ITEM 1A.    RISK FACTORS.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS AND OUR PROPERTIES

Store closings, leasing and construction delays, lease terminations, tenant financial difficulties and tenant bankruptcies have in the past and could in the future adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We receive a substantial portion of our operating income as rent under leases with tenants. At any time, any tenant having space in one or more of our properties could experience a downturn in its business that might weaken its financial condition. There are also a number of tenants that are based outside the U.S., and these tenants are affected by economic conditions in the country where their headquarters are located and internationally. Any of such tenants might enter into or renew leases with relatively shorter terms. Such tenants might also defer or fail to make rental payments when due, delay or defer lease commencement, voluntarily vacate the premises or declare bankruptcy, which could result in the termination of the tenant’s lease, or preclude the collection of rent in connection with the space for a period of time, and could result in material losses to us and harm to our results of operations. Also, it might take time to terminate leases of underperforming or nonperforming tenants, and we might incur costs to remove such tenants. Some of our tenants occupy stores at multiple locations in our portfolio, and so the effect of any bankruptcy or store closing of those tenants might be more significant to us than the bankruptcy or store closings of other tenants. In addition, under some of our leases, our tenants pay rent based, in whole or in part, on a percentage of their sales. Accordingly, declines in these tenants’ sales could directly affect our results of operations, and in some cases allow these tenants to cancel their leases pursuant to a sales termination clause. Also, if tenants are unable to comply with the terms of our leases, or otherwise seek changes to the terms, including changes to the amount of rent, we might modify lease terms in ways that are less favorable to us.

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If a tenant files for bankruptcy, the tenant might have the right to reject and terminate its leases, and we cannot be sure that it will affirm its leases and continue to make rental payments in a timely manner. A bankruptcy filing by, or relating to, one of our tenants would bar all efforts by us to collect pre-bankruptcy debts from that tenant, or from their property, unless we receive an order permitting us to do so from the bankruptcy court. In addition, we cannot evict a tenant solely because of its bankruptcy. If a lease is assumed by the tenant in bankruptcy, all pre-bankruptcy balances due under the lease must be paid to us in full. However, if a lease is rejected by a tenant in bankruptcy, we would have only a general unsecured claim for damages in connection with such balances. If a bankrupt tenant vacates a space, it might not do so in a timely manner, and we might be unable to re-lease the vacated space during that time, at attractive rates, or at all. In addition, such a scenario with one tenant could result in lease terminations or reductions in rent by other tenants of the same property whose leases have co-tenancy provisions. These other tenants might seek changes to the terms of their leases, including changes to the amount of rent to be paid. Any unsecured claim we hold against a bankrupt tenant might be paid only to the extent that funds are available and only in the same percentage as is paid to all other holders of unsecured claims, and there are restrictions under bankruptcy laws that limit the amount of the claim we can make if a lease is rejected. As a result, it is likely that we would recover substantially less than the full value of any unsecured claims we hold, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In some instances, retailers that have sought protection from creditors under bankruptcy law have had difficulty in obtaining debtor-in-possession financing, which has decreased the likelihood that such retailers will emerge from bankruptcy protection and has limited their alternatives. Tenant bankruptcies and liquidations have adversely affected, and are likely in the future to adversely affect, our financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in the retail industry, particularly among anchor tenant retailers, could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The income we generate depends in part on our anchor or other major tenants’ ability to attract customers to our properties and generate traffic, which affects the property’s ability to attract non-anchor tenants, and thus the revenue generated by the property. In recent years, in connection with economic conditions and other changes in the retail industry, including customers’ use of smartphones and websites and the continued expansion of e-commerce generally, some anchor tenant retailers have experienced decreases in operating performance, and in response, they are contemplating strategic, operational and other changes. The strategic and operational changes being considered by anchor tenants include subleasing, combinations and other consolidation designed to increase scale, leverage with suppliers like landlords, and other efficiencies, which might result in the restructuring of these companies and which could involve withdrawal from certain geographic areas, such as secondary or tertiary trade areas, or the closure or sale of stores operated by them. We have been affected by anchor store closings in the past and cannot assure you that there will not be additional store closings by any anchor or other tenant in the future, which could affect our results of operations, cash flows, and ability to make cash distributions. The closure of one or more anchor stores would have a negative effect on the affected properties, on our portfolio and on our results of operations. In addition, a lease termination by an anchor for any reason, a failure by an anchor to occupy the premises, or any other cessation of operations by an anchor could result in lease terminations or reductions in rent by other tenants of the same property whose leases permit cancellation or rent reduction (i.e., co-tenancy provisions) if an anchor’s lease is terminated or the anchor otherwise ceases occupancy or operations. In that event, we might be unable to re-lease the vacated space of the anchor or non-anchor stores in a timely manner, or at all. If a large number of anchor stores close in a particular region, competition to fill these vacancies could cause us to lease space at lower rates than we would otherwise seek, which could negatively affect our results of operations. In addition, the leases of some anchors might permit the anchor to transfer its lease, including any attendant approval rights, to another retailer. The transfer to a new anchor could cause customer traffic in the property to decrease or to be composed of different types of customers, which could reduce the income generated by that property. A transfer of a lease to a new anchor also could allow other tenants to make reduced rental payments or to terminate their leases at the property, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Approximately 35% of our non-anchor leases expire in 2020 or 2021 or are in holdover status, and if we are unable to renew these leases or re-lease the space covered by these leases on equivalent terms, we might experience reduced occupancy and traffic at our properties and lower rental revenue, net operating income, cash flows and funds available for distributions.

The current conditions in the economy, including rising interest rates and changes in the means and patterns of consumer behavior, may affect employment growth and cause fluctuations and variations in retail sales, consumer confidence and consumer spending on retail goods. The weaker operating performance of certain retailers, combined in some circumstances with overleveraged retailer balance sheets in recent years has resulted in store closings and in delays or deferred decisions regarding the openings of new retail stores at some of our properties and affected renewals of both anchor and non-anchor leases. In recent years, partially because of the economic environment, we frequently renewed leases with terms of one year, two years or three years, rather than the more typical five years or ten years. These shorter term leases enabled both the tenant and us, before entering into a longer term lease, to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a longer term lease at a later time in the economic cycle, at least in part with the expectation that there will be greater visibility into future conditions in the economy and future trends. As a result, we have a substantial number of such leases that are in holdover status or will expire in the next few years, including some leases with our top 20 tenants, and including both anchor and non-anchor leases. See “Item 2. Properties—Retail Lease Expiration Schedule” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Leasing Activity.” We might not be successful in renewing the leases for, or re-leasing, the space covered by leases that are in holdover status or that are expiring in 2020 and 2021, or obtaining positive rent renewal spreads, or even renewing the leases on terms comparable to those of the expiring leases. If we are not successful, we will be likely to experience reduced occupancy, traffic, rental revenue and net operating income, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and ability to make distributions to shareholders.

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The investments we have made in redeveloping older properties and developing new properties could be subject to delays or other risks and might not yield the returns we anticipate, which would harm our financial condition and operating results.

Currently, we are planning or engaged in redevelopment projects at a number of our properties. Additionally, Fashion District Philadelphia (“FDP”), which is a significant redevelopment project undertaken through our 50/50 joint venture, opened in September 2019, but development is continuing and FDP has not yet stabilized. To the extent we continue current redevelopment projects or enter into new redevelopment or development projects in the longer term, they will be subject to a number of risks that could negatively affect our return on investment, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to shareholders, including, among others:

Some of our retail properties were constructed or last renovated more than 10 years ago. Older, unrenovated properties tend to generate lower rent and might require significant expense for maintenance or renovations to maintain competitiveness, which, if incurred, could harm our results of operations. Subject to the terms and conditions of our Credit Agreements, as a key component of our growth strategy, we plan to continue to redevelop existing properties, and we might develop or redevelop other projects as opportunities arise. These plans are subject to then-prevailing economic, capital market and retail industry conditions.

We might elect not to proceed with certain development projects after they have begun. In general, when we elect not to proceed with a project that has commenced, development costs for such a project will be expensed in the then-current period. The accelerated recognition of these expenses could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for the period in which the expenses are recognized.

We might be unable to effectively manage any redevelopment and development projects involving a mix of uses, or other unique aspects, such as a project located in a city rather than a suburb, which could affect our financial condition and results of operations.

