FEDERAL REALTY INVESTMENT TRUST - Annual Report: 2009 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

þ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO THE SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009

or

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from              to             

Commission file number: 1-07533

FEDERAL REALTY INVESTMENT TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Declaration of Trust)

(301) 998-8100

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

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. þ Yes    ¨ No

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    þ No

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. þ Yes    ¨ No

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit and post such files). ¨ Yes    ¨ 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. þ

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 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    þ No

The aggregate market value of the Registrant’s common shares held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, based upon the closing sales price of the Registrant’s common shares on June 30, 2009 was $3.0 billion.

The number of Registrant’s common shares outstanding on February 12, 2010 was 61,258,482.

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FEDERAL REALTY INVESTMENT TRUST

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Registrant’s Proxy Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the Registrant’s 2010 annual meeting of shareholders to be held in May 2010 will be incorporated by reference into Part III hereof.

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PART I

ITEM 1.    BUSINESS

References to “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Trust” refer to Federal Realty Investment Trust and our business and operations conducted through our directly or indirectly owned subsidiaries.

General

We are an equity real estate investment trust (“REIT”) specializing in the ownership, management, and redevelopment of high quality retail and mixed-use properties located primarily in densely populated and affluent communities in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, as well as in California. As of December 31, 2009, we owned or had a majority interest in community and neighborhood shopping centers and mixed-use properties which are operated as 84 predominantly retail real estate projects comprising approximately 18.2 million square feet. In total, the real estate projects were 94.5% leased and 93.2% occupied at December 31, 2009. A joint venture in which we own a 30% interest owned seven retail real estate projects totaling approximately 1.0 million square feet as of December 31, 2009. In total, the joint venture properties in which we own an interest were 85.0% leased and occupied at December 31, 2009. We have paid quarterly dividends to our shareholders continuously since our founding in 1962 and have increased our dividends per common share for 42 consecutive years.

We were founded in 1962 as a REIT under the laws of the District of Columbia and re-formed as a REIT in the state of Maryland in 1999. We operate in a manner intended to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Our principal executive offices are located at 1626 East Jefferson Street, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Our telephone number is (301) 998-8100. Our website address is www.federalrealty.com. The information contained on our website is not a part of this report and is not incorporated herein by reference.

Business Objectives and Strategies

Our primary business objective is to own, manage, acquire and redevelop a portfolio of high quality retail properties, with the most prevalent property type being grocery anchored community and neighborhood shopping centers, that will:

Our traditional focus has been and remains on grocery anchored community and neighborhood shopping centers. Late in 1994, recognizing a trend of increased consumer acceptance of retailer expansion to main streets, we expanded our investment strategy to include mixed-use properties. The mixed-use properties are typically centered around a retail component but also include office, residential and/or hotel components.

Operating Strategies

Our core operating strategy is to actively manage our properties to maximize rents and maintain occupancy levels by attracting and retaining a strong and diverse base of tenants and replacing weaker, underperforming tenants with stronger ones. Our properties are generally located in some of the most densely populated and affluent areas of the country. These strong demographics help our tenants generate higher sales, which has enabled us to maintain higher occupancy rates, charge higher rental rates, and maintain steady rent growth, all of which increase the value of our portfolio. Our operating strategies also include:

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Investing Strategies

Our investment strategy is to deploy capital at risk-adjusted rates of return that exceed our long-term weighted average cost of capital in projects that have potential for future income growth. Our investments primarily fall into one of the following five categories:

Investment Criteria

When we evaluate potential redevelopment, retenanting, expansion and acquisition opportunities, we consider such factors as:

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Financing Strategies

Our financing strategies are designed to enable us to maintain a strong balance sheet while retaining sufficient flexibility to fund our operating and investing activities in the most cost-efficient way possible. Our financing strategies include:

Employees

At February 12, 2010, we had 239 full-time employees and 137 part-time employees. None of our employees are represented by a collective bargaining unit. We believe that our relationship with our employees is good.

Tax Status

We elected to be taxed as a REIT under the federal income tax laws when we filed our 1962 tax return. As a REIT, we are generally not subject to federal income tax on taxable income that we distribute to our shareholders. Under the Code, REITs are subject to numerous organizational and operational requirements, including the requirement to generally distribute at least 90% of taxable income each year. We will be subject to

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federal income tax on our taxable income (including any applicable alternative minimum tax) at regular corporate rates if we fail to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes in any taxable year, or to the extent we distribute less than 100% of our taxable income. We will also generally not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for four years following the year during which qualification is lost. 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 have elected to treat certain of our subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries, which we refer to as a TRS. In general, a TRS may engage in any real estate business and certain non-real estate businesses, subject to certain limitations under the Code. A TRS is subject to federal and state income taxes. In 2009, 2008, and 2007, our TRS incurred net income taxes/(refunds) of approximately $0.5 million, $(0.8) million and $(0.3) million, respectively, primarily related to sales of condominiums at Santana Row, sales of three properties in 2007, and our investment in certain restaurant joint ventures at Santana Row.

