CEDAR REALTY TRUST, INC. - Annual Report: 2015 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015

OR

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 001-31817

CEDAR REALTY TRUST, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (516) 767-6492

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ¨    No  x

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ¨    No  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ¨    No  x

Based on the closing sales price on June 30, 2015 of $6.40 per share, the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $520,049,000.

The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s Common Stock $.06 par value was 84,982,435 on February 12, 2016.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2016 annual meeting of shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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CEDAR REALTY TRUST, INC.

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Part I.

Items 1 and 2. Business and Properties

General

The Company is a fully-integrated real estate investment trust that focuses primarily on ownership and operation of grocery-anchored shopping centers straddling the Washington DC to Boston corridor. At December 31, 2015, the Company owned and managed a portfolio of 60 operating properties (excluding properties “held for sale”) totaling approximately 9.5 million square feet of gross leasable area (“GLA”). The portfolio was 91.5% leased and 90.5% occupied at December 31, 2015.

The Company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) under applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). To qualify as a REIT under those provisions, the Company must have a preponderant percentage of its assets invested in, and income derived from, real estate and related sources. The Company’s objectives are to provide to its shareholders a professionally-managed real estate portfolio consisting primarily of grocery-anchored shopping centers straddling the Washington DC to Boston corridor, which will provide substantial cash flow, currently and in the future, taking into account an acceptable modest risk profile, and which will present opportunities for additional growth in income and capital appreciation.

The Company, organized as a Maryland corporation, has established an umbrella partnership structure through the contribution of substantially all of its assets to Cedar Realty Trust Partnership L.P. (the “Operating Partnership”), organized as a limited partnership under the laws of Delaware. The Company conducts substantially all of its business through the Operating Partnership. At December 31, 2015, the Company owned 99.6% of the Operating Partnership and is its sole general partner. The 352,000 limited Operating Partnership Units (“OP Units”) are economically equivalent to the Company’s common stock and are convertible into the Company’s common stock at the option of the holders on a one-to-one basis.

The Company derives substantially all of its revenues from rents and operating expense reimbursements received pursuant to long-term leases. The Company’s operating results therefore depend on the ability of its tenants to make the payments required by the terms of their leases. The Company focuses its investment activities on grocery-anchored shopping centers. The Company believes that, because of the need of consumers to purchase food and other staple goods and services generally available at such centers, its type of “necessities-based” properties should provide relatively stable revenue flows even during difficult economic times.

The Company, the Operating Partnership, their subsidiaries and affiliated partnerships are separate legal entities. For ease of reference, the terms “we”, “our”, “us”, “Company” and “Operating Partnership” (including their respective subsidiaries and affiliates) refer to the business and properties of all these entities, unless the context otherwise requires. The Company’s executive offices are located at 44 South Bayles Avenue, Port Washington, New York 11050-3765 (telephone 516-767-6492). The Company also maintains property management, construction management and/or leasing offices at several of its shopping-center properties. The Company’s website can be accessed at www.cedarrealtytrust.com, where a copy of the Company’s Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) can be obtained free of charge. These SEC filings are added to the website as soon as reasonably practicable. The Company’s Code of Ethics, corporate governance guidelines and committee

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charters are also available on the website. Information on the website is not part of this Form 10-K.

The Company’s Properties

The following tables summarize information relating to the Company’s portfolio as of December 31, 2015:

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Tenant Concentration

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Lease Expirations

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Real Estate Summary

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The terms of the Company’s retail leases generally vary from tenancies at will to 25 years, excluding renewal options. Anchor tenant leases are typically for 10 to 25 years, with one or more renewal options available to the lessee upon expiration of the initial lease term. By contrast, smaller store leases are typically negotiated for five-year terms. The longer terms of major tenant leases serve to protect the Company against significant vacancies and to assure the presence of strong tenants which draw consumers to its centers. The shorter terms of smaller store leases allow the Company under appropriate circumstances to adjust rental rates periodically and, where possible, to upgrade or adjust the overall tenant mix.

Most leases contain provisions requiring tenants to pay their pro rata share of real estate taxes, insurance and certain operating costs. Some leases also provide that tenants pay percentage rent based upon sales volume generally in excess of certain negotiated minimums.

