserving the tenant or customer relationship or to protect our corporate brand. Acting as a principal may also mean that we pay a contractor before we have been reimbursed by our tenants or have received the entire purchase price of a condominium unit from the purchaser. This exposes us to additional risks of collection in the event of a bankruptcy, insolvency, or a purchaser default. The reverse can occur as well, where a contractor we have paid files for bankruptcy protection or commits fraud with the funds before completing a project which we have funded in part or in full.
For example, we are directly paying the costs to repair certain construction defects at the Waiea condominium tower in Ward Village and will seek to recoup these costs from the general contractor and other responsible parties. We have subsequently entered into a settlement agreement with the Waiea homeowners association pursuant to which we have agreed to pay for the repair. We believe the general contractor is ultimately responsible for the defects and as such, we should be entitled to recover our repair costs from the general contractor, other responsible parties and insurance proceeds; however, we can provide no assurances that all or any portion of these costs will be recovered. Total estimated cost related to the remediation is $155.4 million, inclusive of $16.1 million of additional anticipated costs recognized in 2023.
Cybersecurity risks and incidents, such as a breach of the Company’s privacy or information security systems, or those of our vendors or other third parties, could compromise our information and expose us to liability, which would cause our business and reputation to suffer.
In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, our proprietary business information and that of our tenants and business partners and personally identifiable information of our employees on our networks. The collection and use of personally identifiable information are governed by federal and state laws and regulations. Privacy and information security laws continue to evolve and may be inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another. Compliance with all such laws and regulations may increase our operating costs and adversely impact our ability to market our properties and services.
Additionally, we rely on our information technology systems to be able to monitor and control our operations, adjust to changing market conditions and implement strategic initiatives. We own and manage some of these systems but also rely on third parties for a range of products and services. Any disruptions in or the failure of our own systems, or those managed by third parties, to operate as expected could adversely affect our ability to access and use certain applications and could, depending on the nature and magnitude of the problem, adversely affect our operating results by limiting our ability to effectively monitor and control our operations, adjust to changing market conditions, and implement strategic initiatives.
The security measures that we and our vendors put in place cannot provide absolute security, and the information technology infrastructure we and our vendors use may be vulnerable to criminal cyber-attacks or data security incidents.
Any such incident could compromise our networks or our vendors’ networks (or the networks or systems of third parties that facilitate our business activities or our vendors’ business activities), and the information we or our vendors store could be accessed, misused, publicly disclosed, corrupted, lost, or stolen, resulting in fraud, including wire fraud related to our assets, or other harm. Moreover, if a data security incident or breach affects our systems or our vendors’ systems, whether through a breach of our systems or a breach of the systems of third parties, or results in the unauthorized release of personally identifiable information, our reputation and brand could be materially damaged, and we may be exposed to a risk of loss or litigation and possible liability, including, without limitation, loss related to the fact that agreements with our vendors, or our vendors’ financial condition, may not allow us to recover all costs related to a cyber-breach for which they alone are responsible or for which we are jointly responsible for, which could result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Like many companies, we and our third party vendors have been impacted by security incidents in the past and will likely experience security incidents of varying degrees. While we do not believe these incidents have had a material impact to date, privacy and information security risks have generally increased in recent years because of the proliferation of new technologies, such as ransomware, and the increased sophistication and activities of perpetrators of cyber-attacks. The rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial intelligence technologies may also intensify our privacy and information security risks. Further, there has been a surge in widespread cyber-attacks during and since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the use of remote work environments and virtual platforms may increase our risk of cyber-attack or data security breaches. In light of the increased risks, we have dedicated substantial additional resources of expense, labor, and time to
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strengthening the security of our computer systems. In the future, we may expend additional resources to continue to enhance our information security measures and/or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities. Despite these steps, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer a significant data security incident in the future, that unauthorized parties will not gain access to sensitive data stored on our systems, or that any such incident will be discovered in a timely manner. Any failure in or breach of our information security systems, those of third-party service providers, or a breach of other third-party systems that ultimately impacts our operational or information security systems as a result of cyber-attacks or information security breaches could result in a wide range of potentially serious harm to our business and results of operations.
Global economic and political instability and conflicts, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the more recent Israel-Hamas war, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Our business could be adversely affected by unstable economic and political conditions within the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions and geopolitical conflicts, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the more recent Israel-Hamas war. While we do not have any customer or direct supplier relationships in any of these countries, the current military conflicts and related sanctions, as well as export controls or actions that may be initiated by nations (e.g., potential cyberattacks, disruption of energy flows, etc.) and other potential uncertainties could adversely affect our supply chain by causing shortages or increases in costs for materials necessary for construction. These conflicts have already resulted in significant volatility in oil and natural-gas prices worldwide. In addition, such events could cause higher interest rates, inflation, or general economic uncertainty, which could negatively impact our business partners, employees, or customers, or otherwise adversely impact our business.
Some of our directors are involved in other businesses including real estate activities and public and/or private investments and, therefore, may have competing or conflicting interests with us.
Certain of our directors have and may in the future have interests in other real estate business activities and may have control or influence over these activities or may serve as investment advisors, directors, or officers. These interests and activities, and any duties to third parties arising from such interests and activities, could divert the attention of such directors from our operations. Additionally, certain of our directors are engaged in investment and other activities in which they may learn of real estate and other related opportunities in their non-director capacities. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our directors expressly provides, as permitted by Section 122(17) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the DGCL), that our non-employee directors are not obligated to limit their interests or activities in their non-director capacities or to notify us of any opportunities that may arise in connection therewith, even if the opportunities are complementary to, or in competition with, our businesses. Accordingly, we have no expectation that we will be able to learn of or participate in such opportunities. If any potential business opportunity is expressly presented to a director exclusively in his or her director capacity, the director will not be permitted to pursue the opportunity, directly or indirectly through a controlled affiliate in which the director has an ownership interest, without the approval of the independent members of our board of directors.
Pershing Square will have the ability to influence our policies and operations and its interests may not in all cases be aligned with other stockholders.
Pershing Square beneficially owns approximately 37.7% of our outstanding common stock as of December 31, 2023. Additionally, Mr. William Ackman, founder and chief executive officer of Pershing Square, is the chairman of our board of directors. Accordingly, Pershing Square will have the ability to influence our policies and operations, including the appointment of management, future issuances of our common stock or other securities, the payment of dividends, if any, on our common stock, the incurrence or modification of debt by us, amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and the entering into of extraordinary transactions, and its interests may not in all cases be aligned with other stockholders’ interests.
RISKS RELATED TO THE SPINOFF AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH SEAPORT ENTERTAINMENT
The spinoff of Seaport Entertainment into an independent publicly traded company may not be completed on the currently contemplated timeline, or at all, and we may not achieve some or all of the spinoff’s expected benefits.
On October 5, 2023, we announced our intent to form a new division, Seaport Entertainment, that is expected to include our entertainment-related assets in New York and Las Vegas, including the Seaport in Lower Manhattan and the Las Vegas Aviators Triple-A Minor League Baseball team, as well as our 25% ownership stake in Jean-Georges Restaurants and other partnerships and our 80% interest in the air rights above the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas. We are
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establishing Seaport Entertainment with the intent of completing its spinoff as an independent, publicly traded company in 2024, but there can be no assurance regarding the ultimate timing of the spinoff or that the spinoff will ultimately occur.
Completion of the spinoff is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including obtaining final approvals from our board of directors; the completion of the transfer of assets and liabilities to Seaport Entertainment in accordance with the separation and distribution agreement; due execution and delivery of the agreements relating to the spinoff; no order, injunction, or decree issued by any court of competent jurisdiction or other legal restraint or prohibition in effect preventing the consummation of the spinoff, the distribution, or any of the related transactions; acceptance for listing on a national stock exchange of the Seaport Entertainment shares to be distributed, subject to official notice of distribution; and no other event or development having occurred or being in existence that, in the judgment of our board of directors, in its sole discretion, makes it inadvisable to effect the spinoff. The spinoff is complex in nature, and unanticipated developments or changes, including changes in the law, macroeconomic environment, and competitive conditions of our markets, the uncertainty of the financial markets, and challenges in executing the spinoff, could delay or prevent the completion of the spinoff or cause the spinoff to occur on terms or conditions that are different or less favorable than expected.
Whether or not we complete the spinoff, our ongoing business may face material challenges in connection with the spinoff, including, but not limited to:
–uncertainty about the effect of the spinoff on our employees and third parties with whom we conduct business, which may impair our ability to retain and motivate key personnel and could cause such third parties to defer or decline entering into contracts with us or seek to change existing business relationships with us
–foreseen and unforeseen costs and expenses that we will incur in connection with the spinoff, including accounting, tax, legal, and other professional services costs
–potential negative reactions from the financial markets if we fail to complete the spinoff in its currently intended form, within the anticipated timeframe or at all
If we do complete the spinoff, the anticipated benefits may not be achieved, may be delayed, or may be less advantageous than we anticipate for a variety of reasons, including that the actions required to separate the companies’ respective businesses could disrupt each company’s operations; following the spinoff, each company may be more susceptible to market fluctuations and other adverse events than if the companies were still combined; and following the spinoff the companies’ businesses will be less diversified than the combined businesses prior to the spinoff.
Seaport Entertainment may fail to perform its obligations under various transaction agreements that will be executed as part of the spinoff.
The separation and distribution agreement and other agreements we intend to enter into in connection with the spinoff will determine the allocation of assets and liabilities between us and Seaport Entertainment following the spinoff and will include any necessary indemnifications related to liabilities and obligations. We will rely on Seaport Entertainment after the spinoff to satisfy its performance and payment obligations under these agreements. If Seaport Entertainment is unable to satisfy these obligations, including its indemnification obligations, we could incur operational difficulties or losses that could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
After the spinoff, certain HHH executive officers and directors may have actual or potential conflicts of interest because of their equity interests in Seaport Entertainment.
Because of their current or former positions with the Company, certain HHH executive officers and directors are expected to own equity interests in Seaport Entertainment. Their ownership of shares of common stock of Seaport Entertainment could create, or create the appearance of, potential conflicts of interest if we and Seaport Entertainment face decisions that could have implications for both companies after the spinoff.
If the distribution fails to qualify as a distribution under Section 355 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), we and our shareholders could incur significant adverse tax consequences.
