On March 1, 2011, Centro Properties Group (“Centro” or “CNP”), Australia’s largest manager of retail property investment syndicates with 123 shopping centers in its Australian portfolio as well as 600 retail locations in the United States, announced the sale of its U.S. assets and platform, and intention to pursue a debt restructuring and a potential merger of its Australian interests. CNP and its managed funds entered into a binding stock purchase agreement to sell the Centro U.S. platform to BRE Retail Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VI, L.P. for an enterprise value of approximately $9.4 billion. Proceeds will be used to repay debt in accordance with CNP’s existing Stabilization Agreement.
On August 9, 2011, Centro announced that it had entered into an Implementation Agreement which sets out the terms of a restructuring proposal as agreed between more than 83% of CNP’s senior lenders as well as three funds in which CNP manages and holds investment interests: Centro Retail Trust (“CER”), Direct Property Fund (“DPF”) and Centro Australia Wholesale Fund (“CAWF”). The proposal involves a A$5.0 billion merger of the Centro Group’s Australian assets in conjunction with the cancellation of CNP’s senior debt of A$3.4 billion.
Moelis & Company brought together an integrated team of professionals in the U.S. and Australia with backgrounds in Restructuring, Mergers and Acquisitions and Real Estate to drive effective results. Moelis & Company acted as joint sale advisor to Centro on the sale of its U.S. interests and continues to act as restructuring advisor to CNP.