Excluding properties held for sale, Giant Food Stores, LLC and Stop & Shop, Inc., each of which is owned by Ahold N.V., a Netherlands corporation, leased an aggregate of approximately 11% of the Company’s GLA at December 31, 2015, and accounted for an aggregate of approximately 12% of the Company’s total revenues during 2015. No other tenant leased more than 10% of GLA at December 31, 2015, or contributed more than 10% of total revenues during 2015.

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Executive Offices

The Company’s executive offices are located at 44 South Bayles Avenue, Port Washington, New York, pursuant to a lease which lease expires in February 2020.

Competition

The Company believes that competition for the acquisition and operation of grocery-anchored shopping centers is highly fragmented. It faces competition from institutional investors, public and private REITs, owner-operators engaged in the acquisition, ownership and leasing of shopping centers, as well as from numerous local, regional and national real estate developers and owners in each of its markets. It also faces competition in leasing available space at its properties to prospective tenants. Competition for tenants varies depending upon the characteristics of each local market in which the Company owns and manages properties. The Company believes that the principal competitive factors in attracting tenants in its market areas are location, price and other lease terms, the presence of anchor tenants, the mix, quality and sales results of other tenants, and maintenance, appearance, access and traffic patterns of its properties.

Environmental Matters

Under various federal, state, and local laws, ordinances and regulations, an owner or operator of real estate may be required to investigate and clean up hazardous or toxic substances or other contaminants at property owned, leased, managed or otherwise operated by such person, and may be held liable to a governmental entity or to third parties for property damage, and for investigation and cleanup costs in connection with such contamination. The cost of investigation, remediation or removal of such substances may be substantial, and the presence of such substances, or the failure to properly remediate such conditions, may adversely affect the owner’s, lessor’s or operator’s ability to sell or rent such property or to arrange financing using such property as collateral. In connection with the ownership, operation and management of real estate, the Company may potentially become liable for removal or remediation costs, as well as certain other related costs and liabilities, including governmental fines and injuries to persons and/or property. Generally, the Company’s tenants must comply with environmental laws and meet any remediation requirements. In addition, leases typically impose obligations on tenants to indemnify the Company from any compliance costs the Company may incur as a result of environmental conditions on the property caused by the tenant. However, if a lease does not require compliance and/or indemnification, or if a tenant fails to or cannot comply, the Company could be forced to pay these costs.

The Company believes that environmental studies conducted at the time of acquisition with respect to its properties did not reveal any material environmental liabilities for which the Company is responsible and that would have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations or liquidity. However, no assurances can be given that existing environmental studies with respect to any of the properties reveal all environmental liabilities, that any prior owner of or tenant at a property did not create a material environmental condition not known to the Company, or that a material environmental condition does not otherwise exist at any one or more of its properties. If a material environmental condition does in fact exist, it could have an adverse impact upon the Company’s financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

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Employees

As of December 31, 2015, the Company had 67 employees (66 full-time and one part-time). The Company believes that its relations with its employees are good.

Set forth below are the risk factors that we believe are material to our investors. This section contains forward-looking statements. You should refer to the explanation of the qualifications and limitation on forward-looking statements appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K

Economic conditions in the U.S. economy in general, and any uncertainty in the credit markets and retail environment, could adversely affect our ability to continue to pay dividends or cause us to reduce further the amount of our dividends.

We paid dividends totaling $0.20 per share during each of 2015, 2014 and 2013. However, any downturn in the state of the U.S. economy, weakness in capital markets and/or difficult retail environment may cause us to reduce or suspend the payment of dividends.

Any volatility or instability in the credit markets could adversely affect our ability to obtain new financing or to refinance existing indebtedness.

Any instability in the credit markets may negatively impact our ability to access debt financing, to arrange property-specific financing or to refinance our existing debt as it matures on favorable terms or at all. As a result, we may be forced to seek potentially less attractive financings, including equity investments, on terms that may not be favorable to us. In doing so, we may be compelled to dilute the interests of existing shareholders that could also adversely reduce the trading price of our common stock.

Our properties consist primarily of grocery-anchored shopping centers. Our performance therefore is linked to economic conditions in the market for retail space generally.