The distribution is conditioned upon, among other things, our receipt of an opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP, tax counsel to HHH, regarding the qualification of the distribution as a distribution under Section 355 of the Code. There is no administrative or judicial authority that directly addresses facts that are substantially similar to those of the distribution, and the opinion of tax counsel is therefore not free from doubt. Moreover, the opinion of tax counsel will be based on, among other things, certain factual assumptions, representations, and undertakings from Seaport Entertainment and us, including those regarding the past and future conduct of the companies’ respective businesses and other matters. If any of these factual assumptions, representations, or undertakings is incorrect or not satisfied, we may not be able to rely on the opinion, and we and our shareholders could be subject to significant adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences. In addition, the opinion of tax counsel will not be binding on the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) or the courts, and, notwithstanding the opinion of tax counsel, the IRS could determine that the distribution does not so qualify or that the
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distribution should be taxable for other reasons, including as a result of a significant change in stock or asset ownership after the distribution.
If the distribution is ultimately determined not to qualify as a distribution under Section 355 of the Code, the distribution could be treated as a taxable disposition of common shares of Seaport Entertainment by us and as a taxable dividend or capital gain to our shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In such case, we and our shareholders that are subject to U.S. federal income tax could incur significant adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
FINANCIAL RISKS
Our indebtedness and changing interest rates could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, or results of operations and prevent us from fulfilling our obligations under our Senior Notes and Loan Agreements.
As of December 31, 2023, our total consolidated debt was approximately $5.3 billion of which $2.1 billion was recourse to the Company or one of its subsidiaries. In addition, as of December 31, 2023, we have $69.3 million of recourse guarantees associated with undrawn financing commitments. As of December 31, 2023, our proportionate share of the debt of our unconsolidated ventures was $134.9 million based upon our economic interest. All of this indebtedness is without recourse to the Company, with the exception of the collateral maintenance obligation for Floreo.
Subject to the limits contained in the indentures governing the $475 million Bridgeland Notes due 2026, the $750 million 5.375% senior notes due 2028, the $650 million 4.125% senior notes due 2029, and the $650 million 4.375% senior notes due 2031 (collectively, the Senior Notes), and any limits under our other debt agreements, we may need to incur substantial additional indebtedness from time to time, including project indebtedness for developments by our subsidiaries. If we incur additional indebtedness or experience an adverse change in interest rates, the risks related to our level of indebtedness could intensify. Specifically, an increased level of indebtedness could have important consequences, including:
–making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our indebtedness, including the Senior Notes and Loan Agreements
–limiting our ability to obtain additional financing to fund future working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, execution of our business strategy, or finance other general corporate requirements
–requiring us to make non-strategic divestitures, particularly when the availability of financing in the capital markets is limited, which may adversely impact sales prices
–requiring a substantial portion of our cash flow to be allocated to debt service payments instead of other business purposes, thereby reducing the amount of cash flow available for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, dividends, and other general corporate purposes
–increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions, including increases in interest rates, particularly given that certain indebtedness bears interest at variable rates
–limiting our ability to capitalize on business opportunities, reinvest in and develop properties, and to react to competitive pressures and adverse changes in government regulations
–placing us at a disadvantage compared to other less leveraged competitors, if any
–limiting our ability, or increasing the costs, to refinance indebtedness
–resulting in an event of default if we fail to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness, which default could result in all or part of our indebtedness becoming immediately due and payable and, in the case of our secured debt, could permit the lenders to foreclose on our assets securing such debt
The indentures governing our Senior Notes, the Loan Agreements and our other debt agreements contain restrictions that may limit our ability to operate our business.
The indentures governing our Senior Notes contain certain restrictions that may limit our ability to operate. In addition, the Loan Agreements contain representations and covenants customary for loan agreements of this type, including financial covenants related to maintenance of interest coverage ratios and loan-to-value ratios with respect to the certain mortgaged properties, taken as a whole. The Loan Agreements also contain customary events of default, certain of which are subject to cure periods. These restrictions limit our ability or the ability of certain of our subsidiaries to, among other things:
–incur indebtedness or issue equity
–create certain liens
–pay dividends on, redeem, or repurchase capital stock or make other restricted payments
–make investments
–incur obligations that restrict the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend or other payments to us
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–consolidate, merge, or transfer all, or substantially all, of our assets
–enter into or amend lease or other agreements or transactions without consent
–substitute collateral, if applicable, due to product and geographic concentrations
–enter into transactions with our affiliates
–create or designate unrestricted subsidiaries
Additionally, certain of our debt agreements also contain various restrictive covenants, including minimum net worth requirements, maximum payout ratios on distributions, minimum debt yield ratios, minimum fixed charge coverage ratios, minimum interest coverage ratios and maximum leverage ratios.The restrictions under the indentures and/or other debt agreements could limit our ability to finance our future operations or capital needs, make acquisitions, or pursue available business opportunities.
We may be required to take action to reduce our debt or act in a manner inconsistent with our business objectives and strategies to meet such ratios and satisfy the covenants in our debt agreements. Events beyond our control, such as changes in economic and business conditions, may affect our ability to do so. We may not be able to meet the ratios or satisfy the covenants in our debt agreements, and we cannot provide any assurance that our lenders will waive any failure to do so. A breach of any of the covenants in, or our inability to maintain the required financial ratios, under our debt agreements would likely result in a default under such debt agreements, which may accelerate the principal and interest payments of the debt and, if such debt is secured, result in the foreclosure on certain of our assets that secure such debt. A breach of any of the covenants in, or our inability to maintain the required financial ratios, under our debt agreements also would prevent us from borrowing additional money under such agreements that include revolving credit facilities. A default under any of our debt agreements could, in turn, result in defaults under other obligations and result in other creditors accelerating the payment of other obligations and foreclosing on assets securing such obligations, if any. Any such defaults could materially impair our financial condition and liquidity. In addition, if the lenders under any of our debt agreements or other obligations accelerate the maturity of those obligations, we cannot assure that we will have sufficient assets to satisfy our obligations under the notes or our other debt.
We may be unable to develop and expand our properties without sufficient capital or financing.
Our business objective includes the development and redevelopment of our properties, particularly those in our Strategic Developments segment, which we may be unable to do if we do not have, cannot obtain, or cannot generate sufficient capital from MPC land sales or operations, debt capital from lenders or the capital markets, or government incentives, such as tax increment financing, to proceed with planned development, redevelopment, or expansion activities. We may be unable to access or acquire financing due to the market volatility and uncertainty. We may be unable to obtain an anchor store, mortgage lender and property partner approvals that are required for any such development, redevelopment, or expansion. We may abandon redevelopment or expansion activities already underway that we are unable to complete due to the inability to secure additional capital to finance such activities. This may result in charge-offs of costs previously capitalized. In addition, if redevelopment, expansion, or reinvestment projects are unsuccessful, the investment in such projects may not be recoverable, in full or in part, from future operations or sale resulting in impairment charges.
The Company is dependent on the operations and funds of its subsidiaries, including The Howard Hughes Corporation.
The Company has no business operations of its own, and the Company’s only significant assets are the outstanding equity interests of its subsidiaries, including The Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC). As a result, the Company relies on cash flows from its subsidiaries, including HHC, to meet its financial obligations, including to service any debt obligations that the Company may incur from time to time in the future. Legal and contractual restrictions in agreements governing future indebtedness of any of the Company’s subsidiaries, as well as the financial condition and future operating requirements of any such subsidiaries, in each case, including HHC, may limit such subsidiaries’ ability to distribute cash to the Company. If HHC or any of the Company’s other subsidiaries is limited in its ability to distribute cash to the Company, or if the earnings or other available assets of the Company’s subsidiaries are not sufficient to pay distributions or make loans to the Company in the amounts or at the times necessary for the Company to meet its financial obligations, then the Company’s business, financial condition, cash flows, results of operations, and reputation may be materially adversely affected.
We are subject to risks associated with hedging arrangements.
We enter into interest rate swap agreements and other interest rate hedging contracts, including caps and cash settled forward starting swaps, to mitigate or reduce our exposure to interest rate volatility, or to satisfy lender requirements. These agreements expose us to additional risks, including a risk that counterparties of these hedging and swap agreements will not perform. There also could be significant costs and cash requirements involved to fulfill our obligations
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under a hedging agreement. In addition, our hedging activities may not have the desired beneficial impact on interest rate exposure and have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We may not realize the value of our tax assets.
Certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code could limit our ability to fully utilize certain tax assets if we were to experience a change in control. As of December 31, 2023, we have approximately $51.7 million of federal net operating loss carryforwards. If certain change in control events were to occur, the cash flow benefits we might otherwise have received could be decreased.
Inflation has adversely affected us and may continue to adversely affect us by increasing costs beyond what we can recover through price increases.
The U.S. economy has experienced an increase in inflation recently. Inflation can adversely affect us by increasing costs of land, materials, and labor, which we have experienced in recent years due to higher inflation rates. Although we believe that sources of supply for raw materials and components are generally adequate, it is difficult to predict what effects price increases may have in the future. In addition, significant inflation is often accompanied by higher interest rates, which have a negative impact on demand for homes in our MPCs and demand for our condominium projects, and our ability to refinance existing indebtedness on favorable terms, or at all, due to higher borrowing costs. In an inflationary environment, depending on the homebuilding industry and other economic conditions, we may be precluded from raising land prices enough to keep up with the rate of inflation, which could significantly reduce our profit margins. In recent years we have been experiencing increases in the prices of labor and materials above the general inflation rate. Our inability to offset increasing costs due to inflation through price increases to customers could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial conditions, and cash flows.
Some potential losses are not insured.
We carry comprehensive liability, fire, flood, earthquake, terrorism, extended coverage, and rental loss insurance on all of our properties. We believe the policy specifications and insured limits of these policies are adequate and appropriate. There are some types of losses, including lease and other contract claims, which generally are not insured. If an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occurs, we could lose all or a portion of the capital invested in a property, as well as the anticipated future revenue from the property. If this happens, we might remain obligated for any mortgage debt or other financial obligations related to the property.
REGULATORY, LEGAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
Our development, construction, and sale of condominiums are subject to state regulations and may be subject to claims from the condominium owner’s association at each project.
A portion of our business is dedicated to the development and sale of condominiums. Condominiums are generally regulated by an agency of the state in which they are located or where the condominiums are marketed to be sold. In connection with our development and offering of condominium units for sale, we must submit regulatory filings to various state agencies and engage in an entitlement process by which real property owned under one title is converted into individual units. Responses or comments on our condominium filings may delay our ability to sell condominiums in certain states and other jurisdictions in a timely manner, or at all. Further, we will be required to transfer control of a condominium association’s board of directors once we trigger one of several statutory thresholds, with the most likely triggers being tied to the sale of not less than a majority of units to third-party owners. Transfer of control can result in claims with respect to deficiencies in operating funds and reserves, construction defects, and other condominium-related matters by the condominium association and/or third-party condominium unit owners. Any material claims in these areas could negatively affect our reputation in condominium development and ultimately have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Development of properties entails a lengthy, uncertain and costly entitlement process.
