CEDAR SHOPPING CENTERS, INC.
44 SOUTH BAYLES AVENUE
PORT WASHINGTON, NY 11050-3765
January 29, 2010
Ms. Yolanda Crittenden, Staff Accountant
Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
100 F Street, N.E., Mail Stop 3010
Washington, DC 20549
Re: |
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Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc.
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008
Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2009 and June 30, 2009
File No. 001-31817 |
Dear Ms. Crittenden:
Reference is made to the Staffs follow-up letter dated December 14, 2009 bearing the captioned
file number and headings, our reply dated January 11, 2010 and the subsequent telephone call with
you on January 25, 2010. The following is respectfully submitted by Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc.
(the Company) in response thereto:
Form 10-K
Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, page 37
Note 2 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, page 44
Intangible Lease Asset/Liability, page 46
1. Your Comment and Requested Clarification: We have read and considered your response to
comment one which indicates that you deemed the exercisability of lease renewal options to be low
based upon historical experience. Please provide us with statistics or other quantitative data that
supports this historical experience for each reporting period presented.
The Companys Response: The Company has determined that the likelihood of fixed-rate
renewal option exercise was low given the several factors previously submitted. As noted, the
Companys expectations have been generally consistent with its actual experience. The Company
historically has recorded approximately $103 million of intangible lease liabilities in connection
with its asset acquisitions. The following schedule sets forth the Companys historical experience
with respect to potential lease-modifying events subsequent to the purchase of a property where the
amount of intangible lease liability allocated for such leases represented $500,000 or more at the
time of acquisition. The data presented further supports the original position that the
probability of the exercise of lease renewal options was
Ms. Yolanda Crittenden, Staff Accountant
Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Corporation Finance
January 29, 2010
Page 2
low for leases as to which the Company established intangible lease liabilities. This schedule
shows that of leases that had potential lease-modifying events subsequent to acquisition, 63.5%,
based on annualized base rent, were not renewed or the premises were vacated. This will confirm,
as per your telephonic request, that all the intangible lease liabilities reflect below-market
leases.
The information presented in the table is as follows: (i) property name, (ii) property location,
(iii) tenant name, (iv) expiration date of original non-cancelable lease term at the date of
acquisition, (v) year in which the lease had potential lease-modifying events, and (vi) annualized
base rent amount due from the tenant:
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Original |
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Year of |
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Non-Cancelable |
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Appli- |
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Lease Expiration |
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cable |
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Annualized |
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Property |
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Tenant |
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Date |
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Event |
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Base Rent |
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Tenants not renewing leases or vacating premises |
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The Brickyard |
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Berlin, CT |
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Sams Club |
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1/31/2010 |
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2009 |
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$ |
1,103,038 |
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Oakland Commons |
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Bristol, CT |
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Shaws |
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2/29/2016 |
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2009 |
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956,568 |
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Kempsville Crossing |
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Virginia Beach, VA |
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Farm Fresh |
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1/31/2021 |
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2009 |
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805,140 |
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West Bridgewater Plaza |
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W Bridgewater, MA |
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Shaws |
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2/28/2027 |
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2009 |
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500,000 |
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Shore Mall |
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Egg Harbor Twp, NJ |
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Value City |
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6/30/2009 |
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2008 |
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410,400 |
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The Brickyard |
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Berlin, CT |
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Syms |
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3/31/2010 |
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2009 |
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367,840 |
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Lake Raystown Plaza |
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Huntingdon, PA |
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Giant Foods |
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9/25/2006 |
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2006 |
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309,867 |
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Jordan Lane |
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Wethersfield, CT |
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Friendly Fitness |
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8/31/2014 |
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2009 |
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50,708 |
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Parkway Plaza |
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Mechanicsburg, PA |
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Fulton Bank |
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12/31/2018 |
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2008 |
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40,320 |
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4,543,881 |
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63.5 |
% |
Total tenants renewing |
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2,610,318 |
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36.5 |
% |
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Total |
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$ |
7,154,199 |
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In connection with the above, the Company hereby acknowledges that:
1. The Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosures in the filings;
2. Staff comments or changes to disclosures in response to staff comments do not foreclose the
Commission from taking any action with respect to the filings; and
3. The Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the
Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.
If, after review hereof, you should have any additional questions or should require any additional
information, please contact the undersigned at (direct) 516-944-4525.
Ms. Yolanda Crittenden, Staff Accountant
Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Corporation Finance
January 29, 2010
Page 3
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Very truly yours,
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/s/ LEO S. ULLMAN
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Leo S. Ullman |
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Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President |
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cc: |
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Ms. Linda VanDoorn, Senior Assistant Chief Accountant |