Our properties consist primarily of grocery-anchored shopping centers, and our performance therefore is linked to economic conditions in the market for retail space generally. This also means that we are subject to the risks that affect the retail environment generally, including the levels of consumer spending, the willingness of retailers to lease space in our shopping centers, tenant bankruptcies, the impact of internet sales on the demand for retail space, ongoing consolidation in the retail sector, and changes in economic conditions and consumer confidence. A downturn in the U.S. economy and reduced consumer spending could impact our tenants’ ability to meet their lease obligations due to poor operating results, lack of liquidity or other reasons, and therefore decrease the revenue generated by our properties and/or the value of our properties. Our ability to lease space and negotiate and maintain favorable rents could also be negatively impacted by the state of the U.S. economy. Moreover, the demand for leasing space in our shopping centers could also significantly decline during a significant downturn in the U.S. economy that could result in a decline in our occupancy percentage and reduction in rental revenues. Any sustained levels of high unemployment can be expected to have a serious negative impact on consumer spending and sales by tenants at our shopping centers.

In addition, increases in energy costs in this country may cause shoppers to restrict their trips by automobile to shopping centers, reduce their purchases of gasoline and other products

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from the fuel service stations at several of our properties, as well as reduce their levels of discretionary spending, all of which, in turn, could adversely affect sales at our properties.

The geographic concentration of our properties in the Washington DC to Boston corridor exposes us to greater economic risks than if the distribution of our properties encompassed a broader region.

Our properties are located largely in the region that straddles the Washington DC to Boston corridor, which exposes us to greater economic risks than if our properties were more diversely located (in particular, 27 of our properties are located in Pennsylvania). Any adverse economic or real estate developments resulting from the regulatory environment, business climate, fiscal problems or weather in such regions could have an adverse impact on our prospects. In addition, the economic condition of each of our markets may be dependent on one or more industries. An economic downturn in one of these industry sectors may result in an increase in tenant vacancies, which may harm our performance in the affected markets.

Our performance and value are subject to risks associated with real estate assets and with the real estate industry.

Our performance and value are subject to risks associated with real estate assets and with the real estate industry, including, among other things, risks related to adverse changes in national, regional and local economic and market conditions. Our continued ability to make expected distributions to our shareholders depends on our ability to generate sufficient revenues to meet operating expenses, future debt service and capital expenditure requirements. Events and conditions generally applicable to owners and operators of real property that are beyond our control may decrease cash available for distribution and the value of our properties. These events and conditions include, but may not be limited to, the following:

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The level of our indebtedness and any constraints on credit may impede our operating performance, and put us at a competitive disadvantage.

The level of our indebtedness may harm our business and operating results by (1) requiring us to use a substantial portion of our available liquidity to pay required debt service and/or repayments or establish additional reserves, which would reduce amounts available for distributions, (2) placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to competitors that have less debt or debt at more favorable terms, (3) making us more vulnerable to economic and industry downturns and reducing our flexibility in responding to changing business and economic conditions, and (4) limiting our ability to borrow more money for operations or capital expenditures. In addition, increases in interest rates may impede our operating performance and put us at a competitive disadvantage. Further, payments of required debt service or amounts due at maturity, or creation of additional reserves under loan agreements, could adversely affect our liquidity. Our organizational documents do not limit the level or amount of debt that we may incur, no do we have a policy limiting our debt to any particular level.

As substantially all of our revenues are derived from rental income, failure of tenants to pay rent or delays in arranging leases and occupancy at our properties could seriously harm our operating results and financial condition.

Substantially all of our revenues are derived from rental income from our properties. Our tenants may experience a downturn in their respective businesses and/or in the economy generally at any time that may weaken their financial condition. As a result, any such tenants may delay lease commencement, fail to make rental payments when due, decline to extend a lease upon its expiration, become insolvent, or declare bankruptcy. Any leasing delays, failure to make rental or other payments when due, or tenant bankruptcies, could result in the termination of tenants’ leases, which would have a negative impact on our operating results. In addition, adverse market and economic conditions and competition may impede our ability to renew leases or re-let space as leases expire, which could harm our business and operating results.

Our business may be seriously harmed if a major tenant fails to renew its lease(s) or vacates one or more properties and prevents us from re-leasing such premises by continuing to pay base rent for the balance of the lease terms. In addition, the loss of such a major tenant could result in lease terminations or reductions in rent by other tenants at the affected properties, as provided in their respective leases. Excluding properties held for sale, no tenant leased more than 10% of GLA at December 31, 2015 or contributed more than 10% of total revenues during 2015, except for Giant Food Stores, LLC and Stop & Shop, Inc., each of which is owned by Ahold N.V., a Netherlands corporation, which leased an aggregate of approximately 11% of our GLA at December 31, 2015, and accounted for an aggregate of approximately 12% of our total revenues, during 2015.