Approval to develop real property sometimes requires political support and generally entails an extensive entitlement process involving multiple and overlapping regulatory jurisdictions and often requires discretionary action by local governments. Real estate projects must generally comply with local land development regulations and may need to comply with state and federal regulations. We incur substantial costs to comply with legal and regulatory requirements. An increase in legal and regulatory requirements may cause us to incur substantial additional costs, or in some cases cause us to determine that the property is not feasible for development. In addition, our competitors and local residents may
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challenge our efforts to obtain entitlements and permits for the development of properties. The process to comply with these regulations is usually lengthy and costly, may not result in the approvals we seek and can be expected to materially affect our development activities.
Government regulations and legal challenges may delay the start or completion of the development of our communities, increase our expenses, or limit our homebuilding or other activities.
Various local, state, and federal statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations concerning building, health and safety, site and building design, environment, zoning, sales, and similar matters apply to and/or affect the real estate development industry. In addition, our ability to obtain or renew permits or approvals and the continued effectiveness of permits already granted or approvals already obtained depends on factors beyond our control, such as changes in federal, state, and local policies, rules, and regulations, and their interpretations and application.
Municipalities may restrict or place moratoriums on the availability of utilities, such as water and sewer taps. If municipalities in which we operate take such actions, it could have an adverse effect on our business by causing delays, increasing our costs, or limiting our ability to operate in those municipalities. These measures may reduce our ability to open new MPCs and to build and sell other real estate development projects in the affected markets, including with respect to land we may already own, and create additional costs and administration requirements, which in turn may harm our future sales, margins, and earnings.
Governmental regulation affects not only construction activities but also sales activities, mortgage lending activities, and other dealings with consumers. Further, government agencies routinely initiate audits, reviews, or investigations of our business practices to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, which can cause us to incur costs or create other disruptions in our business that can be significant. Further, we may experience delays and increased expenses as a result of legal challenges to our proposed communities, whether brought by governmental authorities or private parties.
We may be subject to increased compliance costs to comply with new and contemplated government regulations relating to energy standards and climate change.
A variety of legislation is being enacted, or considered for enactment, at the federal, state, and local levels relating to energy and climate change. This legislation relates to items such as carbon dioxide emissions control and building codes that impose energy efficiency standards. New building code requirements that impose stricter energy efficiency standards could significantly increase our cost to construct buildings. Such environmental laws may affect, for example, how we manage storm water runoff, wastewater discharges, and dust; how we develop or operate on properties on or affecting resources such as wetlands, endangered species, cultural resources, or areas subject to preservation laws; and how we address contamination. As climate change concerns continue to grow, legislation and regulations of this nature are expected to continue and to make compliance more costly. In addition, it is possible that some form of expanded energy efficiency legislation may be passed by the U.S. Congress or federal agencies and certain state legislatures, which may, despite being phased in over time, significantly increase our costs of building MPCs and the sale price to our buyers and adversely affect our sales volumes. We may be required to apply for additional approvals or modify our existing approvals because of changes in local circumstances or applicable law.
Energy-related initiatives affect a wide variety of companies throughout the U.S. and the world. Because our operations are heavily dependent on significant amounts of raw materials, such as lumber, steel, and concrete, energy-related initiatives could have an indirect adverse impact on our operations and profitability to the extent the manufacturers and suppliers of our materials are burdened with expensive cap and trade and similar energy-related taxes and regulations. Noncompliance with environmental laws could result in fines and penalties, obligations to remediate, permit revocations, and other sanctions.
We may be subject to potential costs to comply with environmental laws.
Future development opportunities may require additional capital and other expenditures to comply with laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment. Under various federal, state, or local laws, ordinances, and regulations, 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 and may 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 the parties in connection with the contamination. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the release of the hazardous or toxic substances. The presence of contamination or the failure to remediate contamination may adversely affect the owner’s ability to sell or lease real estate or to borrow using the real estate as collateral. Other federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, and regulations require abatement or removal of asbestos-containing materials in the event of demolition or certain renovations or remodeling, the cost of which may be substantial for certain redevelopments, and also govern emissions of and exposure to asbestos fibers in the air. Federal
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and state laws also regulate the operation and removal of underground storage tanks. In connection with our ownership, operation, and management of certain properties, we could be held liable for the costs of remedial action with respect to these regulated substances or tanks or related claims.
We cannot predict with any certainty the magnitude of any expenditures relating to the environmental compliance or the long-range effect, if any, on our operations. Compliance with such laws has not had a material adverse effect on our operating results or competitive position in the past but could have such an effect on our operating results and competitive position in the future.
Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act may be a significant cost for us.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (ADA), requires that all public accommodations and commercial facilities, including office buildings, meet certain federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. Other federal, state, and local laws may require modifications to or restrict further renovations of our properties with respect to such accesses. Noncompliance with the ADA or similar or related laws or regulations could result in the U.S. government imposing fines or private litigants being awarded damages against us. Such costs may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Catastrophic events, including climate change, may adversely affect our business.
As a result of climate change, we may experience extreme weather and changes in precipitation and temperature, all of which may result in physical damage or a decrease in demand for our properties located in the areas affected by these conditions. Should the impact of climate change be material in nature or occur for lengthy periods of time, our financial condition or results of operations would be adversely affected. In addition, many state and local governments are adopting or considering adopting regulations requiring that property owners and developers include in their development or redevelopment plans resiliency measures to address climate-change related risks. We may be required to incur substantial costs if such regulations apply to any of our properties. Additionally, COVID-19 disrupted our business and a resurgence of it, or another pandemic, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial performance and condition, operating results, and cash flows, and could materially adversely impact and cause disruption to, our business, financial performance and condition, operating results, and cash flows.
Water and electricity shortages could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Drought conditions and increased temperatures in the Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, regions could cause our master planned communities in these regions to experience water and electricity shortages. The lack or reduced availability of electricity or water in these regions may make it more difficult or expensive for us to obtain approvals for new developments and could limit, impair or delay our ability to develop or sell, or increase the cost of developing, our land in these master planned communities.
Tax increases and changes in tax rules may adversely affect our financial results.
As a company conducting business with physical operations throughout North America, we are exposed, both directly and indirectly, to the effects of changes in U.S., state, and local tax rules. Taxes for financial reporting purposes and cash tax liabilities in the future may be adversely affected by changes in such tax rules.
GENERAL RISKS
The Company may not obtain the anticipated benefits of the holding company structure.
The anticipated benefits of the holding company structure may not be obtained by the Company if circumstances prevent the Company from taking advantage of the strategic and business opportunities that it expects the structure may afford it. As a result, the Company may incur costs associated with the holding company structure without realizing the anticipated benefits, which could adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, cash flows, and results of operations.
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Loss of key personnel could adversely affect our business and operations.
We depend on the efforts of key executive personnel. The loss of the services of any key executive personnel could adversely affect our business and operations. While we believe we have proper succession planning and are confident we could attract and train new personnel if necessary, this could impose additional costs and hinder our business strategy.
Possible terrorist activity or other acts of violence could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Future terrorist attacks in the U.S. or other acts of violence may result in declining economic activity, which could harm the demand for goods and services offered by tenants and the value of our properties and might adversely affect the value of an investment in our securities. Such a resulting decrease in retail demand could make it difficult to renew or re-lease properties at lease rates equal to or above historical rates. Terrorist activities or violence also could directly affect the value of our properties, including a high-profile property such as the Seaport, through damage, destruction or loss, and the availability of insurance for such acts, or of insurance generally, might be lower or cost more, which could increase our operating expenses and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. To the extent that tenants are affected by future attacks, their businesses similarly could be adversely affected, including their ability to continue to meet obligations under their existing leases. Any one of these events might decrease demand for real estate, decrease or delay the occupancy of new or redeveloped properties, and limit access to capital or increase the cost of capital.
Our stock price may continue to be volatile.
The trading price of our common stock is likely to continue to be volatile due to the stock market’s routine periods of large or extreme volatility. This volatility often has been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies, including ours. Factors that affect our trading price may include the following:
–results of operations that vary from the expectations of securities analysts and investors, including our ability to finance and achieve operational success at the Seaport project
–changes in expectations as to our future financial performance, including financial estimates and investment recommendations by securities analysts and investors
–announcements by us or our competitors of new significant real-estate developments, acquisitions, joint ventures, other strategic relationships or actions, capital commitments, or responses to these events
–changes in general economic or market conditions, including increases in interest rates, or trends in our industry or markets
–future sales of our common stock or other securities
–guidance, if any, that we provide to the public, any changes in this guidance, or our failure to meet this guidance
–the development and sustainability of an active trading market for our stock
–changes in accounting principles
–events or factors resulting from natural disasters, war, acts of terrorism, or responses to these events
These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, price volatility may be greater if the public float and trading volume of our common stock is low. In the past, following periods of market volatility, stockholders have instituted securities class action litigation. If we were involved in securities litigation, it could have a substantial cost and divert resources and the attention of executive management from our business regardless of the outcome of such litigation.
Anti-takeover provisions in our certificate of incorporation, our by-laws, Delaware law, stockholder’s rights agreement and certain other agreements may prevent or delay an acquisition of us, which could decrease the trading price of our common stock.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain the following limitations:
–the inability of our stockholders to act by written consent
–restrictions on the ability of stockholders to call a special meeting without 15% or more of the voting power of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the election of our directors
–rules regarding stockholder proposals and director nominations
–the right of our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval
–a requirement that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, certain proceedings against or involving us or our directors or officers be brought exclusively in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware
–that certain provisions may be amended only by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the shares of common stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors
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In addition, we are a Delaware corporation, and Section 203 of the DGCL applies to us. In general, Section 203 prevents an interested stockholder from engaging in certain business combinations with us for three years following the date that person becomes an interested stockholder subject to certain exceptions. The statute generally defines an interested stockholder as any person that is the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock or is our affiliate or associate and was the owner of 15% or more of outstanding voting stock at any time within the three-year period immediately before the date of determination.