The complex nature of redevelopment and development projects calls for substantial management time, attention and skill. Some of our redevelopment and development projects currently, and in the future, might involve mixed uses of the properties, including residential, office and other uses. We might not have all of the necessary or desirable skill sets to manage such projects. If a development or redevelopment project includes a non-retail use, we might seek to sell the rights to that component to a third-party developer with experience in that use, or we might seek to partner with such a developer. If we are not able to sell the rights to, or partner with, such a developer, or if we choose to develop the other component ourselves, we would be exposed not only to those risks typically associated with the development of commercial real estate generally, and of retail real estate, but also to specific risks associated with the development, ownership and property management of non-retail real estate, such as the demand for residential or office space of the types to be developed and the effects of general economic conditions on such property types, as opposed to the effects on retail real estate, with which we are more familiar. Also, if we pursue a redevelopment or development project with a different or unique aspect, such as a project in a dense city location like the redevelopment of Fashion District Philadelphia, either in a partnership with another developer (like with Macerich for Fashion District Philadelphia) or ourselves, we would be, and are, exposed to the particular risks associated with the unique aspect such as, in the case of dense city projects, differences in the entitlements process, different types of responses by particular stakeholders and different involvement and priorities of local, state and federal government entities. In addition, even if we sell the rights to develop a specific component or elect to participate in the development through a partnership, we might be exposed to the risks associated with the failure of the other party to complete the development as expected. These include the risk that the other party would default on its obligations, necessitating that we complete the component ourselves (including providing any necessary financing). The lack of sufficient management resources, or of the necessary skill sets to execute our plans, or the failure of a partner in connection with a joint, mixed-use or other unique development, could delay or prevent us from realizing our expectations with respect to any such projects and could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Expense reimbursements are relatively low and might continue to be relatively low. Also, operating expense amounts have increased and, in the future, are likely to continue to increase, reducing our cash flow and funds available for future distributions.

Our leases have historically provided that the tenant is liable for a portion of common area maintenance (“CAM”) costs, real estate taxes and other operating expenses. If these expenses increase, then under such provisions, the tenant’s portion of such expenses also increases. Our new leases are continuing to incorporate terms providing for fixed CAM reimbursement or caps on the rate of annual increases in CAM reimbursement. In these cases, a tenant will pay a set or capped expense reimbursement amount, regardless of the actual amount of operating expenses. The tenant’s payment remains the same even if operating expenses increase, causing us to be responsible for the excess amount. To the extent that existing leases, new leases or renewals of leases do not require a pro rata contribution from tenants, and to the extent that any new fixed CAM reimbursement provision sets an amount below actual expense levels, we are liable for the cost of such expenses in excess of the portion paid by tenants, if any. This has affected and could, in the future, adversely affect our net effective rent, our results of operations and our ability to make distributions to shareholders. Further, if a property is not fully occupied, as it typically is not, we are required to pay the portion of the expenses allocable to the vacant space that is otherwise typically paid by tenants, which would adversely affect our results of operations and our ability to make distributions to shareholders.

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Our properties are also subject to the risk of increases in CAM costs and other operating expenses, which typically include real estate taxes, energy and other utility costs, repairs, maintenance on and capital improvements to common areas, security, housekeeping, property and liability insurance and administrative costs. A significant portion of our operating expenses are managed through contracts with third-party vendors. Vendor consolidation could result in increased expense for such services.  In addition, in recent years, municipalities have sought to raise real estate taxes paid by our property in their jurisdiction because of their strained budgets, our recent redevelopment of such property or for other reasons. In some cases, our mall might be the largest single taxpayer in a jurisdiction, which could make real estate tax increases significant to us. If operating expenses increase, the availability of other comparable retail space in the specific geographic markets where our properties are located might limit our ability to pass these increases through to tenants, or, if we do pass all or a part of these increases on, might lead tenants to seek retail space elsewhere, which, in either case, could adversely affect our results of operations and limit our ability to make distributions to shareholders.

The valuation and accounting treatment of certain long-lived assets, such as real estate, or of intangible assets, such as goodwill, could result in future asset impairments, which would be recorded as operating losses.

Real estate investments and related intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances, such as a decrease in net operating income, the loss of an anchor tenant or an agreement of sale at a price below book value, indicate that the carrying amount of the property might not be recoverable. An operating property to be held and used is considered impaired under applicable accounting authority only if management’s estimate of the aggregate future cash flows to be generated by the property, undiscounted and without interest charges, is less than the carrying value of the property. In addition, this estimate may consider a probability weighted cash flow estimation approach when alternative courses of action to recover the carrying amount of a long-lived asset are under consideration or when a range of possible values is estimated. This estimate takes into consideration factors such as expected future net operating income, trends and prospects, and upcoming lease maturities, as well as the effects of demand, competition and other factors. We have set our estimates of future cash flows to be generated by our properties taking into account these factors, which might cause changes in our estimates in the future. If we find that the carrying value of real estate investments and related intangible assets has been impaired, as we did in recent years, we will recognize impairment with respect to such assets. Applicable accounting principles require that goodwill and certain intangible assets be tested for impairment annually or earlier upon the occurrence of certain events or substantive changes in circumstances. If we find that the carrying value of goodwill or certain intangible assets exceeds estimated fair value, we will reduce the carrying value of the real estate investment or goodwill or intangible asset to the estimated fair value, and we will recognize impairment with respect to such investments or goodwill or intangible assets.

Impairment of long-lived assets is required to be recorded as a noncash operating expense. Our 2019, 2018, and 2017 impairment analyses resulted in noncash impairment charges on long-lived assets of $5.0 million, $137.5 million, and $55.8 million, respectively, and, as a result, the carrying values of our impaired assets were reset to their estimated fair values as of the respective dates on which the impairments were recognized. Any further decline in the estimated fair values of these assets could result in additional impairment charges. It is possible that such impairments, if required, could be material. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies—Asset Impairment.”

Conditions in the U.S. economy might adversely affect our cash flows from operations.

The U.S. economy has continued to experience relatively slow income growth, increased health care costs and reduced or fluctuating business and consumer confidence and retail sales. Changes in the patterns of consumer spending, consumer confidence and seasonal spending have led to decreased operating performance of and bankruptcy or similar filings by several retailer tenants, which has led to store closings, delays or deferred decisions regarding lease renewals and the openings of new retail stores at our properties, and has in some cases affected the ability of our current tenants to meet their obligations to us. This could adversely affect our ability to generate cash flows, meet our debt service requirements, comply with the covenants under our Credit Agreements, make capital expenditures and make distributions to shareholders. These conditions could also have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our retail properties are concentrated in the Eastern United States, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region, and adverse market conditions in that region might affect the ability of our tenants to make lease payments and the interest of prospective tenants to enter into leases, which might reduce the amount of revenue generated by our properties.

Our retail properties are concentrated in the Eastern United States, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region, including a number of properties in the Philadelphia, and to a lesser extent, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas. To the extent adverse conditions affecting retail properties, such as economic conditions, population trends, changing demographics and urbanization, availability and costs of financing, construction costs, income, unemployment, declining real estate values, local real estate conditions, sales and property taxes and tax laws, and weather conditions are particularly adverse in these areas, our results of operations will be affected to a greater degree than companies that do not have concentrations in these regions. If the sales of stores operating at our properties were to decline significantly due to adverse regional conditions, the risk that our tenants, including anchors, will be unable to fulfill the terms of their leases to pay rent or will enter into bankruptcy might increase. Furthermore, such adverse regional conditions might affect the likelihood or timing of lease commitments by new tenants or lease renewals by existing tenants as such parties delay their leasing decisions in order to obtain the most current information about trends in their businesses or industries. If, as a result of prolonged adverse regional conditions, occupancy at our properties decreases or our properties do not generate sufficient revenue to meet our operating and other expenses, including debt service, our financial position, results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to shareholders would be adversely affected.

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The benefits of our redevelopment of The Gallery at Market East into Fashion District Philadelphia may not be realized as expected and our financial results could be adversely affected.

We, along with our joint venture partner, The Macerich Company, undertook the significant redevelopment of Fashion District Philadelphia (“FDP”). FDP opened in 2019, but development activities are continuing, occupancy has not yet been fully achieved, and stabilization is currently projected to be realized in 2021. Although FDP is expected to generate a positive contribution and provide for future growth, operating FDP involves a number of risks, including those that are financial and operational in nature. For example, FDP may under-perform relative to our expectations or not perform in accordance with our anticipated timetable or it may place unanticipated demands on our resources.  If we are unable to realize the expected benefits of our investment in this joint venture, our financial results could be adversely affected.