We may be restricted from re-leasing space based on existing exclusivity lease provisions with some of our tenants. In these cases, the leases contain provisions giving the tenant the exclusive right to sell particular types of merchandise or provide specific types of services within the particular retail center, which limits the ability of other tenants within that center to sell such merchandise or provide such services. When re-leasing space after a vacancy by one of such other tenants, such lease provisions may limit the number and types of prospective tenants for the vacant

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space. The failure to re-lease space or to re-lease space on satisfactory terms could harm operating results.

We face potential material adverse effects from tenant bankruptcies.

Any bankruptcy filings by, or relating to, one of our tenants or a lease guarantor would generally bar efforts by us to collect pre-bankruptcy debts from that tenant, or lease guarantor, unless we receive an order permitting us to do so from the bankruptcy court. A bankruptcy by a tenant or lease guarantor could delay efforts to collect past due balances, and could ultimately preclude full or, in fact, any collection of such sums. If a lease is affirmed by the tenant in bankruptcy, all pre-bankruptcy balances due under the lease must generally be paid in full. However, if a lease is disaffirmed by a tenant in bankruptcy, we would have only an unsecured claim for damages, which would be paid normally only to the extent that funds are available, and only in the same percentage as is paid to all other members of the same class of unsecured creditors. In addition, we may be unable to replace the tenant at current rental rates. It is possible, and indeed likely, that we would recover substantially less than, or in fact no portion of, the full value of any unsecured claims we hold, and would be required to write off any straight-line rent receivable recorded for such tenant, which may in turn harm our financial condition.

“New Technology” developments may negatively impact our tenants and our business.

We may be adversely affected by developments in new technology which may cause the business of certain of our tenants to become substantially diminished or functionally obsolete, with the result that such tenants may be unable to pay rent, become insolvent, file for bankruptcy protection, close their stores, or terminate their leases. Examples of the potentially adverse effects of new technology on retail businesses include, among other things, the effect of “e-books” and small screen readers on book stores, and increased sales of many products on-line.

Recent annual increases in on-line sales have also caused many retailers to sell products on-line on their websites with pick-ups at a store or warehouse or through deliveries, which may have the effect of decreasing the reported amount of their in-store sales and the amount of rent we are able to collect from them. With respect to grocer tenants, on-line grocery orders have become increasingly available, particularly in urban areas, but have not yet become a major factor affecting grocers in our portfolio. We cannot predict with certainty how growth in internet sales will impact the demand for space at our properties or how much revenue will be generated at “bricks and mortar” store locations in the future. If we are unable to anticipate and respond promptly to trends in retailer and consumer behavior, our occupancy levels and financial results could suffer.

Competition may impede our ability to renew leases or re-let spaces as leases expire, which could harm our business and operating results.

We also face competition from similar retail centers within our respective trade areas that may affect our ability to renew leases or re-let space as leases expire. Certain national retail chain bankruptcies and resulting store closings/lease disaffirmations have generally resulted in increased available retail space which, in turn, has resulted in increased competitive pressure to renew tenant leases upon expiration and to find new tenants for vacant space at such properties. In addition, any new competitive properties that are developed within the trade areas of our existing properties may result in increased competition for customer traffic and creditworthy tenants. Increased competition for tenants may require us to make tenant and/or capital improvements to properties beyond those that we would otherwise have planned to make. Any unbudgeted tenant and/or capital improvements we undertake may reduce cash that would otherwise be available for

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distributions to shareholders. Ultimately, to the extent we are unable to renew leases or re-let space as leases expire, our business and operations could be negatively impacted.

The financial covenants in our loan agreements may restrict our operating or acquisition activities, which may harm our financial condition and operating results.

The financial covenants in our loan agreements may restrict our operating or acquisition activities, which may harm our financial condition and operating results. Our unsecured credit facilities and the mortgages on our properties contain customary negative covenants, such as those that limit our ability, without the prior consent of the lender, to sell or otherwise transfer any ownership interest, to further mortgage the applicable property, to enter into leases, or to discontinue insurance coverage. Our ability to borrow under our unsecured revolving credit facility is subject to compliance with these financial and other covenants, including restrictions on the maximum availability, which is based on the adjusted net operating income of designated unencumbered properties, the payment of dividends, and overall restrictions on the amount of indebtedness we can incur. If we breach covenants in our debt agreements, the lenders could declare a default and require us to repay the debt immediately and, if the debt is secured, take possession of the property or properties securing the loan.

Our properties may be subject to impairment charges

On a periodic basis, we assess whether there are any indicators that the value of its held-for-use real estate assets and other investments may be impaired. Held-for-use real estate assets are impaired only if the estimate of the aggregate future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) to be generated by the property are less than the carrying value of the property. We estimate of cash flows, it considers factors such as expected future operating income, trends and prospects, the effects of demand, competition and other factors. If we are evaluating the potential sale of an asset or development alternatives, the future cash flow considerations include the most likely course of action at the balance sheet date based on current plans, intended holding periods and available market information including a market discount rate applied to the estimated future proceeds. We are required to make subjective assessments as to whether there are impairments in the value of its real estate assets and other investments. These assessments have a direct impact on our earnings because recording an impairment charge results in an immediate negative adjustment to earnings. There can be no assurance that we will not take additional charges in the future related to the impairment our assets. Any future impairment could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which the charge is taken.

Our capital migration strategy entails various risks

We intend to sell properties and reinvest those proceeds in the acquisition of higher quality properties in our target markets, the development and redevelopment of our properties, or use the proceeds to pay down debt. While we hope to minimize the dilutive effect of these sales on our earnings, in the near term the returns on the disposed assets are likely to exceed the returns we are able to achieve through the reinvestment of those proceeds. Also, in the event we are unable to sell these assets for amounts equal to or in excess of their current carrying values, we would be required to recognize an impairment charge. Any such impairment charges or earnings dilution could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows and the market price of our publicly traded securities.

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Competition and saturation in our existing markets may limit our ability for further growth in these geographic regions.

Numerous commercial developers and real estate companies compete with us seeking properties for acquisition in our existing target markets. This competition may operate to reduce the properties available for acquisition in these markets, increase the cost of the properties we acquire, reduce the rate of return on these properties, and interfere with our ability to attract and retain tenants.

High barriers to entry in the Washington DC to Boston corridor due to mature economies, road patterns, density of population, restrictions on development, and high land costs, coupled with large numbers of often overlapping government jurisdictions, may make it difficult for us to continue to grow in these areas.

Commercial real estate investments are relatively illiquid.

Real estate investments are relatively illiquid. Our ability to promptly sell one or more properties in our portfolio in response to changing economic, financial and investment conditions is limited. The real estate market is affected by many factors, such as general economic conditions, supply and demand, availability of financing, interest rates and other factors that are beyond our control. We cannot be certain that we will be able to sell any property for the price and other terms we seek, or that any price or other terms offered by a prospective purchaser would be acceptable to us. We also cannot estimate with certainty the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to complete the sale of a property. We may be required to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements before a property can be sold. Factors that impede our ability to dispose of properties could adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

Our success depends on key personnel whose continued service is not guaranteed.

Our success depends on the efforts of key personnel, whose continued service is not guaranteed. Key personnel could be lost because we could not offer, among other things, competitive compensation programs. The loss of services of key personnel could materially and adversely affect our operations because of diminished relationships with lenders, sources of equity capital, construction companies, and existing and prospective tenants, and the ability to conduct our business and operations without material disruption.

Natural disasters and severe weather conditions could have an adverse impact on our cash flow and operating results.

Some of our properties could be subject to potential natural or other disasters. In addition, we may acquire properties that are located in areas which are subject to natural disasters. Properties could also be affected by increases in the frequency or severity of hurricanes or other storms, whether such increases are caused by global climate changes or other factors. The occurrence of natural disasters or severe weather conditions can increase investment costs to repair or replace damaged properties, increase operating costs, increase future property insurance costs, and/or negatively impact the tenant demand for lease space. If insurance is unavailable to us, or is unavailable on acceptable terms, or if our insurance is not adequate to cover business interruption or losses from such events, our earnings, liquidity and/or capital resources could be adversely affected.