We have granted a waiver of the applicability of the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL to Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P., PS Management GP, LLC and William A. Ackman (together, Pershing Square) such that Pershing Square may increase its position in our common stock up to 40% of the outstanding shares without being subject to Section 203’s restrictions on business combinations. As such, Pershing Square, through its ability to accumulate more common stock than would otherwise be permitted under Section 203, has the ability to become a large holder that would be able to affect matters requiring approval by Company stockholders, including the election of directors and approval of mergers or other business combination transactions. The Board’s Corporate Governance Guidelines reflect that it will grant to any stockholder a waiver of the applicability of Section 203 of the DGCL to the acquisition of up to 40% of the Company’s outstanding voting stock upon the request of such stockholder, subject to the Board’s fiduciary duties and applicable law.
These anti-takeover provisions could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if the third-party’s offer may be considered beneficial by many of our stockholders. As a result, our stockholders may be limited in their ability to obtain a premium for their shares. These provisions could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
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Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Risk Management and Strategy The HHH cybersecurity program is an enterprise-wide, risk-based program that is designed to support the security, confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our systems and information. We conduct periodic assessments of the cybersecurity program to identify and manage material cybersecurity threats and risks using internal teams and independent third parties. The assessment results are used to develop appropriate cybersecurity controls best practices and risk mitigation strategies, which are then implemented throughout the Company.
We rely on our systems and networks to support our business activities. As some of these networks and systems are managed by third parties, the HHH cybersecurity program also includes evaluation and monitoring of cybersecurity risks associated with its use of third-party service providers. We also leverage third-party experts and vendors to help manage our cybersecurity program, audit the effectiveness of our existing cybersecurity controls, and make recommendations for improvements and best practices. We utilize a Managed Detection and Response service that provides threat intelligence, technology, and specialist expertise to protect our systems and networks from cyber threats. We require all third parties with access to our information systems or data to maintain industry standard cybersecurity programs and to report actual or suspected security incidents to us.
We employ a range of tools and strategies to mitigate cybersecurity risks, regularly testing them for effectiveness. Additionally, we continuously assess and improve our cybersecurity stance by conducting vulnerability scans, internal and external network penetration tests, and by integrating threat intelligence updates. We also have specific tools to provide real time, continuous monitoring and protection of our endpoints. To the extent that our proactive monitoring and testing identifies weakness in our cybersecurity readiness, these weaknesses are tracked and remediated as part of our cybersecurity program. Our employees receive security awareness training on an annual basis and are subjected to phishing training and phishing tests throughout the year. Annually, we perform tabletop exercises to test our cybersecurity incident response plan that is kept within our written information security program (WISP). Our cybersecurity program is aligned with industry standards and best practices such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework.
As of the date of this report, we are not aware of any material risks from cybersecurity threats that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, including our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. However, along with all companies of a similar size, we face common cybersecurity threats. These threats include ransomware and denial-of-service, including sophisticated attacks from criminal ransomware groups and nation state actors. Our customers, supply-chain providers, and subcontractors face similar cybersecurity threats, and an incident impacting us or any of these entities could materially adversely affect our business operations.
Governance Management is responsible for measuring and managing cybersecurity risk, specifically the prevention, mitigation, detection, and remediation of cybersecurity incidents as well as the Company’s overall information security strategy, policy, and operations. The cybersecurity program is executed by the Company’s Senior Vice President of IT Governance, Risk, and Compliance, who has over 15 years of cybersecurity experience in overseeing and managing cybersecurity risk. He is also responsible for maintaining and, in the event of an actual suspected security incident, executing the Company’s WISP.
The Company’s Board of Directors recently formed a technology committee (the Technology Committee) to assume governance and oversight of HHH’s cybersecurity program from the Audit Committee. This includes reviewing the cybersecurity program’s strategy and effectiveness, the cybersecurity landscape and emerging threats, and reports from any cybersecurity events. The Technology Committee also oversees cybersecurity and digital strategy and, whenever necessary, will communicate with, or advise management to consult with, the Audit Committee regarding technology, digital, and other innovation-related matters that relate to or affect the Company’s internal control systems. The Technology Committee will actively participate in strategic cybersecurity decisions and will be responsible for approving major initiatives. Management will provide updates to the Technology Committee on a quarterly basis and will continue to provide updates to the full Board of Directors on an annual basis. When appropriate, the Technology Committee will inform the Board of Directors on important matters. Furthermore, the Board of Directors would be notified in accordance with the Company’s incident response plan, of any suspected cyber incidents that may have at least a moderate business impact on the Company.
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Item 2. Properties
Our corporate headquarters are located in The Woodlands, Texas. We also maintain offices at certain of our properties nationwide, including Honolulu, Hawai‘i; New York, New York; Columbia, Maryland; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Scottsdale, Arizona. We believe our present facilities are sufficient to support our operations.
OPERATING ASSETS
In our Operating Assets segment, we own a variety of asset types including approximately 8.8 million square feet of retail and office properties, 5,587 wholly and partially owned multi-family units, and wholly and partially owned other properties and investments. Our assets in this segment are primarily located in and around Houston, Texas (The Woodlands and Bridgeland); Columbia, Maryland (Columbia); Las Vegas, Nevada (Summerlin); and Honolulu, Hawai‘i (Ward Village).
The following table summarizes certain metrics of our office assets within our Operating Assets segment as of December 31, 2023:
The Woodlands
Creekside Park Medical Plaza (c) 32,689 —% $— $— $— $— 2022
Columbia
Summerlin
(a)Annualized Base Rent is calculated as the monthly Base Minimum Rent for the property for December 31, 2023, multiplied by 12. Annualized Base Rent Per Square Foot is the Annualized Base Rent for the property at December 31, 2023, divided by the average occupied square feet.
(b)Effective Annual Rent includes base minimum rent and common area maintenance recovery revenue. Effective Annual Rent Per Square Foot is the Effective Annual Rent divided by the average occupied square feet.
(c)Creekside Park Medical Plaza was placed in service during the fourth quarter of 2022 and had no executed leases. Subsequent to year end, the Company completed the sale of this property for $14.0 million. As such, Annualized Base Rent and Effective Annual Rent are not applicable.
(d)These properties are build-to-suit projects entirely leased by a single tenant. Therefore, the Annualized Base Rent and Effective Annual Rent details have been excluded for competitive reasons.
(e)The Woodlands Towers at the Waterway includes 1201 Lake Robbins and 9950 Woodloch Forest.
(f)In 2023, the Company rebranded Merriweather Row (formerly 10 - 70 Columbia Corporate Center).
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The following table summarizes certain metrics of our retail properties within the Operating Assets segment as of December 31, 2023, and does not include any retail square footage in our multi-family assets:
The Woodlands
Bridgeland
Columbia
Summerlin
Ward Village
(a)Annualized Base Rent is calculated as the monthly Base Minimum Rent for the property for December 31, 2023, multiplied by 12. Annualized Base Rent Per Square Foot is the Annualized Base Rent for the property at December 31, 2023, divided by the average occupied square feet.
(b)In 2023, the Company rebranded Color Burst Park Retail (formerly Merriweather District Area 3 Retail) and Rouse Building (formerly Columbia Regional Building).
(c)Color Burst Park Retail is comprised of two buildings and each is entirely leased by a single tenant. Therefore, the Annualized Base Rent and Effective Annual Rent details have been excluded for competitive reasons.
(d)Excludes 381,767 square feet of anchors and 39,700 square feet of additional office space above our retail space.
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The following tables summarize certain metrics of our multi-family Operating Assets as of December 31, 2023:
The Woodlands
Bridgeland
Columbia
Summerlin
(a)Wingspan, our first single-family rental community in Bridgeland, welcomed its first residents in October 2023. As of December 31, 2023, 28% of the property has been placed in service, with an additional 35% being placed in service in January 2024. The remaining 37% is expected to be placed in service in the second quarter of 2024.
The following tables summarize certain metrics of our other Operating Assets as of December 31, 2023:
The Woodlands
Houston Ground Leases 100% Ground lease N/A N/A Various
Stewart Title of Montgomery County, TX 50% Title Company N/A N/A —
Summerlin
Hockey Ground Lease 100% Ground lease N/A N/A 2017
Las Vegas Aviators 100% Minor League Baseball Team N/A N/A 2017
Las Vegas Ballpark 100% Ballpark N/A N/A 2019
Summerlin Hospital Medical Center 5% Hospital N/A N/A 1997
Ward Village
Kewalo Basin Harbor 100% Marina 55 acres N/A 2019
Other
Parking Garages (a) 100% Garage 9,184 spaces N/A Various
(a)Includes parking garages in The Woodlands, Columbia, and Ward Village.
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The following table summarizes our Operating Assets segment lease expirations:
$ in thousands
(a)Excludes leases with an initial term of 12 months or less.
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MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES
Our MPCs are located in and around Houston, Texas; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Phoenix, Arizona and are summarized in the following table as of December 31, 2023:
(a)Encompasses all of the land located within the borders of the master planned community, including parcels already sold, saleable parcels, and non-saleable areas such as roads, parks and recreation areas, conservation areas, and parcels acquired during the year.
(b)Average Price Per Acre is the uninflated weighted-average land value per acre, which reflects current market values being attained by the Company on current projects or at new projects based on third-party market data.
(c)Projected cash gross margin represents the net cash margin expected to be received in the future and includes all future projected revenues less all remaining future projected cash development costs. The projected cash gross margin does not include remaining historical development costs incurred to date. Gross margin for each MPC may vary from period to period based on the locations of the land sold and the related costs associated with developing the land sold.
(d)The Woodlands residential land development is nearing completion.
(e)The Company owns a 50% interest in this unconsolidated venture, however the data above is presented at 100%. See below for additional detail.
The Summit
Within our Summerlin MPC, an exclusive luxury community named The Summit is being developed and managed through a joint venture with Discovery Land Company (Discovery), a leading developer of luxury communities and private clubs. The original 555-acre community is nearing completion and consists of approximately 270 homes including 32 condominiums. In 2022, the Company contributed an additional 54 acres to The Summit adjacent to the existing Summit community to develop approximately 28 custom home sites. See Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 2 - Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K for further details.
Floreo
Floreo, the first village to be developed in our Teravalis MPC, will be developed and managed through a 50% joint venture. The 3,029-acre village is located in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area and is expected to consist of approximately 5,000 residential lots, commercial sites, as well as a planned business park. The first Floreo land sales were contracted as of December 31, 2023, and are expected to close in the first quarter of 2024. See Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 2 - Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K for further details.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 31
PROPERTIES Table of ContentsIndex to Financial Statements
SEAPORT
The Seaport, located on the East River in Lower Manhattan, encompasses several city blocks (inclusive of Historic Area/Uplands, Pier 17, Tin Building, and the 250 Water Street development) and totals approximately 472,000 square feet of innovative culinary, entertainment, and cultural experiences.