Governmental Regulations Affecting Our Properties

We and our properties are subject to a variety of federal, state and local environmental, health, safety and similar laws, including:

The application of these laws to a specific property that we own depends on a variety of property-specific circumstances, including the current and former uses of the property, the building materials used at the property and the physical layout of the property. Under certain environmental laws, principally CERCLA, we, as the owner or operator of properties currently or previously owned, may be required to investigate and clean up certain hazardous or toxic substances, asbestos-containing materials, or petroleum product releases at the property. We may also be held liable to a governmental entity or third parties for property damage and for investigation and clean up costs incurred in connection with the contamination, whether or not we knew of, or were responsible for, such contamination. In addition, some environmental laws create a lien on the contaminated site in favor of the government for damages and costs it incurs in connection with the contamination. As the owner or operator of real estate, we also may be liable under common law to third parties for damages and injuries resulting from environmental contamination emanating from the real estate. Such costs or liabilities could exceed the value of the affected real estate. The presence of contamination or the failure to remediate contamination may adversely affect our ability to sell or lease real estate or to borrow using the real estate as collateral.

Neither existing environmental, health, safety and similar laws nor the costs of our compliance with these laws has had a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations, and management does not believe they will in the future. In addition, we have not incurred, and do not expect to incur, any material costs or liabilities due to environmental contamination at properties we currently own or have owned in the past. However, we cannot predict the impact of new or changed laws or regulations on properties we currently own or may acquire in the future. We have no current plans for substantial capital expenditures with respect to compliance with environmental, health, safety and similar laws and we carry environmental insurance which covers a number of environmental risks for most of our properties.

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Competition

Numerous commercial developers and real estate companies compete with us with respect to the leasing and the acquisition of properties. Some of these competitors may possess greater capital resources than we do, although we do not believe that any single competitor or group of competitors in any of the primary markets where our properties are located are dominant in that market. This competition may:

Retailers at our properties also face increasing competition from outlet stores, discount shopping clubs, superstores, and other forms of marketing of goods and services, such as direct mail, internet marketing and telemarketing. This competition could contribute to lease defaults and insolvency of tenants.

Available Information

Copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) are available free of charge through the Investor Information section of our website at www.federalrealty.com as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the material with, or furnish the material to, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct, Code of Ethics applicable to our Chief Executive Officer and senior financial officers, Whistleblower Policy, organizational documents and the charters of our audit committee, compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee are all available in the Corporate Governance section of the Investor Information section of our website.

Amendments to the Code of Ethics or Code of Business Conduct or waivers that apply to any of our executive officers or our senior financial officers will be disclosed in that section of our website as well.

You may obtain a printed copy of any of the foregoing materials from us by writing to us at Investor Relations, Federal Realty Investment Trust, 1626 East Jefferson Street, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

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ITEM 1A.    RISK FACTORS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Also, documents that we “incorporate by reference” into this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including documents that we subsequently file with the SEC will contain forward-looking statements. When we refer to forward-looking statements or information, sometimes we use words such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “plans,” “intends,” “expects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates” and “continues.” In particular, the below risk factors describe forward-looking information. The risk factors describe risks that may affect these statements but are not all-inclusive, particularly with respect to possible future events. Many things can happen that can cause actual results to be different from those we describe. These factors include, but are not limited to the following:

Revenue from our properties may be reduced or limited if the retail operations of our tenants are not successful.

Revenue from our properties depends primarily on the ability of our tenants to pay the full amount of rent and other charges due under their leases on a timely basis. Some of our leases provide for the payment, in addition to base rent, of additional rent above the base amount according to a specified percentage of the gross sales generated by the tenants and generally provide for reimbursement of real estate taxes and expenses of operating the property. The current downturn in the economy may impact the success of our tenants’ retail operations and therefore the amount of rent and expense reimbursements we receive from our tenants. We have seen some tenants experiencing declining sales, vacating early, failing to pay rent on a timely basis or filing for bankruptcy, as well as seeking rent relief from us as landlord. Any reduction in our tenants’ abilities to pay base rent, percentage rent or other charges on a timely basis, including the filing by any of our tenants for bankruptcy protection, will adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In the event of default by a tenant, we may experience delays and unexpected costs in enforcing our rights as landlord under lease terms, which may also adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our net income depends on the success and continued presence of our “anchor” tenants.