We have invested and expect to invest in the future in partnerships with third parties to acquire, develop or redevelop properties, and we might not control the management, redevelopment or disposition of these properties, or we might be exposed to other risks.

We have invested and expect to invest in the future as a partner with third parties in the acquisition or ownership of existing properties or the development of new properties, in contrast to acquiring or owning properties or developing projects by ourselves. Entering into partnerships with third parties involves risks not present where we act alone, in that we might not have primary control over the acquisition, disposition, development, redevelopment, financing, leasing, management, budgeting and other aspects of the property or project. These limitations might adversely affect our ability to develop, redevelop or sell these properties at the most advantageous time for us, if at all. Also, there might be restrictive provisions and rights that apply to sales or transfers of interests in our partnership properties, which might require us to make decisions about buying or selling interests at a disadvantageous time.

Some of our retail properties are owned by partnerships for which major decisions, such as a sale, lease, refinancing, redevelopment, expansion or rehabilitation of a property, or a change of property manager, require the consent of all partners. Accordingly, because decisions must be unanimous, necessary actions might be delayed significantly and it might be difficult or even impossible to remove a partner that is serving as the property manager. We might not be able to resolve favorably any conflicts which arise with respect to such decisions, or we might be required to provide financial or other inducements to our partners to obtain a resolution. In cases where we are not the controlling partner or where we are only one of the general partners, there are many decisions that do not relate to fundamental matters that do not require our approval and that we do not control. Also, in cases in which we serve as managing general partner of the partnership that owns the property, we might have certain fiduciary responsibilities to the other partners in those partnerships.

Business disagreements with our third-party partners might arise. We might incur substantial expenses in resolving these disputes. Moreover, we cannot assure you that our resolution of a dispute with a third-party partner will be on terms that are favorable to us.

The profitability of each partnership we enter into with a third party that has short-term financing or debt requiring a balloon payment is dependent on the subsequent availability of long-term financing on satisfactory terms. If satisfactory long-term financing is not available, we might have to rely on other sources of short-term financing or equity contributions. Although these partnerships are not wholly-owned by us, if any obligations were recourse, we might be required to pay the full amount of any obligation of the partnership, or we might elect to pay all of the obligations of such a partnership to protect our equity interest in its properties and assets. This could cause us to utilize a substantial portion of our liquidity sources or operating funds and could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and reduce amounts available for distribution to shareholders.

Other risks of investments in partnerships with third parties include:

We face competition for the acquisition of properties, development sites and other assets, which might impede our ability to make future acquisitions or might increase the cost of these acquisitions.

We compete with many other entities engaged in real estate investment activities for acquisitions of malls, other retail properties and other prime development sites or sites adjacent to our properties, including institutional investors, other REITs and other owner-operators of retail properties. Our efforts to compete for acquisitions are also subject to the terms and conditions and limitations of our Credit Agreements. When we seek to make acquisitions, competitors might drive up the price we must pay for properties, parcels, other assets or other companies, or might themselves succeed in acquiring those properties, parcels, assets or companies. In addition, our potential acquisition targets might find our competitors to be more attractive suitors if they have greater resources, are willing to pay more, or have a more compatible operating philosophy. In particular, larger REITs might enjoy significant competitive advantages that result from, among other things, a lower cost of capital, a better ability to raise capital, a better ability to finance an acquisition, and enhanced operating efficiencies. We might not succeed in acquiring retail properties or development sites that we seek, or, if we pay a higher price for a property or site, or generate lower cash flow from an acquired property or site than we expect, our investment returns will be reduced, which will adversely affect the value of our securities.

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We might not be successful in identifying suitable acquisitions that meet the criteria we apply, given economic, market or other circumstances, which might adversely affect our results of operations.

Acquisitions of retail properties have historically been an important component of our growth strategy, though we have initiated few acquisitions in recent years. Expanding by acquisitions requires us to identify suitable acquisition candidates or investment opportunities that meet the criteria we apply, given economic, market or other circumstances, and that are compatible with our growth strategy. We must also typically obtain financing on terms that are acceptable to us. We analyze potential acquisitions on a property-by-property and market-by-market basis. We might not be successful in identifying suitable properties or other assets in our existing geographic markets or in markets new to us that meet the acquisition criteria we apply, given economic, market or other circumstances, in financing such properties or other assets or in consummating acquisitions or investments on satisfactory terms. In connection with prospective acquisitions, we generally conduct a due diligence review of the target property, portfolio or investment.  While the process of due diligence is intended to provide us with an independent basis to evaluate a prospective acquisition, in some cases we might be given limited time or be given limited materials to review, or pertinent facts might not be adequately uncovered. In such cases, the decision of whether to pursue acquiring the property or portfolio might be based on insufficient, incomplete or inaccurate information, which might lead us to make acquisitions that might have additional or larger issues than we anticipated. If so, these issues might reduce the returns on our investment and affect our financial condition and results of operations. An inability to successfully identify, consummate or finance acquisitions could reduce the number of acquisitions we complete and impede our growth, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

We might be unable to integrate effectively any additional properties we might acquire, which might result in disruptions to our business and additional expense.

To the extent that we pursue acquisitions of additional properties or portfolios of properties that meet the investment criteria we apply, given economic, market and other circumstances, we might not be able to adapt our management and operational systems to effectively manage any such acquired properties or portfolios. Specific risks for our ongoing operations posed by acquisitions we have completed or that we might complete in the future include:

If we fail to successfully integrate any properties, portfolios, assets or companies we acquire, or fail to effectively handle our increased operations or to realize the intended benefits of any such transactions, our financial condition and results of operations, and our ability to make distributions to shareholders, might be adversely affected.

Our business could be harmed if members of our corporate management team terminate their employment with us or otherwise are unable to continue in their current capacity or we are unable to attract and retain talented employees.

Our future success depends, to a meaningful extent, upon the continued services of Joseph F. Coradino, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Mario C. Ventresca, Jr., our Chief Financial Officer, and the services of our corporate management team and, more broadly, our employees generally. Our executives have substantial experience in managing, developing and acquiring retail real estate. In March 2020, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Mario C. Ventresca, Jr. to serve as its Chief Financial Officer. We have also entered into an employment agreement with Joseph F. Coradino, our Chief Executive Officer. Each of these individuals could elect to terminate their respective agreements at any time. The loss of services of one or more members of our corporate management team, or our failure to attract and retain talented employees generally could harm our business and our prospects. Further, if we undertake certain cost-savings and restructuring initiatives in the future, they may be disruptive to our workforce and operations and adversely affect our financial results, because they may impact employee morale and may impair our ability to attract and retain talent.

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If we suffer losses that are not covered by insurance or that are in excess of our insurance coverage limits, we could lose invested capital and anticipated profits.

There are some types of losses, including those of a catastrophic nature, such as losses due to wars, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, pollution, environmental matters, information technology system failures (including phishing, ransomware and cyber attacks) and lease and contract claims, that are generally uninsurable or not economically insurable, or might be subject to insurance coverage limitations, including large deductibles or co-payments or caps on coverage amounts. Under federal terrorism risk insurance legislation, the United States government provides reinsurance coverage to insurance companies following a declared terrorism event. There is a generally similar program relating to flood insurance.  If either or both of these programs were no longer in effect, it might become prohibitively expensive, or impossible, to obtain insurance that covers damages or losses from those types of events.  Tenants might also encounter difficulty obtaining coverage. 

If one of these events occurred to, or caused the destruction of, one or more of our properties, we could lose both our invested capital and anticipated profits from that property. We also might remain obligated for any mortgage loan or other financial obligation related to the property. In addition, if we are unable to obtain insurance in the future at acceptable levels and at a reasonable cost, the possibility of losses in excess of our insurance coverage might increase and we might not be able to comply with covenants under our debt agreements, which could adversely affect our financial condition. If any of our properties were to experience a significant, uninsured loss, it could seriously disrupt our operations, delay our receipt of revenue and result in large expense to repair or rebuild the property. These types of events could adversely affect our cash flow, results of operations and ability to make distributions to shareholders.

We might incur costs to comply with environmental laws, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances, regulations and case law, an owner, former owner or operator of real estate might be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances present at, on, under, in or released from its property, regardless of whether the owner, operator or other responsible party knew of or was at fault for the release or presence of hazardous or toxic substances. The responsible party also might be liable to the government or to third parties for substantial property damage and investigation and cleanup costs. Even if more than one person might have been responsible for the contamination, each person covered by the environmental laws might be held responsible for all of the clean-up costs incurred. In addition, some environmental laws create a lien on the contaminated site in favor of the government for damages and costs the government incurs in connection with the contamination. Contamination might adversely affect the owner’s ability to sell or lease real estate or borrow with that real estate as collateral. In connection with our ownership, operation, management, development and redevelopment of properties, or any other properties we acquire in the future, we might be liable under these laws and might incur costs in responding to these liabilities.