The following table summarizes certain metrics of the Seaport as of December 31, 2023:
Rentable Square Feet / Units
Development
(a)Landlord Operations represents physical real estate in the Historic District and Pier 17 developed and owned by HHH and leased to third parties.
(b)Landlord Operations - Multi-family represents 85 South Street which includes base-level retail in addition to residential units.
(c)Managed Businesses represents retail and food and beverage businesses in the Historic District and Pier 17 that HHH owns, either wholly or through joint ventures, and operates, including through license and management agreements.
(d)The Company owns 100% of the Tin Building and leases 100% of the space to the Tin Building by Jean-Georges joint venture, in which the Company has an equity ownership interest.
(e)Events and Sponsorships includes private events, catering, sponsorships, concert series, and other rooftop activities.
(f)The square footage and percent leased for Landlord Operations includes agreements with terms of less than one year.
(g)Development costs incurred are shown net of insurance proceeds of approximately $64.7 million and excludes any impact related to the Seaport impairment recognized in 2023. Refer to Note 4 - Impairment in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K for additional detail.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 32
PROPERTIES Table of ContentsIndex to Financial Statements
STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS
We continue to plan, develop, and hold or seek development rights for unique properties primarily in Ward Village, The Woodlands, Bridgeland, Summerlin, Columbia, and Teravalis. We continue to execute our strategic plans for developing several of these assets with construction either actively underway or pending. Strategic Developments are transferred into our Operating Assets segment when the asset is placed in service.
The following table summarizes our Strategic Developments projects under construction as of December 31, 2023:
Strategic Developments Under Construction
Columbia
Summerlin
The Woodlands
Ward Village
Under Construction
Completed and Sold Out
‘A‘ali‘i Condominium Honolulu, HI 750 units / 11,175 sq ft 394,908 Completed N/A
Ae‘o Condominium Honolulu, HI 465 units / 70,800 sq ft 430,737 Completed N/A
Anaha Condominium Honolulu, HI 317 units / 16,048 sq ft 403,974 Completed N/A
Kō'ula Condominium Honolulu, HI 565 units / 36,995 sq ft 487,039 Completed N/A
Waiea Condominium Honolulu, HI 177 units / 7,716 sq ft 624,254 Completed N/A
(a)For condominium units and multi-family assets, square feet represents ground floor retail space whereas units represents residential units for sale or rent.
(b)As of December 31, 2023, total estimated cost remaining to be spent on these properties was $1.3 billion, of which $207.5 million is expected to be funded by HHH with the remaining cost to be funded with existing debt.
(c)In 2023, the Company rebranded 10285 Lakefront Medical Office (formerly South Lake Medical Office Building) and Meridian (formerly Summerlin South Office).
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 33
PROPERTIES Table of ContentsIndex to Financial Statements
The following table summarizes future Strategic Developments projects as of December 31, 2023:
$ in thousands Location Size
Future Strategic Developments Rights or Pending Construction
Columbia
Lakefront District (a) Columbia, MD 1,914,000 sq ft
Bridgeland
Village Green at Bridgeland Central (b) Houston, TX 28,000 sq ft
Summerlin
80% Interest in Fashion Show Air Rights Las Vegas, NV —
The Woodlands
Grogan's Mill Village Center (c) The Woodlands, TX 79,000 sq ft
2000 Woodlands Parkway (d) The Woodlands, TX 7,900 sq ft
Ward Village
Kalae Honolulu, HI 329 units / 2,000 sq ft
Other
West End Alexandria (e) Alexandria, VA 41 acres
Commercial Land
The Woodlands
The Woodlands Commercial Land (f) The Woodlands, TX 13 acres
Columbia
Columbia Commercial Land (f)(g) Columbia, MD 96 acres
Merriweather District (f) Columbia, MD 15 acres
Ward Village
Ward Commercial Land (f) Honolulu, HI 10 acres
(a)Represents remaining square footage approved for new mixed-use development in the Lakefront District which will include office, retail, and residential assets.
(b)This development will be anchored by 110,000 square feet of grocery space currently being constructed by H-E-B under a ground lease. The additional 28,000 square feet of retail space shown above will be constructed by HHH. The Company closed on the related construction loan in December 2023, and expects to begin construction in early 2024.
(c)Grogan’s Mill Village Center was acquired in 2023 and is being held in the Strategic Developments segment for planned redevelopment.
(d)2000 Woodlands Parkway was transferred to Strategic Developments in the fourth quarter of 2023 and is currently pending redevelopment.
(e)Represents acreage owned through a joint venture.
(f)Represents land acquired or transferred to the Strategic Developments segment for future development, excluding acreage related to assets that are now in service in our Operating Assets segment or related to completed or under construction condominium towers.
(g)Columbia MPC land development is complete and the sale of remaining land or development of additional commercial assets will occur as the market dictates. As such, the remaining Columbia MPC land was transferred to the Strategic Developments segment in the first quarter of 2023.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 34
OTHER INFORMATION Table of ContentsIndex to Financial Statements
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
We, as part of our normal business activities, are a party to a number of legal proceedings. Management periodically assesses our liabilities and contingencies in connection with these matters based upon the latest information available. We disclose material pending legal proceedings pursuant to Securities and Exchange Commission rules and other pending matters as we may determine to be appropriate. As of December 31, 2023, management believes that any monetary liability or financial impact of claims or potential claims to which we might be subject after final adjudication of any legal procedures would not be material to our financial position or our results of operations. See Note 10 - Commitments and Contingencies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K for further discussion.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosure
Not applicable.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 35
OTHER INFORMATION Table of ContentsIndex to Financial Statements
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
During the third quarter of 2023, the Company became the successor issuer of HHC pursuant to Rule 12g-3(a) under the Exchange Act as of August 11, 2023.
MARKET INFORMATION
Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE) under the ticker symbol “HHH”. No dividends have been declared or paid in 2023 or 2022. Any future determination related to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on a number of factors, including future earnings, capital requirements, restrictions under debt agreements, financial condition, future prospects, and other factors the board of directors may deem relevant.
NUMBER OF HOLDERS OF RECORD
As of February 20, 2024, there were 1,154 stockholders of record of our common stock.
PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The following performance graph compares the yearly dollar change in the cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock with the cumulative total returns of the NYSE Composite Index, MSCI US REIT Index, and the S&P 500 Real Estate Index. The graph tracks the performance of a $100 investment in our common stock and in each of the indexes during the last five fiscal years ended December 31, 2023. The graph was prepared based on the assumption that dividends have been reinvested subsequent to the initial investment. Stockholder returns over the indicated period are based on historical data and should not be considered indicative of future stockholder returns.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 36
OTHER INFORMATION Table of ContentsIndex to Financial Statements
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER
The following sets forth information with respect to the equity compensation plans available to employees and directors of the Company at December 31, 2023:
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders — — —
(1)The amounts shown in columns (a) of the above table do not include 393,698 outstanding Common Shares (all of which are restricted and subject to vesting requirements) that were granted under the Company’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan and its predecessor, the Amended and Restated 2010 Incentive Plan (2010 Incentive Plan), as further described in Note 11 - Stock-Based Compensation Plans in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
(2)Reflects stock option grants under the Company’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan and the 2010 Incentive Plan.
In March 2022, the Board authorized a share repurchase program pursuant to which the Company may, from time to time, purchase up to $250.0 million of its common stock through open-market transactions. The date and time of such repurchases will depend upon market conditions and the program may be suspended or discontinued at any time. During 2022, the Company repurchased 2,704,228 shares of its common stock under this program for approximately $235.0 million at an average price of $86.90 per share. All purchases were funded with cash on hand.
Following the Company’s holding company reorganization on August 11, 2023, HHC transferred to the Company, and the Company assumed sponsorship of all of HHC’s stock plans along with all of HHC’s rights and obligations under each plan.
The following sets forth information with respect to repurchases made by the Company of its shares of common stock during the fourth quarter of 2023:
(a)During the fourth quarter of 2023, all 11,833 shares repurchased related to stock received by the Company for the payment of withholding taxes due on employee share issuances under share-based compensation plans. For additional information, see Note 11 - Stock-Based Compensation Plans in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Item 6. [Reserved]
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 37
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes filed as a part of this Annual Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, including those described in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors and elsewhere in this Annual Report. These factors and others not currently known to us could cause our financial results in 2023 and subsequent fiscal years to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, those forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this information which speaks only as of the date of this report. We are not obligated to update this information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
This section of our Form 10-K discusses 2023 and 2022 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022. Discussion of 2021 and year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of The Howard Hughes Corporation’s Annual Report Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.
All references to numbered Notes are to specific Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report and which descriptions are incorporated into the applicable response by reference. Capitalized terms used, but not defined, in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) have the same meanings as in such Notes.
Index Page
Overview 39
Results of Operations 42
Operating Assets 42
Master Planned Communities 44
Strategic Developments 52
Corporate Income, Expenses, and Other Items 55
Liquidity and Capital Resources 56
Critical Accounting Policies 60
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements and Developments 60
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 38
OVERVIEW
General Overview Please refer to Item 1. Business for a general discussion of our business strategy, competitive strengths, and a general description of the assets contained in our four business segments and Item 2. Properties for details regarding the asset type, size, location, and key metrics about our various properties. Changes for monetary amounts between periods presented are calculated based on the amounts in thousands of dollars stated in our consolidated financial statements and then rounded to the nearest million. Therefore, certain changes may not recalculate based on the amounts rounded to the nearest million.
We are primarily focused on creating shareholder value by increasing our per-share net asset value. Often, the nature of our business results in short-term volatility in our net income due to the timing of Master Planned Communities (MPC) land sales, recognition of condominium revenue, and operating business pre-opening expenses.
2023 Results During 2023, we maintained positive momentum and delivered solid financial results which met or exceeded our 2023 guidance expectations within each of our core businesses. This strong performance is a testament to our premier communities and best-in-class assets, further highlighting the strength of our unique business model.
In our MPCs, a year-over-year increase of 45% in new homes sales in our communities, led to heightened demand and home builder interest for new land parcels as the year progressed. MPC earnings before taxes (EBT) increased 21% year over year, driven by solid land sales and high residential prices per acre.