Our net income could be adversely affected in the event of a downturn in the business, or the bankruptcy or insolvency, of any anchor store or anchor tenant. Anchor tenants generally occupy large amounts of square footage, pay a significant portion of the total rents at a property and contribute to the success of other tenants by drawing significant numbers of customers to a property. The closing of one or more anchor stores at a property could adversely affect that property and result in lease terminations by, or reductions in rent from, other tenants whose leases may permit termination or rent reduction in those circumstances or whose own operations may suffer as a result. As a result of the current downturn in the economy, we have seen a decrease in the number of tenants available to fill anchor spaces due to recent bankruptcies. Therefore, tenant demand for certain of our anchor spaces may decrease and as a result, we may see an increase in vacancy and/or a decrease in rents for those spaces that could have a negative impact to our net income.

We may be unable to collect balances due from tenants that filed for bankruptcy protection.

If a tenant or lease guarantor files for bankruptcy, we may not be able to collect all pre-petition amounts owed by that party. In addition, a tenant that files for bankruptcy protection may terminate our lease in which event we would have a general unsecured claim that would likely be for less than the full amount owing to us for the remainder of the lease term, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operation.

We may experience difficulty or delay in renewing leases or re-leasing space.

We derive most of our revenue directly or indirectly from rent received from our tenants. We are subject to the risks that, upon expiration or termination of leases, whether by their terms, as a result of a tenant bankruptcy, the downturn in the economy or otherwise, leases for space in our properties may not be renewed, space may not be

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re-leased, or the terms of renewal or re-lease, including the cost of required renovations or concessions to tenants, may be less favorable than current lease terms which may include decreases in rental rates. As a result, our results of operations and our net income could be reduced.

The amount of debt we have and the restrictions imposed by that debt could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

As of December 31, 2009, we had approximately $1.8 billion of debt outstanding. Of that outstanding debt, approximately $516.2 million was secured by all or a portion of 21 of our real estate projects and approximately $62.3 million represented capital lease obligations on four of our properties. In addition, we own a 30% interest in a joint venture that had $57.8 million of debt secured by four properties as of December 31, 2009. Approximately $1.5 billion (86%) of our debt as of December 31, 2009, which includes all of our property secured debt and our capital lease obligations, is fixed rate debt. Our joint venture’s debt of $57.8 million is also fixed rate debt. Our organizational documents do not limit the level or amount of debt that we may incur. The amount of our debt outstanding from time to time could have important consequences to our shareholders. For example, it could:

Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on, or to refinance our indebtedness will depend primarily on our future performance, which to a certain extent is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. There can be no assurance that our business will continue to generate sufficient cash flow from operations in the future to service our debt or meet our other cash needs. If we are unable to generate this cash flow from our business, we may be required to refinance all or a portion of our existing debt, sell assets or obtain additional financing to meet our debt obligations and other cash needs, including the payment of dividends required to maintain our status as a real estate investment trust. We cannot assure you that any such refinancing, sale of assets or additional financing would be possible on terms that we would find acceptable.

We are obligated to comply with financial and other covenants pursuant to our debt obligations that could restrict our operating activities, and the failure to comply with such covenants could result in defaults that accelerate payment under our debt.

Our revolving credit facility, term loan and certain series of notes include financial covenants that may limit our operating activities in the future. We are also required to comply with additional covenants that include, among other things, provisions:

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As of December 31, 2009, we were in compliance with all of our financial covenants. If we were to breach any of our debt covenants, including the covenants listed above, and did not cure the breach within any applicable cure period, our lenders could require us to repay the debt immediately, and, if the debt is secured, could immediately begin proceedings to take possession of the property securing the loan. Many of our debt arrangements, including our public notes and our revolving credit facility, are cross-defaulted, which means that the lenders under those debt arrangements can put us in default and require immediate repayment of their debt if we breach and fail to cure a default under certain of our other debt obligations. As a result, any default under our debt covenants could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, our results of operations, our ability to meet our obligations and the market value of our shares.

Our development activities have inherent risks.

The ground-up development of improvements on real property, as opposed to the renovation and redevelopment of existing improvements, presents substantial risks. We generally do not intend to undertake on our own construction of any new large-scale mixed-use, ground-up development projects; however, we do intend to complete the development and construction of remaining phases of projects we already have started, such as Santana Row in San Jose, California and Assembly Square in Somerville, Massachusetts. We may undertake development of these and other projects if it is justifiable on a risk-adjusted return basis. We may also choose to delay completion of a project if market conditions do not allow an appropriate return. If conditions arise and we are not able or decide not to complete a project or if the expected cash flows of our project do not exceed the book value, an impairment of the project may be required. If additional phases of any of our existing projects or if any new projects are not successful, it may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition to the risks associated with real estate investment in general as described elsewhere, the risks associated with our remaining development activities include:

Redevelopments and acquisitions may fail to perform as expected.

Our investment strategy includes the redevelopment and acquisition of community and neighborhood shopping centers in densely populated areas with high average household incomes and significant barriers to adding competitive retail supply. The redevelopment and acquisition of properties entails risks that include the following, any of which could adversely affect our results of operations and our ability to meet our obligations:

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Our ability to grow will be limited if we cannot obtain additional capital.

