Macy’s and Brookfield Asset Management have formed a strategic alliance to extract value in Macy’s real estate assets. Under the alliance, Brookfield will have an exclusive right for up to 24 months to create a “pre-development plan” for each of approximately 50 Macy’s real estate assets, with an option for Macy’s to continue to identify and add assets into the alliance. These assets primarily include owned and ground-leased stores and associated land, most of which are located in malls not owned by major mall owners. The breadth of opportunity within the portfolio ranges from the additional development on a portion of an asset (such as a Macy’s-controlled land parcel adjacent to a store) to the complete redevelopment of an existing store.
We are pleased to partner with Macy’s on this important initiative,” said Brian Kingston, CEO of Brookfield Property Group. “The Macy’s portfolio includes some of the highest quality real estate in the United States, and we look forward to working closely with them to unlock value for their shareholders and enhance the shopping experience for their customers.”
The Brookfield alliance is part of Macy’s previously-announced strategy to generate value from its real estate portfolio consistent with the company’s commitment to stores as a critical element of its long-term omnichannel strategy and its balance sheet objectives. The company is also exploring options for its flagship stores and closing approximately 100 full-line Macy’s stores due to underperformance or because the value of the real estate exceeds the value to Macy’s as a retail store location.
The Brookfield deal is not the only one Macy’s is pursuing. Macy’s is working on generating cash by selling five of its retail assets through its partnership with General Growth Properties.