In Operating Assets, we delivered another full-year net operating income (NOI) record, outpacing 2022 results by 5%, excluding dispositions. This growth was led by strong leasing velocity at our newest multi-family developments, as well as increased occupancy and absorption within our office portfolio. In 2023, our leasing teams executed 581,000 square feet of new or expanded office leases, bringing our stabilized office assets to 88% leased at year-end and setting the stage for considerable NOI growth in the coming years.
Ward Village had another strong year, selling out all remaining condo inventory at ‘A‘ali‘i and Kō'ula and contracting to sell 78 units at our three condo towers in pre-sales, The Park Ward Village, Ulana Ward Village, and Kalae. Together with Victoria Place, which is fully sold out and expected to be delivered in late 2024, these projects were 96% pre-sold at year-end and represent more than $2.6 billion of future contracted revenue that will be recognized as these projects are completed.
2024 Outlook Proceeding into 2024, we maintain a positive long-term outlook for our businesses. Across our MPCs, we see incredibly strong demand for our unmatched landbank, world-class portfolio of operating assets, and premier condo developments. The anticipated spin-off of Seaport Entertainment later in 2024 will allow Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (HHH or the Company) to better focus on long-term opportunities within our renowned portfolio of master planned communities and enable considerable growth and value creation in the years to come.
MPC EBT is projected to remain robust during 2024, aided by modest anticipated reductions in mortgage rates and tight supply of existing homes on the market. New home sales in Summerlin, Bridgeland, and The Woodlands Hills are expected to be strong, leading to continued homebuilder demand for residential land. The first land sales in Floreo, the first village in Teravalis, are also expected to contribute incremental EBT in 2024. These year-over-year gains are expected to be more than offset by reduced EBT associated with exceptional commercial land sales and builder price participation during 2023, as well as reduced inventory of custom lots available to sell at Aria Isle in The Woodlands and the Summit in Summerlin. As a result, 2024 MPC EBT is expected to modestly decline 10% to 15% year-over-year.
Operating Assets NOI is projected to benefit from increased occupancy at new multi-family developments in Downtown Columbia, Summerlin, and Bridgeland, as well as improved retail leasing and new tenants in Downtown Columbia, Ward Village, and The Woodlands. The office portfolio is expected to benefit from strong leasing momentum experienced since mid-2022, but free rent periods on many of the new leases and the impact of some tenant vacancies and new office developments expected to be completed in 2024 will likely result in office NOI being relatively flat year-over-year. Overall, 2024 Operating Assets NOI is expected to be in a range of up 1% to 4% year-over-year. This includes projected NOI from The Las Vegas Aviators and the Las Vegas Ballpark, which are expected to be included in the spin-off of Seaport Entertainment.
Condo sales revenues are projected to range between $675 million and $725 million, with gross margins between 28% to 30%. Projected condo sales revenues will be driven by the closing of units at Victoria Place, our 349-unit upscale development in Ward Village, which is 100% pre-sold and expected to be completed late in the fourth quarter of 2024. This guidance contemplates a portion of condo sales revenues for Victoria Place occurring in the first quarter of 2025 due to the timing of condo closings.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 39
Overall
–Net income attributable to common stockholders decreased to a net loss of $551.8 million in 2023, including an after-tax impairment of $548.5 million related to the Seaport. This compares to net income of $184.5 million for the prior year. Excluding the after-tax impairment, the year-over-year reduction was primarily attributed to the timing of condo sales as the prior year included the delivery of Kō'ula in Ward Village.
–We continue to maintain a strong liquidity position with $631.5 million of cash and cash equivalents, $1.0 billion of undrawn lender commitment available to be drawn for property development, and limited near-term debt maturities.
–During 2023, we completed the sale of two land parcels in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, including an 11,929-square-foot building at the Ward Village Retail property, two self-storage facilities in The Woodlands, and Memorial Hermann Medical Office in The Woodlands for total net proceeds after debt repayment of $43.3 million.
Operating Assets
–Operating Assets NOI totaled $233.6 million in 2023, a $7.9 million increase compared to $225.8 million in the prior year. Excluding the impact of dispositions in 2022 and 2023, Operating Assets NOI increased $11.5 million compared to the prior-year period.
–Multi-family NOI increased $7.3 million primarily due to continued lease-up at our newer properties, Marlow in Downtown Columbia and Starling at Bridgeland, and rent growth across our portfolio.
–Office NOI increased $6.6 million, primarily due to continued lease-up activity and abatement expirations at various properties in The Woodlands, most notably at 9950 Woodloch Forest and Lakefront North, and one-time lease termination fees at 1725 Hughes Landing. These increases are partially offset by decreases related to lower occupancy at One Hughes Landing, 1725 Hughes Landing, and various properties in Downtown Columbia, rent abatements at 3 Waterway Square, and initial operating losses from 1700 Pavilion in Summerlin.
–Retail NOI remained relatively flat in 2023 compared to the prior year.
MPC
–MPC EBT totaled $341.4 million in 2023, a $58.4 million increase compared to $283.0 million in the prior year.
–The increase in EBT was primarily due to increased residential land sales in Summerlin, a higher overall residential price per acre in our MPCs, and higher equity earnings at The Summit primarily related to Phase II land inventory.
Seaport
–During 2023, the Company recorded an impairment charge related to the Seaport segment. For additional information, refer to Note 4 - Impairment in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
–Seaport NOI totaled a loss of $15.5 million in 2023, a $5.7 million decrease compared to the prior year. This change was primarily due to reduced restaurant performance as a result of poor weather conditions and elevated labor and overhead costs, and fewer private events in the current year, as well as COVID-related recoveries at the Fulton Market Building in the prior year. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in rental revenue driven by the opening of the Tin Building in 2022.
–Seaport NOI excludes the impact of the Company’s equity ownership interest in the Tin Building by Jean-Georges managed business. Tin Building by Jean-Georges NOI was a loss of $38.8 million in 2023, compared to a loss of $36.2 million in the prior year.
Strategic Developments
–Strategic Developments EBT totaled a loss of $17.3 million in 2023, a $207.5 million decrease compared to income of $190.2 million in the prior year.
–The decrease in EBT was primarily due to a $187.4 million decrease in profits from condominium sales. We closed on 31 units at ‘A‘ali‘i and 16 units at Kō'ula during 2023, compared to 549 units at Kō'ula, 56 units at ‘A‘ali‘i, and 2 units at Waiea during the prior year. The lower volume of condominium closings in 2023 was expected as our completed towers are now 100.0% sold and the next tower, Victoria Place, is not scheduled for completion until late 2024.
–During 2023, the final units at ‘A‘ali‘i and Kō'ula were sold, resulting in our six completed towers being 100.0% sold.
–As of December 31, 2023, 97.9% of the units at our three towers under construction, Victoria Place, The Park Ward Village, and Ulana Ward Village, are under contract, with Victoria Place and Ulana Ward Village being 100% sold. Kalae, which is still in presales, was 87.2% presold as of December 31, 2023.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 40
–In 2023, we placed Tanager Echo, a multi-family property in Summerlin, and the first phase of Wingspan, a single family build to rent property in Bridgeland, in service, representing a total of 368 multi-family units. The second phase of Wingspan, representing an additional 92 units, was placed in service in January 2024. The final phase of Wingspan, representing an additional 97 units, is expected to be placed in service in the second quarter of 2024.
–In 2023, we began construction on Ulana Ward Village, our ninth condominium project in Ward Village, 1 Riva Row, a multi-family property in The Woodlands, and a retail center in Downtown Summerlin, which will be anchored by a new Whole Foods Market. These assets under construction represent 268 multi-family units, 696 condominium units, and 99,100 square feet of retail space.
Corporate
–Net expenses related to Corporate income, expenses, and other items decreased $217.3 million compared to the prior-year period primarily due to a decrease in income tax expense.
Capital and Financing Activities
–In 2023, our financing activity included draws on existing mortgages of $384.4 million, an additional draw of $200.0 million on the Secured Bridgeland Notes, refinancings of $161.0 million, and repayments of $48.4 million. For additional information, refer to Note 7 - Mortgages, Notes, and Loans Payable, Net in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 41
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Operating Assets
Segment EBTThe following table presents segment EBT for Operating Assets for the years ended December 31:
Operating Assets Segment EBT
(Provision for) recovery of doubtful accounts 2,616 (722) 3,338
Equity in earnings (losses) from unconsolidated ventures 2,969 22,263 (19,294)
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt (96) (2,230) 2,134
Operating Assets segment EBT decreased $77.2 million compared to the prior-year period primarily due to the following:
–Interest expense increased $37.4 million primarily due to new financings secured by our operating assets and higher interest rates on variable-rate debt.
–Equity earnings decreased $19.3 million primarily as a result of a $11.8 million decrease related to the change in value of certain derivative instruments and a $4.9 million decrease related to the sale of 110 North Wacker in the first quarter of 2022. This decrease is due to the release of our share of accumulated other comprehensive income related to 110 North Wacker’s derivative instruments upon the sale in 2022.
–Depreciation and amortization increased $16.1 million primarily related to new assets placed in service in the second half of 2022.
–Gain on sale of real estate decreased $5.7 million as the combined gain on the sales of two self-storage properties and Memorial Hermann Medical Office in The Woodlands and certain properties in Ward Village in 2023 was lower than the combined gain on the sales of Creekside Village Green, Lake Woodlands Crossing, and Outlet Collection at Riverwalk in 2022.
–Total revenues, net of operating costs decreased $5.5 million primarily due to COVID-related tenant recoveries at Ward Village in the prior year, and the sales of Creekside Village Green and Lake Woodlands Crossing in 2022, as well as increased insurance costs across our portfolio and increased labor and event costs for the Las Vegas Aviators in 2023. These decreases are partially offset by increased leasing activity and abatement expirations across our portfolio as well as one-time lease termination fees.
Net Operating Income In addition to the required presentations using accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP), we use certain non-GAAP performance measures, as we believe these measures improve the understanding of our operational results and make comparisons of operating results among peer companies more meaningful. Management continually evaluates the usefulness, relevance, limitations and calculation of our reported non-GAAP performance measures to determine how best to provide relevant information to the public, and thus such reported measures could change.