Our growth strategy is focused on the redevelopment of properties we already own and the acquisition of additional properties. We believe that it will be difficult to fund our expected growth with cash from operating activities because, in addition to other requirements, we are generally required to distribute to our shareholders at least 90% of our taxable income each year to continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a result, we must rely primarily upon the availability of debt or equity capital, which may or may not be available on favorable terms or at all. The debt could include mortgage loans from third parties or the sale of debt securities. While we were able to consummate financings during 2009, the current poor economic environment and volatility in the capital markets could result in less favorable terms and availability than in recent years for debt financings. Equity capital could include our common shares or preferred shares. We cannot guarantee that additional financing, refinancing or other capital will be available in the amounts we desire or on favorable terms. Our access to debt or equity capital depends on a number of factors, including the market’s perception of our growth potential, our ability to pay dividends, and our current and potential future earnings. Depending on the outcome of these factors as well as the impact of the current poor economic environment, we could experience delay or difficulty in implementing our growth strategy on satisfactory terms, or be unable to implement this strategy.

Rising interest rates could adversely affect our cash flow and the market price of our outstanding debt and preferred shares.

Of our approximately $1.8 billion of debt outstanding as of December 31, 2009, approximately $259.4 million bears interest at variable rates and was unhedged. Our term loan bears interest at LIBOR, subject to a 1.5% floor, plus 300 basis points. We may borrow additional funds at variable interest rates in the future. Increases in interest rates would increase the interest expense on our variable rate debt and reduce our cash flow, which could adversely affect our ability to service our debt and meet our other obligations and also could reduce the amount we are able to distribute to our shareholders. Although we have in the past and may in the future enter into hedging arrangements or other transactions as to a portion of our variable rate debt to limit our exposure to rising interest rates, the amounts we are required to pay under the variable rate debt to which the hedging or similar arrangements relate may increase in the event of non-performance by the counterparties to any of our hedging arrangements. In addition, an increase in market interest rates may lead purchasers of our debt securities and preferred shares to demand a higher annual yield, which could adversely affect the market price of our outstanding debt securities and preferred shares and the cost and/or timing of refinancing or issuing additional debt securities or preferred shares.

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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 debt and equity securities depends on various factors, which may change from time to time and/or may be unrelated to our financial condition, operating performance or prospects that may cause significant fluctuations or volatility in such prices. These factors include, among others:

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

Our economic performance and the value of our real estate assets, and, consequently, the value of our investments, are subject to the risk that if our properties do not generate revenues sufficient to meet our operating expenses, including debt service and capital expenditures, our cash flow and ability to pay distributions to our shareholders will be adversely affected. As a real estate company, we are susceptible to the following real estate industry risks:

Each of these risks could result in decreases in market rental rates and increases in vacancy rates, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operation.

Many real estate costs are fixed, even if income from our properties decreases.

Our financial results depend primarily on leasing space in our properties to tenants on terms favorable to us. Costs associated with real estate investment, such as real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance costs, generally are not reduced even when a property is not fully occupied, rental rates decrease, or other circumstances cause a

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reduction in income from the property. As a result, cash flow from the operations of our properties may be reduced if a tenant does not pay its rent or we are unable to rent our properties on favorable terms. Under those circumstances, we might not be able to enforce our rights as landlord without delays and may incur substantial legal costs. Additionally, new properties that we may acquire or redevelop may not produce any significant revenue immediately, and the cash flow from existing operations may be insufficient to pay the operating expenses and debt service associated with such new properties until they are fully leased.

Competition may limit our ability to purchase new properties and generate sufficient income from tenants.

Numerous commercial developers and real estate companies compete with us in seeking tenants for our existing properties and properties for acquisition. This competition may:

Retailers at our properties also face increasing competition from outlet stores, discount shopping clubs, and other forms of marketing of goods, such as direct mail, internet marketing and telemarketing. This competition could contribute to lease defaults and insolvency of tenants. If we are unable to continue to attract appropriate retail tenants to our properties, or to purchase new properties in our geographic markets, it could materially affect our ability to generate net income, service our debt and make distributions to our shareholders.

We may be unable to sell properties when appropriate because real estate investments are illiquid.

Real estate investments generally cannot be sold quickly. In addition, there are some limitations under federal income tax laws applicable to real estate and to REITs in particular that may limit our ability to sell our assets. We may not be able to alter our portfolio promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions including being unable to sell a property at a return we believe is appropriate due to the current economic environment. Our inability to respond quickly to adverse changes in the performance of our investments could have an adverse effect on our ability to meet our obligations and make distributions to our shareholders.

Our insurance coverage on our properties may be inadequate.

We currently carry comprehensive insurance on all of our properties, including insurance for liability, fire, flood, rental loss and acts of terrorism. We also currently carry earthquake insurance on all of our properties in California and environmental insurance on most of our properties. All of these policies contain coverage limitations. We believe these coverages are of the types and amounts customarily obtained for or by an owner of similar types of real property assets located in the areas where our properties are located. We intend to obtain similar insurance coverage on subsequently acquired properties.

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. 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. We therefore may cease to have insurance coverage against certain types of losses and/or there may be decreases in the limits of insurance available. If an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of our insured limits occurs, we could lose all or a portion of the

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capital we have invested in a property, as well as the anticipated future revenue from the property, but still remain obligated for any mortgage debt or other financial obligations related to the property. We cannot guarantee that material losses in excess of insurance proceeds will not occur in the future. If any of our properties were to experience a catastrophic loss, it could disrupt seriously our operations, delay revenue and result in large expenses to repair or rebuild the property. Also, due to inflation, changes in codes and ordinances, environmental considerations and other factors, it may not be feasible to use insurance proceeds to replace a building after it has been damaged or destroyed. Events such as these could adversely affect our results of operations and our ability to meet our obligations, including distributions to our shareholders.

We may have limited flexibility in dealing with our jointly owned investments.

Our organizational documents do not limit the amount of funds that we may invest in properties and assets jointly with other persons or entities and as of December 31, 2009, excluding our joint venture with affiliates of a discretionary fund created and advised by ING Clarion Partners (“Clarion”) and properties owned in a “downREIT” structure, we hold three predominantly retail real estate projects jointly with other persons. We may make additional joint investments in the future. Our existing and future joint investments may subject us to special risks, including the possibility that our partners or co-investors might become bankrupt, that those partners or co-investors might have economic or other business interests or goals which are unlike or incompatible with our business interests or goals, that those partners or co-investors might be in a position to take action contrary to our suggestions or instructions, or in opposition to our policies or objectives, and that disputes may develop with our joint venture partners over decisions affecting the property or the joint venture, which may result in litigation or arbitration or some other form of dispute resolution. Although we hold the managing general partnership or membership interest in all of our existing co-investments as of December 31, 2009, we must obtain the consent of the co-investor or meet defined criteria to sell or to finance these properties. Joint ownership gives a third party the opportunity to influence the return we can achieve on some of our investments and may adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our shareholders. We may also be liable for the actions of our co-investors.

In addition, on July 1, 2004, we entered into a joint venture with Clarion for purposes of acquiring properties. Although we are the managing general partner of that entity, we have only a 30% ownership interest in that entity. Our partner’s consent is required to take certain actions with respect to the properties acquired by the venture, and as a result, we may not be able to take actions that we believe are necessary or desirable to protect or increase the value of the property or the property’s income stream. Pursuant to the terms of our partnership, we must obtain our partner’s consent to do the following:

The terms of our partnership require that certain acquisition opportunities be presented first to the joint venture, which limits our ability to acquire properties for our own account which could, in turn, limit our ability to grow. Our joint venture with Clarion is subject to a buy-sell provision which is customary for real estate joint venture agreements and the industry. Either partner may initiate these provisions at any time, which could result in either the sale of our interest or the use of available cash or borrowings to acquire Clarion’s interest. Our investment in this joint venture is also subject to the risks described above for jointly owned investments. As of December 31, 2009, this joint venture owned seven properties.

Environmental laws and regulations could reduce the value or profitability of our properties.

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. Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, we and our tenants may be

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required to investigate and clean up certain hazardous or toxic substances released on or in properties we own or operate, and also may be required to pay other costs relating to hazardous or toxic substances. This liability may be imposed without regard to whether we or our tenants knew about the release of these types of substances or were responsible for their release. The presence of contamination or the failure properly to remediate contamination at any of our properties may adversely affect our ability to sell or lease those properties or to borrow funds by using those properties as collateral. The costs or liabilities could exceed the value of the affected real estate. We are not aware of any environmental condition with respect to any of our properties that management believes would have a material adverse effect on our business, assets or results of operations taken as a whole. The uses of any of our properties prior to our acquisition of the property and the building materials used at the property are among the property-specific factors that will affect how the environmental laws are applied to our properties. If we are subject to any material environmental liabilities, the liabilities could adversely affect our results of operations and our ability to meet our obligations.

We cannot predict what other environmental legislation or regulations will be enacted in the future, how existing or future laws or regulations will be administered or interpreted or what environmental conditions may be found to exist on the properties in the future. Compliance with existing and new laws and regulations may require us or our tenants to spend funds to remedy environmental problems. Our tenants, like many of their competitors, have incurred, and will continue to incur, capital and operating expenditures and other costs associated with complying with these laws and regulations, which will adversely affect their potential profitability.

Generally, our tenants must comply with environmental laws and meet remediation requirements. Our leases typically impose obligations on our tenants to indemnify us from any compliance costs we may incur as a result of the environmental conditions on the property caused by the tenant. If a lease does not require compliance or if a tenant fails to or cannot 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 or result in lower sales prices or rent payments.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 could require us to take remedial steps with respect to existing or newly acquired properties.

Our existing properties, as well as properties we may acquire, as commercial facilities, are required to comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Investigation of a property may reveal non-compliance with this Act. The requirements of this Act, or of other federal, state or local laws or regulations, also may change in the future and restrict further renovations of our properties with respect to access for disabled persons. Future compliance with this Act may require expensive changes to the properties.

The revenues generated by our tenants could be negatively affected by various federal, state and local laws to which they are subject.

We and our tenants are subject to a wide range of federal, state and local laws and regulations, such as local licensing requirements, consumer protection laws and state and local fire, life-safety and similar requirements that affect the use of the properties. The leases typically require that each tenant comply with all laws and regulations. Failure to comply could result in fines by governmental authorities, awards of damages to private litigants, or restrictions on the ability to conduct business on such properties. Non-compliance of this sort could reduce our revenues from a tenant, could require us to pay penalties or fines relating to any non-compliance, and could adversely affect our ability to sell or lease a property.

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Failure to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes would cause us to be taxed as a corporation, which would substantially reduce funds available for payment of distributions.

We believe that we are organized and qualified as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and currently intend to operate in a manner that will allow us to continue to qualify as a REIT under the Code. However, we cannot assure you that we will remain qualified as such in the future.

Qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Code provisions and applicable income tax regulations that have been issued under the Code. Certain facts and circumstances not entirely within our control may affect our ability to qualify as a REIT. For example, in order to qualify as a REIT, at least 95% of our gross income in any year must be derived from qualifying rents and certain other income. Satisfying this requirement could be difficult, for example, if defaults by tenants were to reduce the amount of income from qualifying rents. As a REIT, we must generally make annual distributions to shareholders of at least 90% of our taxable income. In addition, new legislation, new regulations, new administrative interpretations or new court decisions may significantly change the tax laws with respect to qualification as a REIT or the federal income tax consequences of such qualification.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT:

We may be required to incur additional debt to qualify as a REIT.

As a REIT, we must make generally annual distributions to shareholders of at least 90% of our taxable income. We are subject to income tax on amounts of undistributed taxable income and net capital gain. 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. We intend to make distributions to shareholders to comply with the Code’s distribution provisions and to avoid federal income and excise tax. We may need to borrow funds to meet our distribution requirements because:

In these circumstances, we might have to borrow funds on terms we might otherwise find unfavorable and we may have to borrow funds even if our management believes the market conditions make borrowing financially unattractive. Current tax law also allows us to pay a portion of our distributions in shares instead of cash.

To maintain our status as a REIT, we limit the amount of shares any one shareholder can own.

The Code imposes certain limitations on the ownership of the stock of a REIT. For example, not more than 50% in value of our outstanding shares of capital stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code) during the last half of any taxable year. To protect our REIT status, our

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declaration of trust prohibits any one shareholder from owning (actually or constructively) more than 9.8% in value of the outstanding common shares or of any class or series of outstanding preferred shares. The constructive ownership rules are complex. Shares of our capital stock owned, actually or constructively, by a group of related individuals and/or entities may be treated as constructively owned by one of those individuals or entities. As a result, the acquisition of less than 9.8% in value of the outstanding common shares and/or a class or series of preferred shares (or the acquisition of an interest in an entity that owns common shares or preferred shares) by an individual or entity could cause that individual or entity (or another) to own constructively more than 9.8% in value of the outstanding capital stock. If that happened, either the transfer or ownership would be void or the shares would be transferred to a charitable trust and then sold to someone who can own those shares without violating the 9.8% ownership limit.

The Board of Trustees may waive these restrictions on a case-by-case basis. In addition, the Board of Trustees and two-thirds of our shareholders eligible to vote at a shareholder meeting may remove these restrictions if they determine it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify, as a REIT. The 9.8% ownership restrictions may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of our control that might involve a premium price for the common shares or otherwise be in the shareholders’ best interest.

We cannot assure you we will continue to pay dividends at historical rates.

Our ability to continue to pay dividends on our common shares at historical rates or to increase our common share dividend rate, and our ability to pay preferred share dividends and service our debt securities, will depend on a number of factors, including, among others, the following:

If we do not maintain or increase the dividend rate on our common shares, it could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common shares and other securities. Any preferred shares we may offer in the future may have a fixed dividend rate that would not increase with any increases in the dividend rate of our common shares. Conversely, payment of dividends on our common shares may be subject to payment in full of the dividends on any preferred shares and payment of interest on any debt securities we may offer.

Certain tax and anti-takeover provisions of our declaration of trust and bylaws may inhibit a change of our control.

Certain provisions contained in our declaration of trust and bylaws and the Maryland General Corporation Law, as applicable to Maryland REITs, may discourage a third party from making a tender offer or acquisition proposal to us. If this were to happen, it could delay, deter or prevent a change in control or the removal of existing management. These provisions also may delay or prevent the shareholders from receiving a premium for their common shares over then-prevailing market prices. These provisions include:

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In addition, if we elect to be governed by it in the future, the Maryland control share acquisition law could delay or prevent a change in control. Under Maryland law, unless a REIT elects not to be subject to this law, “control shares” acquired in a “control share acquisition” have no voting rights except to the extent approved by shareholders by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding shares owned by the acquirer and by officers or trustees who are employees of the REIT. “Control shares” are voting shares that would entitle the acquirer to exercise voting power in electing trustees within specified ranges of voting power. A “control share acquisition” means the acquisition of control shares, with some exceptions.

Our bylaws state that the Maryland control share acquisition law will not apply to any acquisition by any person of our common shares. This bylaw provision may be repealed, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of control shares, by a vote of a majority of the shareholders entitled to vote, and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent control share acquisition.

We may amend or revise our business policies without your approval.

Our Board of Trustees may amend or revise our operating policies without shareholder approval. Our investment, financing and borrowing policies and policies with respect to all other activities, such as growth, debt, capitalization and operations, are determined by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees may amend or revise these policies at any time and from time to time at its discretion. A change in these policies could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, and the market price of our securities.

The current business plan adopted by our Board of Trustees focuses on our investment in neighborhood and community shopping centers, principally through redevelopments and acquisitions. If this business plan is not successful, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements that we make, including those in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Except as may be required by law, we make no promise to update any of the forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You should carefully review the above risks and the risk factors.

ITEM 1B.    UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2.    PROPERTIES

General

As of December 31, 2009, we owned or had a majority ownership interest in community and neighborhood shopping centers and mixed-used properties which are operated as 84 predominantly retail real estate projects comprising approximately 18.2 million square feet. These properties are located primarily in densely populated and affluent communities in strategic metropolitan markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, as well as California. No single property accounted for over 10% of our 2009 total revenue. We believe that our properties are adequately covered by commercial general liability, fire, flood, earthquake, terrorism and business interruption insurance provided by reputable companies, with commercially reasonable exclusions, deductibles and limits.

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Tenant Diversification

As of December 31, 2009, we had approximately 2,400 leases, with tenants ranging from sole proprietors to major national and international retailers. No one tenant or affiliated group of tenants accounted for more than 2.6% of our annualized base rent as of December 31, 2009. As a result of our tenant diversification, we believe our exposure to any one bankruptcy filing in the retail sector has not been and will not be significant, however, multiple filings by a number of retailers could have a significant impact.

Geographic Diversification

Our 84 real estate projects are located in 13 states and the District of Columbia. The following table shows the number of projects, the gross leasable area of commercial space and the percentage of total portfolio gross leasable area of commercial space in each state as of December 31, 2009.

Leases, Lease Terms and Lease Expirations

Our leases are classified as operating leases and typically are structured to require the monthly payment of minimum rents in advance, subject to periodic increases during the term of the lease, percentage rents based on the level of sales achieved by tenants, and reimbursement of a majority of on-site operating expenses and real estate taxes. These features in our leases generally reduce our exposure to higher costs and allow us to participate in improved tenant sales.

Commercial property leases generally range from 3 to 10 years; however, certain leases, primarily with anchor tenants, may be longer. Many of our leases contain tenant options that enable the tenant to extend the term of the lease at expiration at pre-established rental rates that often include fixed rent increases, consumer price index adjustments or other market rate adjustments from the prior base rent. Leases on residential units are generally for a period of one year or less and, in 2009, represented approximately 4.1% of total rental income.

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The following table sets forth the schedule of lease expirations for our commercial leases in place as of December 31, 2009 for each of the 10 years beginning with 2010 and after 2019 in the aggregate assuming that none of the tenants exercise future renewal options. Annualized base rents reflect in-place contractual rents as of December 31, 2009.

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Retail and Residential Properties

The following table sets forth information concerning all real estate projects in which we owned an equity interest, had a leasehold interest, or otherwise controlled and are consolidated as of December 31, 2009. Except as otherwise noted, we are the sole owner of our retail real estate projects. Principal tenants are the largest tenants in the project based on square feet leased or are tenants important to a project’s success due to their ability to attract retail customers.

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Retail and Residential Properties—continued

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Retail and Residential Properties—continued

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Retail and Residential Properties—continued

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Retail and Residential Properties—continued

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ITEM 3.    LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

In May 2003, a breach of contract action was filed against us alleging that a one page document entitled “Final Proposal” constituted a ground lease of a parcel of property located adjacent to our Santana Row property and gave the plaintiff the option to require that we acquire the property at a price determined in accordance with a formula included in the “Final Proposal.” The “Final Proposal” explicitly stated that it was subject to approval of the terms and conditions of a formal agreement. A trial as to liability only was held in June 2006 and a jury rendered a verdict against us. A trial on the issue of damages was held in April 2008 and the court issued a tentative ruling in April 2009 awarding damages to the plaintiff of approximately $14.4 million plus interest.