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Our redevelopment activities may not yield anticipated returns, which would harm our operating results and reduce funds available for distributions to shareholders.

Redevelopment projects entail considerable risks, including:

The failure of our redevelopment projects to yield their anticipated return could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.

Property ownership through joint ventures could limit our control of those investments and reduce their expected return.

As of December 31, 2015, we owned two of our operating properties through consolidated joint ventures. Our joint ventures, and joint ventures we may enter into in the future, may involve risks not present with respect to our wholly owned properties, including the following:

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Potential losses may not be covered by insurance.

Potential losses may not be covered by insurance. We carry comprehensive liability, fire, flood, extended coverage and rental loss insurance under a blanket policy covering all of our properties. We believe the policy specifications and insured limits are appropriate and adequate given the relative risk of loss, the cost of the coverage and industry practice. We do not carry insurance for losses related to war, nuclear accidents, and nuclear, biological and chemical occurrences from terrorist’s acts. Some of the insurance, such as those covering losses due to wind, floods and earthquakes, is subject to limitations involving large deductibles or co-payments and policy limits that may not be sufficient to cover losses. The availability of insurance coverage may decrease and the prices for insurance may increase as a consequence of significant losses incurred by the insurance industry and other factors outside our control. As a result, we may be unable to renew or duplicate our current insurance coverage in adequate amounts or at reasonable prices. In addition, insurance companies may no longer offer coverage against certain types of losses, such as losses due to terrorist acts and toxic mold, or, if offered, the expense of obtaining these types of insurance may not be justified. Additionally, certain tenants have termination rights in respect of certain casualties. If we receive casualty proceeds, we may not be able to reinvest such proceeds profitably or at all, and we may be forced to recognize taxable gain on the affected property. If we experience losses that are uninsured or that exceed policy limits, we could lose the capital invested in the damaged properties as well as the anticipated future cash flows from those properties. In addition, if the damaged properties are subject to recourse indebtedness, we would continue to be liable for the indebtedness, even if these properties were irreparably damaged.

We could incur significant costs related to government regulation and litigation over environmental matters and various other federal, state and local regulatory requirements.

All real property and the operations conducted on real property are subject to federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations relating to hazardous materials, environmental protection and human health and safety. Accordingly, we or our tenants may be required to investigate and clean up certain hazardous or toxic substances released on properties we own or operate, and also may be required to pay other related costs. Our leases typically impose obligations on our tenants to indemnify us for any compliance costs we may incur as a result of environmental conditions on the property caused by the tenant. If a tenant fails to or is unable to comply, we could be forced to pay these costs. If not addressed, environmental conditions could impair our ability to sell or re-lease the affected properties in the future, result in lower sales prices or rent payments, and restrict our ability to borrow funds using the affected properties as collateral.

We could incur significant costs related to government regulations and litigation over environmental matters. Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, an owner or operator of real estate may be required to investigate and clean up hazardous or toxic substances or other contaminants at property owned, leased, managed or otherwise operated by such person, and may be held liable to a governmental entity or to third parties for property damage, and for investigation, remediation and cleanup costs in connection with such contamination. The cost of investigation, remediation or removal of such substances may be substantial, and the presence of such substances, or the failure to properly remediate such conditions, may adversely affect the owner’s, lessor’s or operator’s ability to sell or rent such property or to arrange financing using such property as collateral. We may be liable without regard to whether we knew of, or were responsible for, the environmental contamination and with respect to properties we have acquired, whether the contamination occurred before or after the acquisition.

We believe environmental studies conducted at the time of acquisition with respect to all of our properties did not reveal any material environmental liabilities for which the Company is

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responsible, and we are unaware of any subsequent environmental matters that would have created a material liability. If one or more of our properties were not in compliance with federal, state and local laws, including environmental laws, we could be required to incur additional costs to bring the property into compliance. If we incur substantial costs to comply with such requirements, our business and operations could be adversely affected. If we fail to comply with such requirements, we might additionally incur governmental fines or private damage awards. There can be no assurance that existing requirements will not change or that future requirements will not require us to make significant unanticipated expenditures that will adversely impact our business and operations.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the “ADA”) could require us to take remedial steps with respect to our properties.

Our existing properties, as well as properties we may acquire, may be required to comply with Title III of the ADA. We may incur significant costs to comply with the ADA, as amended, and similar laws, which require that all public accommodations meet federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons, and with various other federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state and local fire and life safety requirements.

If we fail to continue as a REIT, our distributions will not be deductible, and our income will be subject to taxation, thereby reducing earnings available for distribution.

If we do not continue to qualify as a REIT, our distributions will not be deductible, and our income will be subject to taxation, reducing earnings available for distribution. We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Code. A REIT will generally not be subject to federal and substantially all state and local income taxation on that portion of its income that qualifies as REIT taxable income, to the extent that it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders and complies with certain other requirements. In addition, we would be subject to a 4% excise tax if we fail to distribute sufficient income to meet a minimum distribution test based on our ordinary income, capital gain and aggregate undistributed income from prior years. If we did not continue to qualify as a REIT, we would also likely be subject to state and local income taxes in certain of the jurisdictions in which our properties are located. Even if we qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to certain state and local income and franchise taxes and to federal income and excise taxes on our undistributed taxable income.

We intend to make distributions to shareholders to comply with the requirements of the Code. However, differences in timing between the recognition of taxable income and the actual receipt of cash could require us to sell assets, borrow funds or pay a portion of the dividend in common stock to meet the 90% distribution requirement of the Code. Certain assets generate substantial differences between taxable income and income recognized in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). Such assets include, without limitation, operating real estate that was acquired through structures that may limit or completely eliminate the depreciation deduction that would otherwise be available for income tax purposes. As a result, the Code requirement to distribute a substantial portion of our otherwise net taxable income in order to maintain REIT status could cause us to (1) distribute amounts that could otherwise be used for future acquisitions, capital expenditures or repayment of debt, (2) borrow on unfavorable terms, (3) sell assets on unfavorable terms, or (4) if necessary, pay a portion of our common dividend in common stock. If we fail to obtain debt or equity capital in the future, it could limit our operations and our ability to grow, which could have a material adverse effect on the value of our common stock.

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Dividends paid by REITS generally do not qualify for reduced tax rates.

Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for reduced tax rates under the Code. Currently, the maximum federal individual tax rate for nonqualified dividends payable is 39.6%; qualified dividends from most C corporations received by individuals are subject to a reduced maximum federal rate of 20%. In addition to these rates, certain high income individuals may be subject to an additional 3.8% tax on certain investment income, including dividends and capital gains. As a REIT, our distributions to individual shareholders generally are not eligible for the reduced rates and are, consequently, taxed at ordinary income rates. The more favorable federal tax rates applicable to regular corporate dividends may result in the stock of REITs being perceived to be less attractive than the stock of corporations that pay dividends qualifying for reduced rates of tax, which may adversely affect the value of the stock of REITs.

We face risks relating to cybersecurity attacks, loss of confidential information and other business disruptions.

We rely extensively on computer systems to manage our business and process transactions. Our business is at risk from and may be impacted by cybersecurity attacks, including attempts to gain unauthorized access to our confidential data and other electronic security breaches. Such cyber-attacks can range from individual attempts to gain unauthorized access to our information technology systems to more sophisticated security threats. While we employ a number of measures to prevent, detect and mitigate these threats including password protection, backup servers and annual penetration testing, there is no guarantee such efforts will be successful in preventing a cyber-attack. Cybersecurity incidents, depending on their nature and scope, could potentially lead to the compromise of confidential information, improper use of our systems and networks, manipulation and destruction of data, system downtimes and operational disruptions, which in turn could adversely affect our reputation, competitiveness and results of operations. In the event a security breach or failure results in the disclosure of sensitive tenant or other third-party data, or the transmission of harmful/malicious code to third parties, we could be subject to liability or claims.

Future terrorist attacks could harm the demand for, and the value of, our properties.

Future terrorist attacks, such as the attacks that occurred in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC on September 11, 2001, and other acts of terrorism or war, could harm the demand for, and the value of, our properties. Terrorist attacks could directly impact the value of our properties through damage, destruction, loss or increased security costs, and the availability of insurance for such acts may be limited or may be subject to substantial cost increases. To the extent that our tenants are impacted by future attacks, their ability to continue to honor obligations under their existing leases could be adversely affected.

Our charter and Maryland law contain provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a change of control transaction and depress our stock price.

Our charter and Maryland law contain provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a change of control transaction and depress the price of our common stock. The charter, subject to certain exceptions, authorizes directors to take such actions as are necessary and desirable relating to qualification as a REIT, and to limit any person to beneficial ownership of no more than 9.9% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Our Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, may exempt a proposed transferee from the ownership limit, but may not grant an exemption from the ownership limit to any proposed transferee whose direct or indirect ownership could jeopardize our status as a REIT. These restrictions on transferability and ownership will not apply if our Board

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of Directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to continue to qualify as, or to be, a REIT. This ownership limit may delay or impede a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interests of shareholders. Based on our ability to determine the underlying beneficial ownership interests of the holders of our common stock, our Board of Directors has waived the ownership limit to permit companies affiliated with each of Inland American Real Estate Trust, Inc. (“Inland”), Blackrock, Inc. and Cohen and Steers Capital Management, Inc. to acquire up to 14%, 14.9% and 15%, respectively, of our common stock. In addition, Inland has agreed to various voting restrictions and standstill provisions.

We may authorize and issue stock and OP Units without shareholder approval. Our charter authorizes the Board of Directors to issue additional shares of common or preferred stock, to issue additional OP Units, to classify or reclassify any unissued shares of common or preferred stock, and to set the preferences, rights and other terms of such classified or unclassified shares. We have agreed not to use our preferred stock for anti-takeover purposes or in connection with a shareholder rights plan unless we obtain shareholder approval. Certain provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or of impeding a change of control under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of shares of our common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of such shares, including:

We have opted out of these provisions of the MGCL. However, the Board of Directors may, by resolution, elect to opt in to the business combination provisions of the MGCL, and we may, by amendment to our bylaws, opt in to the control share provisions of the MGCL.

We could be subject to litigation that may negatively impact our cash flows, financial condition and results of operations.

From time to time, we may be a defendant in lawsuits and regulatory proceedings relating to our business. Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation and regulatory proceedings, we cannot accurately predict the ultimate outcome of any such litigation or proceedings. We could experience a negative impact to our cash flows, financial condition and results of operations due to an unfavorable outcome.

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The market value of our debt and equity securities is subject to various factors that may cause significant fluctuations or volatility.

As with other publicly traded securities, the market price of our publicly traded securities depends on various factors which may change from time-to time and are often out of our control. Among the conditions that may affect the market price of our publicly traded securities are the following:

These factors may cause the market price of our common stock to decline, in some cases regardless of our financial condition, results of operations, business or prospects. It is impossible to ensure that the market price of our common stock will not fall in the future. A decrease in the market price of our common stock could reduce our ability to raise additional equity in the public markets. Selling common stock at a decreased market price would have a dilutive impact on existing stockholders.

The Company is not presently involved in any litigation, nor, to its knowledge, is any litigation threatened against the Company or its subsidiaries, which is either not covered by the Company’s liability insurance, or, in management’s opinion, would result in a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

Part II.

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Dividend Information

A corporation electing REIT status is required to distribute at least 90% of its “REIT taxable income”, as defined in the Code, to continue qualification as a REIT. In keeping with its stated goal of reducing overall leverage, and in order to maximize financial flexibility, the Company paid dividends totaling $0.20 per share during 2015, 2014 and 2013. While the Company

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intends to continue paying regular quarterly dividends, future dividend declarations will continue to be at the discretion of the Board of Directors, and will depend on the cash flow and financial condition of the Company, capital requirements, annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Code, and such other factors as the Board of Directors may deem relevant.

Market Information

The Company had 85,049,127 shares of common stock outstanding held by approximately 700 shareholders of record at December 31, 2015. The Company believes it has more than 7,200 beneficial holders of its common stock. The Company’s shares trade on the NYSE under the symbol “CDR”. The following table sets forth, for each quarter for the last two years, (1) the high, low, and closing prices of the Company’s common stock, and (2) dividends paid:

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Stockholder Return Performance Presentation

The following line graph sets forth for the period January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2015, a comparison of the percentage change in the cumulative total stockholder return on the Company’s common stock compared to the cumulative total return of the Russell 2000 index and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts Equity REIT Total Return Index. The graph assumes that the shares of the Company’s common stock were bought at the price of $100 per share and that the value of the investment in each of the Company’s common stock and the indices was $100 at the beginning of the period. The graph further assumes the reinvestment of dividends when paid.

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