We define NOI as operating revenues (rental income, tenant recoveries, and other revenue) less operating expenses (real estate taxes, repairs and maintenance, marketing, and other property expenses). NOI excludes straight-line rents and amortization of tenant incentives, net; interest expense, net; ground rent amortization; demolition costs; other income (loss); depreciation and amortization; development-related marketing costs; gain on sale or disposal of real estate and other assets, net; loss on extinguishment of debt; provision for impairment; and equity in earnings from unconsolidated ventures.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 42
We believe that NOI is a useful supplemental measure of the performance of our Operating Assets and Seaport segments because it provides a performance measure that reflects the revenues and expenses directly associated with owning and operating real estate properties. We use NOI to evaluate our operating performance on a property-by-property basis because NOI allows us to evaluate the impact that property-specific factors such as rental and occupancy rates, tenant mix, and operating costs have on our operating results, gross margins, and investment returns.
A reconciliation of Operating Assets segment EBT to Operating Assets NOI is presented in the table below. Refer to the Seaport section for a reconciliation of Seaport segment EBT to Seaport NOI.
Operating Assets NOI
Add back:
Equity in (earnings) losses from unconsolidated ventures (2,969) (22,263) 19,294
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt 96 2,230 (2,134)
The below table presents Operating Assets NOI by property type:
Operating Assets NOI by Property Type
(a)Properties that were transferred to our Strategic Developments segment for redevelopment and properties that were sold are shown separately for all periods presented.
Operating Assets NOI increased $7.9 million compared to the prior-year period primarily due to the following:
–Multi-family NOI increased $7.3 million primarily driven by continued lease-up at our newer properties, Marlow in Downtown Columbia and Starling at Bridgeland, rent growth across our portfolio, and winter weather-related insurance recoveries.
–Office NOI increased $6.6 million primarily due to continued lease-up activity and abatement expirations at various properties in The Woodlands, most notably at 9950 Woodloch Forest and Lakefront North, and one-time lease termination fees at 1725 Hughes Landing. These increases are partially offset by decreases related to lower occupancy at One Hughes Landing, 1725 Hughes Landing, and various properties in Downtown Columbia, rent abatements at 3 Waterway Square, and initial operating losses from 1700 Pavilion in Summerlin.
–These increases were partially offset by a $3.7 million decrease related to the retail asset dispositions of Creekside Village Green, Lake Woodlands Crossing, and Outlet Collection at Riverwalk in 2022 and two self-storage properties in The Woodlands in 2023.
–Other NOI decreased $2.2 million primarily due to higher labor and event costs related to the Las Vegas Aviators.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 43
Master Planned Communities
Segment EBTThe following table presents segment EBT for MPC for the years ended December 31:
MPC Segment EBT
Depreciation and amortization (418) (394) (24)
Equity in earnings (losses) from unconsolidated ventures 22,666 (1,407) 24,073
(a)MPC land sales include deferred revenue from land sales closed in a previous period that met criteria for recognition in the current period and excludes amounts deferred from current period land sales that do not yet meet the recognition criteria.
(b)Builder price participation revenue is earned when a developer that acquired land from us develops and sells a home to an end user at a price higher than a predetermined breakpoint. The excess over the breakpoint is shared between us and the developer at the time of closing on the sale of the home based on a previously agreed-upon percentage. This revenue fluctuates based upon the number and the prices of homes closed that qualify for builder price participation payments.
The following table presents MPC segment EBT by MPC for the years ended December 31:
MPC Segment EBT by MPC
(a)Columbia MPC land development is complete and the sale of remaining land or development of additional commercial assets will occur as the market dictates. As such, the remaining Columbia land was transferred to the Strategic Developments segment in the first quarter of 2023.
(b)As of December 31, 2023, the Company owns an 88.0% interest and consolidates Teravalis. For additional detail, refer to Note 3 - Acquisitions and Dispositions in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
(c)These amounts represent 100% of Floreo EBT. The Company owns a 50% interest in Floreo. Refer to Note 2 - Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K for a description of the joint venture and further discussion.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 44
MPC Segment EBT increased $58.4 million compared to the prior-year period primarily due to higher superpad land sales and price per acre in Summerlin, higher equity earnings of $24.1 million, primarily related to The Summit, and higher capitalized interest, partially offset by lower builder price participation of $10.8 million in all MPCs.
Summerlin EBT increased $48.3 million compared to the prior period.
–MPC sales, net of MPC cost of sales increased $28.5 million primarily due to the following activity:
–increase in superpad acres sold, with 169.2 acres sold at an average price of $1.3 million per acre in 2023, compared to 94.6 acres sold at an average price of $1.1 million per acre in 2022
–decrease in commercial acres sold, with no acres sold in 2023, compared to 16.6 acres sold at an average price of $1.6 million in 2022
–decrease in custom lots sold, with one lot sold at a price of $2.0 million in 2023, compared to four lots sold with an average price of $2.2 million in 2022
–Equity earnings at The Summit increased $24.8 million primarily related to higher sales in 2023 as a result of additional available Phase II inventory and the close-out of clubhouse condominium units.
–Builder price participation decreased $8.1 million as fewer homes were closed with sales prices over the predetermined breakpoint necessary for participation revenue in the current period. This reflects price moderation from all-time highs in 2022.
The Woodlands EBT increased $8.4 million compared to the prior period.
–MPC sales, net of MPC cost of sales increased $6.2 million primarily due to the following activity.
–increase in commercial acres sold, with 8.4 acres sold at an average price of $646,000 in 2023, compared to no acres sold in 2022
–increase in residential acres sold, with 9.8 acres sold in Aria Isle, an exclusive gated community, at an average price of $2.5 million per acre in 2023, compared to 7.4 acres sold at an average price of $3.0 million per acre in 2022
–Operating costs decreased $4.7 million due to higher legal fees in the prior year, primarily related to the flood litigation.
–Builder price participation decreased $1.6 million as fewer homes were closed with sales prices over the predetermined breakpoint necessary for participation revenue in the current period. This reflects price moderation from all-time highs in 2022.
Bridgeland EBT increased $6.9 million compared to the prior period.
–Increase of $6.2 million primarily due to higher capitalized interest inclusive of derivatives. For additional detail, refer to Note 9 - Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
–MPC sales, net of MPC cost of sales increased $3.5 million primarily due to the following activity:
–increase due to more revenue recognized out of deferred revenue in 2023, compared to 2022
–decrease in commercial price per acre, with 121.3 acres sold at an average price of $249,000 per acre in 2023, compared to 110.7 acres sold at an average price of $433,000 in 2022
–decrease in residential acres sold, with 151.0 acres sold at an average price of $564,000 per acre in 2023, compared to 156.8 acres sold at an average price of $544,000 per acre in 2022
–Operating costs increased $3.0 million primarily due to higher real estate taxes.
The Woodlands HillsEBT decreased $5.8 million compared to the prior period.
–MPC sales, net of MPC cost of sales decreased $4.7 million primarily due to the following activity:
–decrease in residential acres sold, with 44.7 acres sold at an average price of $427,000 per acre in 2023, compared to 61.9 acres sold at an average price of $382,000 per acre in 2022
–decrease in commercial acres sold, with no acres sold in 2023, compared to 8.0 acres sold at an average price of $175,000 in 2022
–Builder price participation decreased $1.2 million as fewer homes were closed with sales prices over the predetermined breakpoint necessary for participation revenue in the current period. This reflects price moderation from all-time highs in 2022.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 45
MPC Equity Investments
The Summit
The Summit, our joint venture with Discovery, offers a mix of custom lots, single-family homes, and clubhouse suites in our Summerlin MPC. The original 555-acre community (Phase I) is nearing completion and consists of approximately 270 homes including 32 condominiums. In 2022, the Company contributed an additional 54 acres (Phase II) to The Summit adjacent to the existing Summit community to develop approximately 28 custom home sites. We recognized equity earnings of $24.8 million and received cash distributions of $15.1 million in 2023, compared to equity losses of $30.0 thousand and no cash distributions in 2022.
Floreo
Land development is currently underway at Floreo, our joint venture with Trillium Development Holding Company, LLC. The first Floreo land sales were contracted as of December 31, 2023, and are expected to close in the first quarter of 2024.
For additional detail, refer to Note 2 - Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Residential and Commercial Land Sales The following tables detail our residential and commercial land sales for the years ended December 31:
Summary of MPC Land Sales Closed
Land Sales Acres Sold Average Price Per Acre
Residential Land Sales Closed
Bridgeland
Summerlin
The Woodlands
The Woodlands Hills
Commercial Land Sales Closed
Bridgeland
Summerlin
The Woodlands
The Woodlands Hills
(a)Excludes revenues related to sales closed in a previous period and deferred for recognition that met criteria for recognition in the current period. Please see the Reconciliation of MPC Land Sales Closed to GAAP Land Sales Revenue table below which reconciles Total residential and commercial land sales closed to Land sales revenue for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 46
Reconciliation of MPC Land Sales Closed to GAAP Land Sales Revenue The following table reconciles residential and commercial land sales closed in the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, to Master Planned Community land sales for the respective periods. Total net recognized (deferred) revenue includes revenues recognized in the current period which are related to sales closed in prior periods, offset by revenues deferred on sales closed in the current period.
Net recognized (deferred) revenue:
The Woodlands (782) —
The Woodlands Hills 22 (172)
Total net recognized (deferred) revenue (34,467) (15,312)
Special Improvement District revenue 14,429 8,045
Although our business does not involve the sale or resale of homes, we believe that net new home sales are an important indicator of future demand for our superpad sites and finished lots. Therefore, we use this statistic where relevant in our discussion of MPC operating results herein. Net new home sales reflect home sales made by homebuilders, less cancellations. Cancellations generally occur when a homebuyer signs a contract to purchase a home but later fails to qualify for a home mortgage or is unable to provide an adequate down payment to complete the home sale.
Net New Home Sales Median Home Sales Price
(a) New home sales in The Woodlands are not expected to be significant as residential land development is nearing completion.
MPC Net Contribution MPC Net Contribution is a non-GAAP financial measure derived from EBT, adjusted for certain items as discussed below. Management uses this measure because it captures current period performance through the velocity of sales, as well as current period development expenditures based upon demand at our MPCs, which varies depending upon the stage of the MPCs development lifecycle and the overall economic environment. MPC Net Contribution is defined as MPC segment EBT, plus MPC cost of sales, Depreciation and amortization, and net collections from Special Improvement District (SID) bonds and Municipal Utility District (MUD) receivables, reduced by MPC development expenditures, land acquisitions, and Equity in earnings from unconsolidated ventures, net of distributions. MPC Net Contribution is not a GAAP-based operational metric and should not be used to measure operating performance of the MPC assets as a substitute for GAAP measures of such performance nor should it be used as a comparison metric with other comparable businesses.