Based on this tentative ruling, we estimated interest could range from $2.1 million to $8.4 million. Accordingly, considering all the information available to us on May 6, 2009, when we filed our Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2009, our best estimate of damages, interest, and other costs was $21.4 million.

Accordingly, we increased our accrual for the matter from $0.8 million at December 31, 2008, to $21.4 million at March 31, 2009. In June 2009, the court issued a final judgment awarding damages of $15.9 million (including interest) plus costs of suit. In July 2009, we and the plaintiff both filed a notice of appeal. The plaintiff also filed reimbursement motions for $2.1 million of legal fees, expert fees, and court costs of which $1.9 million was subsequently denied. In December 2009, the plaintiff filed an “appellee’s principal and response brief” providing additional information regarding the issues the plaintiff is appealing. The plaintiff’s appeal included only the denial of expert fees which totals approximately $0.4 million. Given the additional information regarding the appeal, we lowered our accrual to $16.4 million, which reflects our best estimate of the litigation liability. The net increase in our accrual of $15.6 million is included in “litigation provision” in our consolidated statement of operations, and the $16.4 million accrual is included in the “accounts payable and accrued expenses” line item in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2009. During 2009, we incurred additional legal and other costs related to this lawsuit and appeal process which are also included in the “litigation provision” line item in the consolidated statement of operations.

We expect oral arguments on the appeal to be scheduled for later in 2010. All judgments will be stayed until completion of the appeals. Furthermore, we continue to believe that the “Final Proposal” which included express language that it was subject to formal documentation was not a binding contract and that we should have no liability whatsoever, and will vigorously defend our position as part of the appeal process.

ITEM 4.    SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SHAREHOLDERS

No matters were submitted to a vote of our shareholders during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.

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PART II

Our common shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FRT.” Listed below are the high and low closing prices of our common shares as reported on the New York Stock Exchange and the dividends declared for each of the periods indicated.

On February 12, 2010, there were 3,925 holders of record of our common shares.

Our ongoing operations generally will not be subject to federal income taxes as long as we maintain our REIT status and distribute to shareholders at least 100% of our taxable income. Under the Code, REITs are subject to numerous organizational and operational requirements, including the requirement to generally distribute at least 90% of taxable income.

Future distributions will be at the discretion of our Board of Trustees and will depend on our actual net income available for common shareholders, financial condition, capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Code and such other factors as the Board of Trustees deems relevant. We have paid quarterly dividends to our shareholders continuously since our founding in 1962 and have increased our regular annual dividend rate for 42 consecutive years.

Our total annual dividends paid per common share for 2009 and 2008 were $2.61 per share and $2.48 per share, respectively. The annual dividend amounts are different from dividends as calculated for federal income tax purposes. Distributions to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for federal income tax purposes generally will be taxable to a shareholder as ordinary dividend income. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a nontaxable reduction of the shareholder’s basis in such shareholder’s shares, to the extent thereof, and thereafter as taxable capital gain. Distributions that are treated as a reduction of the shareholder’s basis in its shares will have the effect of increasing the amount of gain, or reducing the amount of loss, recognized upon the sale of the shareholder’s shares. No assurances can be given regarding what portion, if any, of distributions in 2010 or subsequent years will constitute a return of capital for federal income tax purposes. During a year in which a REIT earns a net long-term capital gain, the REIT can elect under Section 857(b)(3) of the Code to designate a portion of dividends paid to shareholders as capital gain dividends. If this election is made, then the capital gain dividends are generally taxable to the shareholder as long-term capital gains.

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The following table reflects the income tax status of distributions per share paid to common shareholders:

Distributions on our 5.417% Series 1 Cumulative Convertible Preferred Shares were paid at the rate of $1.354 per share per annum commencing on the issuance date of March 8, 2007. We do not believe that the preferential rights available to the holders of our preferred shares or the financial covenants contained in our debt agreements had or will have an adverse effect on our ability to pay dividends in the normal course of business to our common shareholders or to distribute amounts necessary to maintain our qualification as a REIT.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Shares

Under the terms of various operating partnership agreements of certain of our affiliated limited partnerships, the interest of limited partners in those limited partnerships may be redeemed, subject to certain conditions, for cash or an equivalent number of our common shares, at our option. During the three months ended December 31, 2009, there were no operating partnership unit redemptions. All other equity securities sold by us during 2009 that were not registered have been previously reported in a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

No equity securities were purchased by us during 2009. However, 1,495 restricted common shares were forfeited by former employees.

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ITEM 6.    SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table includes certain financial information on a consolidated historical basis. You should read this section in conjunction with “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” Our selected operating data, other data and balance sheet data for the years ended December 31, 2005 through 2008 have been reclassified to conform to the 2009 presentation.