We are aware of certain environmental matters at some of our properties. We have, in the past, investigated and, where appropriate, performed remediation of such environmental matters, but we might be required in the future to perform testing relating to these matters and further remediation might be required, or we might incur liability as a result of such environmental matters. Environmental matters at our properties include the following:

Asbestos. Asbestos-containing materials are present at a number of our properties, primarily in the form of floor tiles, mastics, roofing materials and adhesives. Fire-proofing material containing asbestos is present at some of our properties in limited concentrations or in limited areas. Under applicable laws and practices, asbestos-containing material in good, non-friable condition are allowed to be present, although removal might be required in certain circumstances. In particular, in the course of any redevelopment, renovation, construction or build out of tenant space, asbestos-containing materials are generally removed.

Underground and Above Ground Storage Tanks. Underground and above ground storage tanks are or were present at some of our properties. These tanks were used to store waste oils or other petroleum products primarily related to the operation of automobile service center establishments at those properties. In some cases, the underground storage tanks have been abandoned in place, filled in with inert materials or removed and replaced with above ground tanks. Some of these tanks might have leaked into the soil, leading to ground water and soil contamination. Where leakage has occurred, we might incur investigation, remediation and monitoring costs if responsible current or former tenants, or other responsible parties, are unavailable to pay such costs.

Ground Water and Soil Contamination. Ground water contamination has been found at some properties in which we currently or formerly had an interest. At some properties, dry cleaning operations, which might have used solvents, contributed to ground water and soil contamination.

Each of our retail properties has been subjected to a Phase I or similar environmental audit (which involves a visual property inspection and a review of records, but not soil sampling or ground water analysis) by environmental consultants. These audits have not revealed, and we are not aware of, any environmental liability that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. It is possible, however, that there are material environmental liabilities of which we are unaware. Also, we cannot assure you that future laws will not impose any material environmental liability, or that the current environmental condition of our properties will not be affected by the operations of our tenants, by the existing condition of the land, by operations in the vicinity of the properties (such as the presence of underground storage tanks) or by the activities of unrelated third parties.

We have environmental liability insurance coverage for the types of environmental liabilities described above, which currently covers liability for pollution and on-site remediation of up to $25.0 million per occurrence and $25.0 million in the aggregate over our three year policy term. We cannot assure you that this coverage will be adequate to cover future environmental liabilities. If this environmental coverage were inadequate, we would be obligated to fund those liabilities. We might be unable to continue to obtain insurance for environmental matters, at a reasonable cost or at all, in the future.

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In addition to the costs of remediation, we might incur additional costs to comply with federal, state and local laws relating to environmental protection and human health and safety. There are also various federal, state and local fire, health, life-safety and similar regulations that might be applicable to our operations and that might subject us to liability in the form of fines or damages for noncompliance. The cost described above, individually or in the aggregate, could adversely affect our results of operations.

Inflation may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Inflationary price increases could have an adverse effect on consumer spending, which could impact our tenants’ sales and, in turn, our tenants’ business operations. This could affect the amount of rent these tenants pay, including if their leases provide for percentage rent or percentage of sales rent, and their ability to pay rent. Also, inflation could cause increases in operating expenses, which could increase occupancy costs for tenants and, to the extent that we are unable to recover operating expenses from tenants, could increase operating expenses for us. In addition, if the rate of inflation exceeds the scheduled rent increases included in our leases, then our net operating income and our profitability would decrease. Inflation could also result in increases in market interest rates, which could not only negatively impact consumer spending and tenant investment decisions, but would also increase the borrowing costs associated with our existing or any future variable rate debt, to the extent such rates are not effectively hedged or fixed, or any future debt that we incur.

We face risks associated with, and have experienced, security breaches through cyber attacks. A significant privacy breach or IT system disruption could adversely affect our business and we might be required to increase our spending on data and system security, which could adversely affect our financial condition.

We rely on information technology networks and systems, including the Internet, to process, transmit and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business processes and activities. In addition, our business relationships with our tenants and vendors involve the storage and transmission of proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data. Like many businesses today, we have experienced an increase in cyber-threats and attempted intrusions. Our systems are subject to a variety of forms of cyber attacks (including phishing and ransomware attacks) with the objective of gaining unauthorized access to our systems or data or disrupting our operations.  Security breaches have, from time to time, occurred and may occur in the future.  Due to the nature of these attacks, there is a risk that an attack or intrusion remains undetected for a period of time.  Though the cyber attacks we have experienced have not had a material impact on our financial results to date, and we maintain cyber liability insurance coverage, there remains a risk that breaches in security could expose us, our tenants or our employees to a risk of loss, misappropriation of assets that cannot be recovered, or misuse of proprietary information and of sensitive or confidential data. In addition, our information technology systems, some of which are managed or hosted by third-parties, may be susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to computer viruses, attacks by computer hackers, telecommunication failures, user errors or catastrophic events, failures during the process of upgrading or replacing software, databases or components thereof, power outages or hardware failures. Any of these occurrences could result in disruptions in our operations, the loss of existing or potential tenants or shoppers, damage to our brand and reputation, regulatory compliance efforts and costs, remediation costs, and litigation and potential liability. Even the most well-protected information remains potentially vulnerable, because the techniques and sophistication used to conduct cyber attacks and breaches of IT systems, as well as the sources of these attacks, change frequently and are often not recognized until they are launched and have been put in place for a period of time.  Although we make substantial efforts to maintain the security of our networks and related systems, there can be no assurance that our security efforts will be effective or that attempted security breaches would not be successful or damaging. Our efforts include conducting periodic assessments of internal and external threats to and vulnerabilities of our information and technology systems, security controls and processes in place and the effectiveness of our management of cybersecurity risk. The results of these assessments are used to create and implement strategies designed to prevent, detect and respond to cybersecurity threats, and we expect to continue to employ cybersecurity risk mitigation measures, as well as seek to improve and expand such measures.  We expect to continue to dedicate resources to technology and mitigating related risks. We may incur increasing costs to deploy additional personnel and protection technologies, to train employees and engage third-party experts and consultants, or to notify employees, suppliers or the general public as part of our notification obligations. The cost and operational consequences of implementing further data or system protection measures or remediation efforts could be significant. Our processes, procedures and controls to reduce these risks, our increased awareness of the risk of a cyber incident, and our insurance coverage, however, do not guarantee that our financial results would not be materially impacted by a cyber incident.

Our retailer tenants’ businesses also require the collection, transmission and retention of large volumes of shopper and employee data, including credit and debit card numbers and other personally identifiable information, in various information technology systems. The consequences of cyber attacks perpetrated against our retailer tenants, which may include the misappropriation of assets or sensitive information or an operational disruption, could diminish consumer confidence and spending, result in fines, legal claims or proceedings or other liability, as well as significant remediation costs, any of which could have a material and adverse effect on their financial condition and results of operations and business. This could, in turn, have an adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

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RISKS RELATED TO THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY

Online shopping and other uses of technology could affect the business models and viability of retailers, which could, in turn, affect their demand for retail real estate.

Online retailing and shopping and the use of technology to aid purchase decisions have increased in recent years, and are expected to continue to increase in the future. In certain categories, such as books, music, apparel and electronics, online retailing has become a significant proportion of total sales, and has affected retailers and consumers significantly. The information available online empowers consumers with knowledge about products and information about prices and other offers differently than information available in a single physical store with sales associates. Consumers are able to purchase products anytime and anywhere, and are able to compare more products than are typically found in a single retail location, and they are able to read product reviews and to compare product features and pricing. In addition, customers of certain of our retailers use technology including smartphones to check competitors’ product offerings and prices while in stores evaluating merchandise. Some tenants utilize our shopping centers as showrooms or as part of an omni-channel strategy (allowing for customers to shop online or in stores and for order fulfillment and returns to take place in stores or via shipping). In this model, customers may make purchases during or immediately after visiting our malls, with such sales not currently being captured in our tenant sales figures or monetized in our minimum or percentage rents.

Online shopping and technology, such as smartphone applications, might affect the business models, sales and profitability of retailers, which might, in turn, affect the demand for retail real estate, occupancy at our properties and the amount of rent that we receive. Any resulting decreases in rental revenue could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and ability to make distributions to shareholders.

We are subject to risks that affect the retail real estate environment generally.

Our business focuses on retail real estate, predominantly malls. As such, we are subject to certain risks that can affect the ability of our retail properties to generate sufficient revenue to meet our operating and other expenses, including debt service, to make capital expenditures and to make distributions to our shareholders. We face continuing challenges because of changing consumer preferences and because the conditions in the economy affect employment growth and cause fluctuations and variations in retail sales and in business and consumer confidence and consumer spending on retail goods. In general, a number of factors can negatively affect the income generated by a retail property or the value of a property, including: a downturn in the national, regional or local economy; a decrease in employment or consumer confidence or spending; increases in operating costs, such as common area maintenance, real estate taxes, utility rates and insurance premiums; higher energy or fuel costs resulting from adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, geopolitical concerns, terrorist activities and other factors; changes in interest rate levels and the cost and availability of financing; a weakening of 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; trends in the retail industry; seasonality; changes in perceptions by retailers or shoppers of the safety, convenience and attractiveness of a retail property; perceived changes in the convenience and quality of competing retail properties and other retailing options such as internet shopping or other strategies, such as using smartphones or other technologies to determine where to make and to assist in making purchases; the ability of our tenants to meet shoppers’ demands for quality, variety, and product availability, which may be impacted by supply chain disruptions; and changes in laws and regulations applicable to real property, including tax and zoning laws. For example, in early 2020, a global outbreak of a novel coronavirus occurred, leading to travel restrictions and plant shutdowns, all of which have impacted, and could continue to impact, our tenants’ supply chains and, ultimately, retail product availability. Fears related to this coronavirus outbreak has impacted, and may continue to impact, shoppers’ willingness to visit our retail properties and the continued spread of the virus has resulted in property shutdowns, and may result in additional shutdowns of our retail properties, particularly in certain geographies reporting increasing diagnoses of the virus or related illnesses. The extent of the outbreak and its impact on our tenants and our operations is uncertain, but a prolonged outbreak could continue to have a material impact.  

Changes in one or more of the aforementioned factors can lead to a decrease in the revenue or income generated by our properties and can have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Many of these factors could also specifically or disproportionately affect one or more of our tenants, which could lead to decreased operating performance, reduce property revenue and affect our results of operations. If the estimated future cash flows related to a particular property are significantly reduced, we may be required to reduce the carrying value of the property.

The retail real estate industry is highly competitive, and this competition could harm our ability to operate profitably.

Competition in the retail real estate industry is intense. We compete with other public and private retail real estate companies, including companies that own or manage malls, power centers, strip centers, lifestyle centers, factory outlet centers, theme/festival centers and community centers, as well as other commercial real estate developers and real estate owners, particularly those with properties near our properties, on the basis of several factors, including location and rent charged. We compete with these companies to attract customers to our properties, as well as to attract anchor, non-anchor and other tenants. We also compete to acquire land for new site development or to add to our existing properties. Our properties face competition from similar retail centers, including more recently developed or renovated centers that are near our retail properties. We also face competition from a variety of different retail formats, including internet retailers, discount or value retailers, home shopping networks, mail order operators, catalogs, and telemarketers. Our tenants face competition from companies at the same and other properties and from other retail formats as well, including retailers with a significant online presence. This competition could have a material adverse effect on our ability to lease space and on the amount of rent and expense reimbursements that we receive.

The existence or development of competing retail properties and the related increased competition for tenants might, subject to the terms and conditions of our Credit Agreements, require us to make capital improvements to properties that we would have deferred or would not have otherwise planned to make, and might affect the occupancy and net operating income of such properties. Any such capital improvements, undertaken individually or collectively, would involve costs and expenses that could adversely affect our results of operations.

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Acts of violence or war or other terrorist activity, including at our properties, could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Violent activities, terrorist or other attacks, threats of attacks or the increased frequency of such attacks or threats of attacks could directly affect the value of our properties as a result of casualties or through property damage, destruction or loss, or by making shoppers afraid to patronize such properties. The availability of insurance for such acts, or of insurance generally, might decrease, or cost more, which could increase our operating expenses and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Future acts of violence or terrorist attacks in the United States might result in declining economic activity, which could harm the demand for goods and services offered by our tenants and the value of our properties, and might adversely affect the value of an investment in our securities. Such a decrease in retail demand could make it difficult for us to renew leases or enter into new leases at our properties at lease rates equal to or above historical rates. To the extent that our tenants are directly or indirectly affected by future attacks, their businesses similarly could be adversely affected, including their ability to continue to meet obligations under their existing leases. Customers of the tenants at an affected property, and at other properties, might be less inclined to shop at an affected location or at a retail property generally. Such acts might erode business and consumer confidence and spending, and might result in increased volatility in national and international financial markets and economies. Any such acts could decrease demand for retail goods or real estate, decrease or delay the occupancy of our properties, and limit our access to capital or increase our cost of raising capital.

The illiquidity of real estate investments might delay or prevent us from selling properties that we determine no longer meet the strategic and financial criteria we apply and could significantly affect our ability to respond in a timely manner to adverse changes in the performance of our properties and harm our financial condition.

Substantially all of our assets consist of investments in real properties. We review all of the assets in our portfolio regularly and we make determinations about which assets have growth potential and which properties do not meet the strategic or financial criteria we apply and should thus be divested. Because real estate investments are relatively illiquid, our ability to quickly sell one or more properties in our portfolio in response to our evaluation or to changing economic and financial conditions is limited. The real estate market is affected by many factors that are beyond our control, such as general economic conditions, the availability of financing, interest rates, and the supply and demand for space. We cannot predict whether we will be able to sell any property for the price or on the terms we set, or whether any price or other terms offered by a prospective purchaser would be acceptable to us. The number of prospective buyers interested in purchasing malls is limited. We also cannot predict the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to close the sale of a property. In addition, prospective buyers might experience increased costs of debt financing or other difficulties in obtaining debt financing (as the volatility in the credit markets may be reflected in lending on unfavorable terms to the retail industry), which might make it more difficult for us to sell properties or might adversely affect the price we receive for properties that we do sell. There are also limitations under federal income tax laws applicable to REITs that could limit our ability to sell assets. Therefore, if we want to sell one or more of our properties, we might not be able to make such dispositions in the desired time period, or at all, and might receive less consideration than we seek or than we originally invested in the property.

Before a property can be sold, we might be required to make expenditures to correct defects or to make improvements. We cannot assure you that we will have funds available to correct those defects or to make those improvements, and if we cannot do so, we might not be able to sell the property, or might be required to sell the property on unfavorable terms. In acquiring a property, we might agree with the sellers or others to provisions that materially restrict us from selling that property for a period of time or impose other restrictions, such as limitations on the amount of debt that can be placed or repaid on that property. These factors and any others that would impede our ability to respond to adverse changes in the performance of our properties could significantly harm our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, failure to sell the properties that we intend to sell could delay or negatively affect our strategy to obtain higher rental rates from retailers with multiple stores in our portfolios, including at these properties. 

RISKS RELATED TO OUR INDEBTEDNESS AND OUR FINANCING

We have substantial debt and stated value of preferred shares outstanding, which could adversely affect our overall financial health and our operating flexibility. We require significant cash flows to satisfy our debt service and dividends on our preferred shares outstanding. These obligations may prevent us from using our cash flows for other purposes. If we are unable to satisfy these obligations, we might default on our debt or reduce, defer or suspend our dividend payments on preferred shares or reduce our dividend payments on common shares below historical rates.

We use a substantial amount of debt and preferred shares outstanding to finance our business. As of December 31, 2019, we had an aggregate consolidated indebtedness of $1,702.8 million, the majority of which consisted of mortgage loans secured by our properties. These aggregate debt amounts do not include our proportionate share of indebtedness of our partnership properties, which was $376.3 million as of December 31, 2019. We also had outstanding as of December 31, 2019, in the aggregate, $86.3 million of 7.375% Series B Preferred Shares, $172.5 million of 7.20% Series C Preferred Shares and $125.0 million of 6.875% Series D Preferred Shares.

Our substantial indebtedness and preferred shares outstanding involve significant obligations for the payment of interest, principal and dividends. If we do not have sufficient cash flow from operations to meet these obligations, we might be forced to sell assets to generate cash, which might be on unfavorable terms, if at all, or we might not be able to make all required payments of principal and interest on our debt, which could result in a default or have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations, and which might adversely affect our ability to make distributions to shareholders and might lead us to determine to reduce our dividend payments below historical rates, any of which might adversely affect the value of our preferred shares or our common shares.

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Our substantial obligations arising from our indebtedness and preferred shares could also have other negative consequences to our shareholders, including the acceleration of a significant amount of our debt if we are not in compliance with the terms of such debt or, if such debt contains cross-default or cross-acceleration provisions (as our Credit Agreements do), other debt. If we fail to meet our obligations under our debt and our preferred shares, we could lose assets due to foreclosure or sale on unfavorable terms, which could create taxable income without accompanying cash proceeds, or such failure could harm our ability to obtain additional financing in the future for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, acquisitions, redevelopment and development activities, execution of our business strategy or other general corporate purposes. Also, our indebtedness and mandated debt service might limit our ability to refinance existing debt or to do so at a reasonable cost, might make us more vulnerable to adverse economic and market conditions, might limit our ability to respond to competition or to take advantage of opportunities, and might discourage business partners from working with us or counterparties from entering into hedging transactions with us.

In addition to our current debt, we might incur additional debt in the future in the form of mortgage loans, unsecured borrowings, additional borrowing under our existing Credit Agreements, other term loan borrowings or other financing vehicles or arrangements, or by issuing additional preferred shares. We might do so in order to finance acquisitions, to develop or redevelop properties or for other general corporate purposes, subject to the terms and conditions of our Credit Agreements, which could exacerbate the risks set forth above.

If we are unable to comply with the covenants in our Credit Agreements, we might be adversely affected.

The Credit Agreements require us to satisfy certain customary affirmative and negative covenants and to meet numerous financial tests, including tests relating to our leverage, unencumbered debt yield, interest coverage, fixed charge coverage, tangible net worth, corporate debt yield and facility debt yield. These covenants could restrict our ability to pursue acquisitions, redevelopment and development projects or limit our ability to respond to changes and competition, and reduce our flexibility in conducting our operations by limiting our ability to borrow money, sell or place liens on assets, manage our cash flows, repurchase securities, make capital expenditures or make distributions to shareholders. We expect the current conditions in the economy and the retail industry to continue to affect our operating results. The leverage covenant in the Credit Agreements generally takes our net operating income and applies capitalization rates to calculate Gross Asset Value, and consequently, deterioration or improvement to our operating performance also affects the calculation of our leverage. In addition, a material decline in future operating results could affect our ability to comply with other financial ratio covenants contained in our Credit Agreements, which are calculated on a trailing four quarter basis. Also, we might be restricted in the amount we can borrow based on the Unencumbered Debt Yield covenant under the Credit Agreements. Following recent property sales, the NOI from our remaining unencumbered properties is at a level such that the maximum amount that was available to be borrowed by us under the 2018 Revolving Facility was $26.3 million as of December 31, 2019.

As of December 31, 2019, we were in compliance with all the financial covenants in our Credit Agreements. Particularly in light of recent property sales and reduction in our asset base, however, we are at increased risk of being unable to comply with these covenants or having reduced borrowing capacity. We regularly engage in discussions with lenders that participate in our senior unsecured credit facility regarding our capital and liquidity resources and needs, including to explore alternatives and ensure that we will remain in compliance with our financial covenants and have continued access to funding under the facility, which alternatives may include waivers or amendments. For example, as of the date of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we are in active discussions with the banks participating in our credit facilities to modify the terms of those agreements and obtain debt covenant relief. There is no assurance that we could obtain such waivers or amendments, and even if obtained, we would likely incur additional costs. Our inability to obtain any such waiver or amendment could result in a breach and a possible event of default under our Credit Agreements, which could allow the lenders to discontinue lending or issuing letters of credit, terminate any commitments they have made to provide us with additional funds, and/or declare amounts outstanding to be immediately due and payable. If a default were to occur, we might have to refinance the debt through secured or unsecured debt financing or private or public offerings of debt or equity securities. If we are unable to do so, we might have to liquidate assets, potentially on unfavorable terms. Any of such consequences could negatively affect our financial position, results of operations, cash flow and ability to make capital expenditures and distributions to shareholders.

We have determined that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

In evaluating whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued, our management considered our current financial condition and liquidity sources, including current funds available, forecasted future cash flows and our conditional and unconditional obligations due over the next twelve months. Management considered the following: (i) our senior unsecured facility, which includes a revolving facility maturing in 2022 with a balance of $255.0 million as of December 31, 2019 and term loans maturing in 2021 with a balance of $550.0 million as of December 31, 2019; (ii) our mortgage loans with varying maturities through 2025 with a principal balance of $901.6 million as of December 31, 2019; (iii) the financial covenant compliance requirements of our credit agreements; and (iv) recurring costs of operating our business. As a result of the considerations articulated below, management concluded there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

Although we plan to control costs, sell certain real estate assets and continue to work with the banks participating in our credit facilities to obtain debt covenant relief, there are inherent risks, unknown results and significant uncertainties associated with each of these matters and the direct correlation between these matters and our ability to satisfy financial obligations that may arise over the applicable twelve month period. Our ability to satisfy obligations under our senior unsecured credit facility and mortgage loans, maintain compliance with our debt covenants and fund recurring costs of operations depends on management’s ability to complete the sale of certain real estate assets, which sales will provide cash, to continue to control costs, and to obtain relief from banks participating in our credit facilities in regards to debt covenants. While controlling costs is within management’s control to some extent, executing the sale-leaseback transactions, selling real estate assets and obtaining relief from the lender group through modified debt covenant requirements involve performance by third parties and therefore cannot be considered probable of occurring.

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The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern. Management is taking steps to mitigate the associated risks, but we can provide no assurance that cash generated from our operations together with cash received in the future from our various sources of funding will be sufficient to enable us to continue as a going concern.

We might not be able to refinance our existing obligations or obtain the capital required to finance our activities.

The REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, generally require the distribution to shareholders of 90% of a REIT’s net taxable income, excluding net capital gains, which generally leaves insufficient funds to finance major initiatives internally. Due to these requirements, and subject to the terms of the Credit Agreements, we generally fund certain capital requirements, such as the capital for renovations, expansions, redevelopments, other non-recurring capital improvements, scheduled debt maturities, and acquisitions of properties or other assets, through secured and unsecured indebtedness and, when available and market conditions are favorable, the issuance of additional equity securities.

As of December 31, 2019, we had one consolidated mortgage loan with an outstanding balance of $27.4 million with an initial maturity in July 2020 at our consolidated properties. Also, subject to the terms and conditions of our Credit Agreements, we estimate that we will need between $130.0 million and $150.0 million of additional capital to complete our current active anchor replacement and redevelopment projects, including the completion of redevelopment at Fashion District Philadelphia, which opened on September 19, 2019. Our ability to finance growth from financing sources depends, in part, on our creditworthiness, the availability of credit to us from financing sources, or the market for our debt, equity or equity-related securities when we need capital, and on conditions in the capital markets generally. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for information about our available sources of funds. There can be no assurances that we will continue to be able to obtain the financing we need for future growth or to meet our debt service as obligations mature, or that the financing will be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. A lack of acceptable financing could delay or hinder our growth initiatives, or prevent us from implementing our initiatives on satisfactory terms.

Much of our indebtedness does not require significant principal payments prior to maturity, and we might enter into agreements on similar terms in future transactions. If our mortgage loans and other debts cannot be repaid in full, refinanced or extended at maturity on acceptable terms, or at all, a lender could foreclose upon the mortgaged property and receive an assignment of rent and leases or pursue other remedies, or we might be forced to dispose of one or more of our properties on unfavorable terms, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations and which might adversely affect our cash flow and our ability to make distributions to shareholders.

Payments by our direct and indirect subsidiaries of dividends and distributions to us might be adversely affected by their obligations to make prior payments to the creditors of these subsidiaries.

We own substantially all of our assets through our interest in PREIT Associates. PREIT Associates holds substantially all of its properties and assets through subsidiaries, including subsidiary partnerships and limited liability companies, and derives substantially all of its cash flow from cash distributions to it by its subsidiaries. We, in turn, derive substantially all of our cash flow from cash distributions to us by PREIT Associates. Our direct and indirect subsidiaries must make payments on their obligations to their creditors when due and payable before they may make distributions to us. Thus, PREIT Associates’ ability to make distributions to its partners, including us, depends on its subsidiaries’ ability first to satisfy their obligations to their creditors. Similarly, our ability to pay dividends to holders of our shares depends on PREIT Associates’ ability first to satisfy its obligations to its creditors before making distributions to us. If the subsidiaries were unable to make payments to their creditors when due and payable, or if the subsidiaries had insufficient funds both to make payments to creditors and distribute funds to PREIT Associates, we might not have sufficient cash to satisfy our obligations and/or make distributions to our shareholders.

In addition, we will only have the right to participate in any distribution of the assets of any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries upon the liquidation, reorganization or insolvency of such subsidiary after the claims of the creditors, including mortgage lenders and trade creditors, of that subsidiary are satisfied. Our shareholders, in turn, will have the right to participate in any distribution of our assets upon our liquidation, reorganization or insolvency only after the claims of our creditors, including trade creditors, are satisfied.

Some of our properties are owned or ground-leased by subsidiaries that we created solely to own or ground-lease those properties. The mortgaged properties and related assets are restricted solely for the payment of the related loans and are not available to pay our other debts, which could impair our ability to borrow, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and reduce amounts available for distribution to shareholders.

Our hedging arrangements might not be successful in limiting our risk exposure, and we might incur expenses in connection with these arrangements or their termination that could harm our results of operations or financial condition.

In the normal course of business, we are exposed to financial market risks, including interest rate risk on our interest-bearing liabilities. We use interest rate hedging arrangements to manage our exposure to interest rate volatility, but these arrangements might expose us to additional risks, such as requiring that we fund our contractual payment obligations under such arrangements in relatively large amounts or on short notice. We are also subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to derivative contracts. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract due to financial difficulties, we may experience delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivative contract in a dissolution, assignment for the benefit of creditors, liquidation, winding-up, bankruptcy or other analogous proceeding. As of December 31, 2019, the aggregate fair value of our derivative instruments was an unrealized loss of $11.9 million, which is expected to be subsequently reclassified into earnings in the periods that the hedged forecasted transactions affect earnings. Developing an effective interest rate

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risk strategy is complex, and no strategy can completely insulate us from risks associated with interest rate fluctuations. We might enter into interest rate swaps as hedges in connection with forecasted debt transactions or payments, and if we repay such debt earlier than expected and are no longer obligated to make such payments, then we might determine that the swaps no longer meet the criteria for effective hedges, and we might incur gain or loss on such ineffectiveness. We cannot assure you that our hedging activities will have a positive impact, and it is possible that our strategies could adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations. We might be subject to additional costs, such as transaction fees or breakage costs, if we terminate these arrangements.

We are subject to risks associated with increases in interest rates, including in connection with our variable interest rate debt.

As of December 31, 2019, we had $1.1 billion of indebtedness with variable interest rates, although we have fixed the interest rates on an aggregate of $795.6 million of this variable rate debt by using derivative instruments. In addition, our unconsolidated partnerships have $175.1 million, at our proportionate share, of indebtedness with variable rates. We might incur additional variable rate debt in the future, and, if we do so, the proportion of our debt with variable interest rates might increase. See “Part I. Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”

An increase in market interest rates applicable to the variable portion of the debt portfolio would increase the interest incurred and cash flows necessary to service such debt, subject to our hedging arrangements on such debt. This has and could, in the future, adversely affect our results of operations and our ability to make distributions to shareholders. Also, in coming years, as our current mortgage loans mature, if these mortgage loans are refinanced at higher interest rates than the rates in effect at the time of the prior loans, our interest expense in connection with debt secured by our properties will increase, and could adversely affect our results of operations and ability to make distributions to shareholders.

Furthermore, the expected discontinuation of LIBOR after 2021 and the transition away from LIBOR presents various risks and challenges, including with respect to our borrowings and hedging arrangements that rely on the LIBOR benchmark. Various parties are working on industry wide and company specific transition plans as they relate to derivatives and cash markets exposed to LIBOR.  We have material contracts that are indexed to LIBOR and are monitoring and evaluating the related risks, which include interest on loans or amounts received and paid on derivative instruments. To the extent that our contracts that rely on the LIBOR benchmark do not provide for replacement rates, we may seek to amend such contracts. While we are focused on effective planning for the phase-out of LIBOR, the transition may divert management attention and could have other adverse consequences for us, including on our interest rates for current and future indebtedness.

RISKS RELATING TO OUR ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE

Our organizational documents contain provisions that might discourage a takeover of us and depress our share price.

Our organizational documents contain, or might contain in the future, provisions that might have an anti-takeover effect and might inhibit a change in our management and the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of our securities. These provisions currently include:

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Limited partners of PREIT Associates may vote on certain fundamental changes we propose, which could inhibit a change in control that might otherwise result in a premium to our shareholders.

Our assets generally are held through our interests in PREIT Associates. We currently hold a majority of the outstanding limited partnership interests (“OP Units”) in PREIT Associates. However, PREIT Associates might, from time to time, issue additional OP Units to third parties in exchange for contributions of property to PREIT Associates in amounts that could, individually or in the aggregate, be substantial. These issuances will dilute our percentage ownership of PREIT Associates. OP Units generally do not carry a right to vote on any matter voted on by our shareholders, although OP Units might, under certain circumstances, be redeemed for our shares. However, before the date on which at least half of the units issued on September 30, 1997 in connection with our acquisition of The Rubin Organization have been redeemed, the holders of units issued on September 30, 1997 are entitled to vote such units together with our shareholders, as a single class, on any proposal to merge, consolidate or sell substantially all of our assets. Joseph F. Coradino, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, is among the holders of these units. 

These existing rights could inhibit a change in control that might otherwise result in a premium to our shareholders. In addition, we cannot assure you that we will not agree to extend comparable rights to other limited partners in PREIT Associates.

We have, in the past, and might again, in the future, enter into tax protection agreements for the benefit of certain former property owners, including some limited partners of PREIT Associates, that might affect our ability to sell or refinance some of our properties that we might otherwise want to sell or refinance, which could harm our financial condition.

As the general partner of PREIT Associates, we have agreed to indemnify certain former property owners against tax liabilities that they might incur if we sell a property in a taxable transaction or significantly reduce the debt secured by a property acquired from them within a certain number of years after we acquired it, and we might do so again in the future. In some cases, these agreements might make it uneconomical for us to sell or refinance these properties, even in circumstances in which it otherwise would be advantageous to do so, which could interfere with our ability to execute strategic dispositions, harm our ability to address liquidity needs in the future or otherwise harm our financial condition.

RISKS RELATING TO OUR SECURITIES

Individual taxpayers might perceive REIT securities as less desirable relative to the securities of other corporations because of the lower tax rate on certain dividends from such corporations, which might have an adverse effect on the market value of our securities.

Currently, the maximum federal income tax rate on dividends, excluding tax on net investment income, from most publicly traded corporations is 20%. Dividends from REITs, however, do not qualify for this favorable tax treatment, and the maximum federal income tax rate on dividends from REITs is 29.6% (which excludes tax on new investment income). It is possible also that tax legislation enacted in subsequent years might increase this rate differential. The differing treatment of dividends received from REITs and other corporations might cause individual investors to view an investment in REITs as less attractive relative to other corporations, which might negatively affect the value of our shares.

We could face adverse consequences as a result of the actions of activist shareholders.

In recent years, proxy contests and other forms of shareholder activism have been directed against numerous public companies, including us.  Shareholders may engage in proxy solicitations, advance shareholder proposals, or otherwise attempt to effect changes in or acquire control over us. Campaigns by shareholders to effect changes at publicly traded companies are sometimes led by investors seeking to increase short-term shareholder value through actions such as financial restructuring, increased debt, special dividends, share repurchases, or sales of assets or the entire company.  Shareholder activists may also seek to involve themselves in the governance, strategic direction and operations of the company.

If a shareholder, by itself or in conjunction with other shareholders or as part of a group, engages in activist activities with respect to us, our business could be adversely affected because responding to proxy contests and other actions by activist shareholders can be costly and time-consuming, potentially disrupting operations and diverting the attention of our Board of Trustees, senior management and employees from the execution of business strategies. In addition, perceived uncertainties as to our future direction might result in the loss of potential business opportunities and harm our ability to attract new tenants, customers and  investors. If individuals are elected to our Board of Trustees with a specific agenda, it might adversely affect our ability to effectively and timely implement our strategies and initiatives and to retain and attract experienced executives and employees. Finally, we might experience a significant increase in legal fees and administrative and associated costs incurred in connection with responding to a proxy contest or related action. These actions could also negatively affect our share price.

A few significant shareholders may influence or control the direction of our business, and, if the ownership of our common shares continues to be concentrated, or becomes more concentrated in the future, it could prevent our other shareholders from influencing significant corporate decisions.

As of December 31, 2019, a small number of institutional shareholders together own or control more than 25% of our outstanding common shares. Although these investors do not act as a group, they may be able to exercise influence over matters requiring shareholder approval, including approval of significant corporate transactions that might affect the price of our shares.  The concentration of ownership of our shares held by these investors may make some transactions more difficult or impossible without their support. 

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The interests of these investors may conflict with our interests or the interests of our other shareholders.  For example, the concentration of ownership with these investors could allow them to influence our policies and strategies and could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or business combination from occurring that might otherwise be favorable to us and our other shareholders.

Holders of our common shares might have their interest in us diluted by actions we take in the future.

We continue to contemplate ways to reduce our leverage through a variety of means available to us, subject to the terms of the Credit Agreements. These means might include obtaining equity capital, including through the issuance of common or preferred equity or equity-related securities if market conditions are favorable. In addition, we might contemplate acquisitions of properties or portfolios, and we might issue equity, in the form of common shares, OP Units or other equity securities in consideration for such acquisitions, potentially in substantial amounts. Any issuance of equity securities might result in substantial dilution in the percentage of our common shares held by our then existing shareholders, and the interest of our shareholders might be materially adversely affected. The market price of our common shares could decline as a result of sales of a large number of shares in the market or the perception that such sales could occur. Additionally, future sales or issuances of substantial amounts of our common shares might be at prices below the then-current market price of our common shares and might adversely affect the market price of our common shares.

Many factors, including changes in interest rates and the negative perceptions of the retail sector generally, can have an adverse effect on the market value of our securities.

As is the case with other publicly traded companies, a number of factors might adversely affect the price of our securities, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include:

Any additional issuances of preferred shares in the future might adversely affect the earnings per share available to common shareholders and amounts available to common shareholders for payments of dividends.

The market value of our common shares is based primarily upon the market’s perception of our growth potential and our current and potential future earnings, net operating income, funds from operations, our liquidity and capital resources, and cash distributions. Consequently, our common shares might trade at prices that are higher or lower than our net asset value per common share. If our future earnings, net operating income, funds from operations or cash distributions are less than expected, it is likely that the market price of our common shares will decrease. These metrics might be adversely affected by the existence of preferred shares, including our existing preferred shares and additional preferred shares that we might issue. We are not restricted by our organizational documents, contractual arrangements or otherwise from issuing additional preferred shares, including any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, or that represent the right to receive, preferred shares or any substantially similar securities in the future.

We might change the dividend policy for our common shares in the future.

In February 2020, our Board of Trustees declared a cash dividend of $0.21 per share, payable in March 2020. Our future payment of distributions will be at the discretion of our Board of Trustees and will depend on numerous factors, including our cash flow, financial condition, capital requirements, annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, the terms and conditions of our Credit Agreements and other factors that our Board of Trustees deems relevant. Any change in our dividend policy could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common shares.

In addition, the Credit Agreements provide generally that dividends may not exceed the greater of 110% of REIT Taxable Income (as defined in the Credit Agreements) for a fiscal year, or 95% of funds from operations (unless necessary for us to maintain our status as a REIT). We must maintain our status as a REIT at all times.

Some of the distributions we make might be classified as a return of capital. In general, if the distributions are in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits (determined under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended), then such distributions would be considered a return of capital for federal income tax purposes to the extent of a holder’s adjusted basis in its shares. A return of capital is not

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taxable, but has the effect of reducing the holder’s adjusted tax basis in the investment. To the extent that distributions exceed the adjusted tax basis of a holder’s shares, the distributions will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such shares.

TAX RISKS

If we were to fail to qualify as a REIT, our shareholders would be adversely affected.

We believe that we have qualified as a REIT since our inception and intend to continue to qualify as a REIT. To qualify as a REIT, however, we must comply with certain highly technical and complex requirements under the Internal Revenue Code, which is complicated in the case of a REIT such as ours that holds its assets primarily in partnership form. We cannot be certain we have complied with these requirements because there are very limited judicial and administrative interpretations of these provisions, and even a technical or inadvertent mistake could jeopardize our REIT status. In addition, facts and circumstances that might be beyond our control might affect our ability to qualify as a REIT. We cannot assure you that new legislation, regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions will not change the tax laws significantly with respect to our qualification as a REIT or with respect to the federal income tax consequences of qualification.

If we were to fail to qualify as a REIT, we would be subject to federal income tax, on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. Also, unless the Internal Revenue Service granted us relief under statutory provisions, we would remain disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which we first failed to qualify. The additional tax incurred at regular corporate rates would significantly reduce the cash flow available for distribution to shareholders and for debt service. In addition, we would no longer be required to make any distributions to shareholders and our securities could be delisted from the exchange on which they are listed. If there were a determination that we do not qualify as a REIT, there would be a material adverse effect on our results of operations and there could be a material reduction in the value of our common shares.

Furthermore, as a REIT, we might be subject to a 100% “prohibited transactions” tax on the gain from dispositions of property if we are deemed to hold the property primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, unless the disposition qualifies under a safe harbor exception for properties that have been held for at least two years and with respect to which certain other requirements are met. The potential application of the prohibited transactions tax could cause us to forego or delay potential dispositions of property or other opportunities that might otherwise be attractive to us, or to undertake such dispositions or other opportunities through a taxable REIT subsidiary, which would generally result in income taxes being incurred.

We might be unable to comply with the strict income distribution requirements applicable to REITs, or compliance with such requirements could adversely affect our financial condition or cause us to forego otherwise attractive opportunities.

To obtain the favorable tax treatment associated with qualifying as a REIT, in general, we are required each year to distribute to our shareholders at least 90% of our net taxable income. In addition, we are subject to a tax on any undistributed portion of our income at regular corporate rates and might also be subject to a 4% excise tax on this undistributed income. We could be required to borrow funds on a short-term basis to meet the distribution requirements that are necessary to achieve the tax benefits associated with qualifying as a REIT, even if conditions are not favorable for borrowing, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, compliance with these REIT requirements might cause us to forgo opportunities we would otherwise pursue.

There is a risk of changes in the tax law applicable to REITs or our tenants.

Congress, the United States Treasury Department and the IRS frequently revise federal tax laws, regulations and other guidance. We cannot predict whether, when or to what extent new federal tax laws, regulations, interpretations or rulings will be adopted.

The federal tax legislation that was signed into law on December 22, 2017 (the ‘‘Act’’) made a large quantity of changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”). Among those changes were a significant reduction in the generally applicable corporate income tax rate (from a top corporate rate of 35% to a flat 21% rate), and a reduction in the rates of taxation on most ordinary REIT dividends and certain business income derived by non-corporate taxpayers (in each case, from a top individual rate of 39.6% to a top individual rate of 29.6%) so as to be lower than the rate applicable to other ordinary income recognized by such taxpayers. The Act also imposes certain additional limitations on the deduction of net operating losses, which may in the future require us to make distributions that will be taxable to our stockholders to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits in order to comply with the annual REIT distribution requirements. Some uncertainties remain as to the effects of these, and other changes made in the Act, both in terms of their direct effects on the taxation of an investment in our common stock and their indirect effects on the value of our assets or market conditions generally.

We also cannot predict the impact that any future federal tax legislation may have on REITs or our tenants. Any such legislative action may prospectively or retroactively modify our tax treatment and, therefore, may adversely affect taxation of us and/or our shareholders. Any legislative action might also negatively affect our tenants and, in turn, affect their ability to pay rent, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We could face possible adverse federal, state and local tax audits and changes in state and local tax laws, which might result in an increase in our tax liability.

In the normal course of business, certain subsidiaries through which we own real estate have undergone, are currently undergoing or may undergo tax audits. There can be no assurance that the ultimate outcomes of any such audits will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

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From time to time, changes in state and local tax laws or regulations are enacted, which might result in an increase in our tax liability including potentially increases in the real estate taxes due on the properties we own. The shortfall in tax revenue for many states and municipalities in recent years might lead to an increase in the frequency and size of such changes. If such changes occur, we might be required to pay additional taxes on our assets, including our properties, or income. We might be unable to effectively pass these increased costs onto our existing tenants and such increased costs may make our properties less appealing to renewing tenants and potential new tenants, which could negatively affect our occupancy rates. These increased tax costs could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to shareholders.