Below is a reconciliation of segment EBT to MPC Net Contribution for the years ended December 31:
Plus:
Distributions from unconsolidated ventures 15,050 — 15,050
Less:
Equity in (earnings) losses from unconsolidated ventures (22,666) 1,407 (24,073)
(a)SID collections are shown net of SID transfers to buyers in the respective periods.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 47
MPC Net contribution increased $67.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to higher MPC land sales and an increase in distributions from unconsolidated ventures.
MPC Land Inventory The following table summarizes MPC land inventory activity:
(a)Columbia MPC land development is complete and the sale of remaining land or development of additional commercial assets will occur as the market dictates. As such, the remaining Columbia land was transferred to the Strategic Developments segment in the first quarter of 2023.
(b)Development expenditures are inclusive of capitalized interest and property taxes.
(c)MUD reimbursable costs represent land development expenditures transferred to MUD Receivables.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 48
Seaport
Seaport Entertainment On October 5, 2023, HHH announced the intent to form a new division, Seaport Entertainment, that is expected to include all of the assets in the Seaport segment, as well as the Las Vegas Aviators Triple-A Minor League Baseball team, the Las Vegas Ballpark, and our 80% interest in the air rights above the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas. HHH is establishing Seaport Entertainment with the intention of completing its spinoff as an independent, publicly traded company in 2024, but there can be no assurance regarding the ultimate timing of the spinoff or that the spinoff will ultimately occur.
General The Seaport is part non-stabilized operating asset, part development project, and part operating business. As such, the Seaport has a greater range of possible outcomes than our other projects. The greater uncertainty is largely the result of: (i) seasonality; (ii) potential sponsorship revenue; (iii) potential event revenue; and (iv) business operating risks from various start-up businesses. We operate and own, either directly, through license agreements, or in joint ventures, many of the tenants in the Seaport. As a result, the revenues and expenses of these businesses, as well as the underlying market conditions affecting these types of businesses, will directly impact the NOI of the Seaport. This is in contrast to our other retail properties where we primarily receive lease payments and are not as directly impacted by the operating performance of the underlying businesses. This causes the financial results and eventual stabilized yield of the Seaport to be less predictable than our other operating real estate assets with traditional lease structures. Further, as we open new operating businesses, either owned entirely or in partnership with third parties, we expect to incur pre-opening expenses and operating losses until those businesses stabilize, which likely will not happen until the Seaport reaches its critical mass of offerings. Given the factors and uncertainties listed above, we do not currently provide guidance on our expected NOI yield or stabilization date for the Seaport.
We primarily categorize the businesses in the Seaport segment into the following groups: Landlord Operations, Managed Businesses, the Tin Building, and Events and Sponsorships.
Landlord Operations Landlord Operations represent physical real estate in the Historic District and Pier 17 that we have developed and own, and is inclusive of our office, retail, and multi-family properties.
Managed Businesses Managed Businesses represent retail and food and beverage businesses in the Historic District and Pier 17 that the Company owns, either wholly or through partnerships with third parties, and operates, including license and management agreements. These businesses include, among others, The Fulton, Mister Dips, Carne Mare, and Malibu Farm. The Fulton and Malibu Farm are managed by Creative Culinary Management Company, LLC (CCMC), a Jean-Georges company, and Mister Dips and Carne Mare are managed by Seaport F&B LLC, an Andrew Carmellini company. These management companies are responsible for employment and supervision of all employees providing services for the food and beverage operations and restaurant as well as day-to-day operations and accounting for food and beverage operations.
The Company owns a 25% interest in Jean-Georges Restaurants, which currently operates over 40 restaurant and hospitality offerings around the world. This ownership interest is reported in accordance with the equity method.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, we expanded our Managed Businesses portfolio with the launch of The Lawn Club, a new joint venture concept that transformed over 20,000 square feet of the Fulton Market Building into an immersive indoor and outdoor experience that includes an extensive indoor grass area, a stylish clubhouse bar, and a wide variety of lawn games.
Tin Building The Tin Building includes both landlord operations and managed business. The Company owns 100% of the Tin Building, which was completed and placed in service during the third quarter of 2022. The Company leased 100% of the space to the Tin Building by Jean-Georges joint venture, a managed business in which the Company has an equity ownership interest and reports its ownership interest in accordance with the equity method. Based on capital contribution and distribution provisions for the Tin Building by Jean-Georges, the Company currently recognizes all of the economic interest in the venture. The Company recognizes lease payments from the Tin Building by Jean-Georges in Rental revenue and recognizes its share of the offsetting rent expense in Equity earnings. As the Company currently recognizes 100% of operating income or losses from the Tin Building by Jean-Georges, the Tin Building lease has no net impact to Seaport EBT. However, Seaport NOI includes only rental revenue related to the Tin Building lease payments, and does not include the offsetting rent expense in Equity earnings.
The Tin Building by Jean-Georges opened in late September 2022, with an expanded focus on experiences including in-person dining, retail shopping, and delivery and is managed by CCMC, a Jean-Georges company.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 49
Events and Sponsorships Our events and sponsorships businesses include our concert series, event catering, private events, and sponsorships. Food and beverage operations associated with concert concessions and catering are operated under management agreements with CCMC.
The 2023 summer concert series, which began in May and ran through the end of October, included 63 shows with over 204,000 tickets sold, representing over 93% of available ticket inventory. This represents a modest increase from the 2022 summer concert series, which included 60 shows with over 188,200 tickets sold, representing over 90% of available ticket inventory.
250 Water Street In 2021, the Company received the necessary approvals for its 250 Water Street development project, which includes a mixed-use development with affordable and market-rate apartments, community-oriented spaces, and office space. In May 2021, the Company received approval from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on its proposed design for the 250 Water Street site. The Company received final approvals in December 2021 through the New York City Uniform Land Use Review Procedure known as ULURP, which allowed the necessary transfer of development rights to the parking lot site.
Also in December 2021, an amendment to the Seaport ground lease was executed giving the Company extension options, at the discretion of the Company, for an additional 48 years from its current expiration in 2072 until 2120. We received a building foundation permit from the New York City Department of Buildings and began initial foundation work and remediation in the second quarter of 2022. Remediation of the site as a volunteer of the New York State Brownfield Cleanup program was completed in December 2023. Various lawsuits have been filed challenging the governmental approval of our development project. For additional information regarding these lawsuits, see Note 10 - Commitments and Contingencies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Segment EBTThe following table presents segment EBT for the Seaport for the years ended December 31:
Seaport Segment EBT
Rental property real estate taxes (686) (885) 199
(Provision for) recovery of doubtful accounts (55) (1,237) 1,182
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt (48) — (48)
(a)Lease payments for the Tin Building included in Rental revenue and offset in Equity losses were $11.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, and $4.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. No rental payments were made during the first or second quarter of 2022 as the lease had not yet commenced. Refer to the Tin Building discussion above for additional detail.
Seaport segment EBT decreased $727.1 million compared to the prior-year period primarily due to the following:
–Provision for impairment includes $672.5 million and Equity losses includes $37.0 million related to the Seaport impairment. For additional information, refer to Note 4 - Impairment in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
–Equity losses increased $8.2 million, excluding the impact of the $37.0 million impairment charge above, primarily due to operating losses for the Tin Building by Jean-Georges, which opened in the third quarter of 2022.
–Total revenues, net of Operating costs decreased $7.0 million primarily due to reduced restaurant performance as a result of poor weather conditions and elevated labor and overhead costs, and fewer private events in the current year, as well as COVID-related recoveries at the Fulton Market Building in the prior year. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in rental revenue driven by the opening of the Tin Building.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 50
–Depreciation expense increased $1.5 million primarily due to the Tin Building being completed and placed in service in the third quarter of 2022, partially offset by a decrease as a result of the Seaport impairment.
Net Operating Income A reconciliation of Seaport segment EBT to Seaport NOI is presented below:
Seaport NOI
Add back:
Equity in (earnings) losses from unconsolidated ventures 81,485 36,273 45,212
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt 48 — 48
The Seaport, including Managed Businesses, Events and Sponsorships, and the Tin Building, is approximately 69% leased. We may continue to incur operating expenses in excess of rental revenues while the remaining available space is in lease-up, as the Seaport continues to move toward its critical mass of offerings.
The below table presents Seaport NOI by category:
Seaport NOI by Category
Landlord Operations - Multi-family 133 110 23
Seaport NOI decreased $5.7 million compared to the prior-year period. The decreases in Landlord Operations NOI are primarily due to increased labor and overhead costs, insurance expense, and franchise tax expense in the current year as well as COVID-related recoveries at the Fulton Market Building in the prior year. The decreases in Managed Businesses and Events and Sponsorships NOI are due to reduced restaurant performance as a result of poor weather conditions and elevated labor and overhead costs, fewer private events, and increased marketing and production costs related to the concert series in the current year. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in Tin Building NOI resulting from the opening of the Tin Building in the third quarter of 2022.
Tin Building in the table above represents NOI from our landlord business and, as defined, excludes the impact of the Company’s equity ownership interest in the Tin Building by Jean-Georges managed business which opened in the third quarter of 2022. The table below presents the above NOI related to the Tin Building, which primarily represents lease payments from the Tin Building by Jean-Georges, as well as the Company’s share of NOI related to its investment in the Tin Building by Jean-Georges, which primarily represents the operations of the Tin Building marketplace and includes rent expense paid to the Company.
Tin Building by Jean-Georges NOI losses during 2022 relate to costs incurred prior to the marketplace opening in the third quarter of 2022 and elevated operating losses during the early months of operation. In 2023, the Tin Building by Jean-Georges was open seven days per week, with strong foot traffic and sales. However, operating losses remained elevated in 2023, as the Company continues to refine the operating model during the marketplace’s first year in operations, and the Seaport experienced poor weather conditions throughout the year.
HHH 2023 FORM 10-K | 51
Strategic Developments
Our Strategic Developments assets generally require substantial future development to maximize their value. Other than our condominium properties, most of the properties and projects in this segment do not generate revenues. Our expenses relating to these assets are primarily related to costs associated with constructing the assets, selling condominiums, marketing costs associated with our Strategic Developments, carrying costs including, but not limited to, property taxes and insurance and other ongoing costs relating to maintaining the assets in their current condition. If we decide to redevelop or develop a Strategic Developments asset, we expect that with the exception of the residential portion of our condominium projects, upon completion of development, the asset would likely be reclassified to Operating Assets when the asset is placed in service and NOI would become a meaningful measure of its operating performance. All development costs discussed herein are exclusive of land costs.
Segment EBT The following table presents segment EBT for Strategic Developments for the years ended December 31: