FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST INC - Quarter Report: 2009 March (Form 10-Q)

 

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-Q

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commission file number 1-13102

 

 

 

 

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

 

 

 

311 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 4000, Chicago, Illinois 60606

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

(312) 344-4300

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

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, and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes þ     No o

 

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 o     No o

 

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 o     No þ

 

Number of shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value, outstanding as of April 24, 2009: 44,683,998.

 

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

Form 10-Q

 

For the Period Ended March 31, 2009

 

INDEX

 

 

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(In thousands except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)

 

 

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) was organized in the state of Maryland on August 10, 1993. The Company is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”). Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., First Industrial, L.P. and their other controlled subsidiaries. We refer to our operating partnership, First Industrial, L.P., as the “Operating Partnership,” and our taxable REIT subsidiary, First Industrial Investment, Inc., as the “TRS.”

 

We began operations on July 1, 1994. Our operations are conducted primarily through the Operating Partnership, of which we are the sole general partner with an approximate 88.7% and 87.6% ownership interest at March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, respectively, and through the TRS, of which the Operating Partnership is the sole stockholder. We also conduct operations through other partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies, the operating data of which, together with that of the Operating Partnership and the TRS, are consolidated with that of the Company as presented herein. Noncontrolling interest at March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008 of approximately 11.3% and 12.4%, respectively, represents the aggregate partnership interest in the Operating Partnership held by the limited partners thereof.

 

We also own noncontrolling equity interests in, and provide various services to, seven joint ventures whose purpose is to invest in industrial properties (the “2003 Net Lease Joint Venture,” the “2005 Development/Repositioning Joint Venture,” the “2005 Core Joint Venture,” the “2006 Net Lease Co-Investment Program,” the “2006 Land/Development Joint Venture”, the “2007 Canada Joint Venture” and the “2007 Europe Joint Venture” together the “Joint Ventures”). The Joint Ventures are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. One of the Joint Ventures, the 2007 Europe Joint Venture, does not own any properties.

 

The operating data of the Joint Ventures is not consolidated with that of the Company as presented herein.

 

As of March 31, 2009, we owned 796 industrial properties (inclusive of developments in process) located in 28 states in the United States and one province in Canada, containing an aggregate of approximately 70.8 million square feet of gross leaseable area (“GLA”).

 

 

The real estate markets have been significantly impacted by recent events in the global credit markets. The current recession has resulted in downward pressure on our net operating income and has impaired our ability to sell properties.

 

Our $500,000 unsecured credit facility (the “Unsecured Line of Credit”) and the indentures under which our senior unsecured indebtedness is, or may be issued, contain certain financial covenants, including, among other things, coverage ratios and limitations on our ability to incur secured and unsecured indebtedness. Consistent with our prior practice, we will, in the future, continue to interpret and certify our performance under these covenants in a good faith manner that we deem reasonable and appropriate. However, these financial covenants are complex and there can be no assurance that these provisions would not be interpreted by our lenders in a manner that could impose and cause us to incur material costs. Any violation of these covenants would subject us to higher finance costs and fees, or accelerated maturities. In addition, our credit facilities and senior debt securities contain certain cross-default provisions, which are triggered in the event that our other material indebtedness is in default. Under the Unsecured Line of Credit, an event of default can also occur if the lenders, in their good faith judgment, determine that a material adverse change has occurred which could prevent timely repayment or materially impair our ability to perform our obligations under the loan agreement.

 

We believe that we were in compliance with our financial covenants as of March 31, 2009, and we anticipate that we will be able to operate in compliance with our financial covenants for the remainder of 2009. However, our

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

ability to meet our financial covenants may be reduced if economic and credit market conditions limit our property sales and reduce our net operating income below our projections. We expect to refinance indebtedness maturing in 2009 and to comply with our financial covenants for the remainder of 2009 and beyond. We plan to enhance our liquidity through a combination of capital retention, mortgage financing and asset sales.

 

 

In addition, we may from time to time repurchase or redeem our outstanding securities. Any repurchases or redemptions would depend upon prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors we consider important. Future repurchases or redemptions may materially impact our liquidity, future tax liability and results of operations.

 

Although we believe we will be successful in meeting our liquidity needs through a combination of capital retention, mortgage financing and asset sales, if we were to be unsuccessful in executing one or more of the strategies outlined above, we would be materially adversely affected.

 

 

The accompanying unaudited interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies described in the financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 (“2008 Form 10-K”) and should be read in conjunction with such financial statements and related notes. The following notes to these interim financial statements highlight significant changes to the notes included in the December 31, 2008 audited financial statements included in our 2008 Form 10-K and present interim disclosures as required by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

In order to conform with generally accepted accounting principles, we, in preparation of our financial statements, are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

In our opinion, the accompanying unaudited interim financial statements reflect all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of our financial position as of March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 and the results of our operations and comprehensive income for each of the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, and

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

our cash flows for each of the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, and all adjustments are of a normal recurring nature.

 

Deferred Leasing Intangibles

 

Deferred Leasing Intangibles, exclusive of Deferred Leasing Intangibles held for sale, included in our total assets consist of the following:

 

 

Deferred Leasing Intangibles, exclusive of Deferred Leasing Intangibles held for sale, included in our total liabilities consist of the following:

 

 

Amortization expense related to in-place leases and tenant relationships of deferred leasing intangibles was $5,737 and $6,416 for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, respectively. Rental revenues increased by $374 and $1,277 related to net amortization of above/(below) market leases for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, respectively.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In April 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued FASB Staff Position (“FSP”) Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) 107-1 and Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) 28-1, “Interim Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments” (“FSP 107-1”). FSP 107-1 amends SFAS No. 107, “Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments” to require an entity to provide disclosures about fair value of financial instruments in interim financial information. FSP 107-1 is to be applied prospectively and is effective for interim and annual periods ending after June 15, 2009 with early adoption permitted for periods ending after March 15, 2009. We will include the required disclosures in our quarter ending June 30, 2009.

 

Effective January 1, 2009 we adopted SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements” (“SFAS 160”). SFAS 160 establishes requirements for ownership interests in subsidiaries held by parties other than the Company (formerly called “minority interests”) to be clearly identified, presented, and disclosed in the consolidated statement of financial position within equity, but separate from the parent’s equity. Changes in a parent’s

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

ownership interest (and transactions with noncontrolling interest holders) while the parent retains its controlling financial interest in its subsidiary should be accounted for as equity transactions. The carrying amount of the noncontrolling interest shall be adjusted to reflect the change in its ownership interest in the subsidiary, with the offset to equity attributable to the parent. As a result of transactions with noncontrolling interest holders and changes in ownership percentages that occurred during the three months ended March 31, 2009, we decreased noncontrolling interest and increased Additional Paid in Capital by $37,348, which represents the cumulative impact of historical changes in the parent’s ownership in the subsidiary. SFAS 160 was effective, on a prospective basis, for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008, however, presentation and disclosure requirements needed to be retrospectively applied to comparative financial statements. See Note 6 for additional SFAS 160 disclosures.

 

Effective January 1, 2009 we adopted SFAS No. 161, “Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities — an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133” (“SFAS 161”). SFAS 161 expands the current disclosure requirements of SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities” (“SFAS 133”) such that entities must now provide enhanced disclosures on an interim basis and annual basis regarding how and why the entity uses derivatives; how derivatives and related hedged items are accounted for under SFAS 133 and how derivatives and related hedged items affect the entity’s financial position, financial results and cash flow. See Note 13 for the required disclosures. This Statement does not impact the consolidated financial results as it is disclosure-only in nature.

 

Effective January 1, 2009 we adopted FSP FAS 157-2, “Effective Date of FASB Statement No. 157” (“FSP 157-2”). FSP FAS 157-2 delayed the effective date of SFAS No. 157 “Fair Value Measurements” (“SFAS 157”) from 2008 to 2009 for all nonfinancial assets and nonfinancial liabilities, except those that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis (at least annually). The adoption of the provisions of SFAS No. 157 related to nonfinancial assets and nonfinancial liabilities did not impact our consolidated financial statements.

 

Effective January 1, 2009 we adopted FSP Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) 03-6-1, “Determining Whether Instruments Granted in Share-Based Payment Transactions Are Participating Securities” (“EITF 03-6-1”), which required retrospective application. Under EITF 03-6-1, unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents are participating securities and, therefore, are included in the computation of earnings per share (“EPS”) pursuant to the two-class method. The two-class method determines EPS for each class of common stock and participating securities according to dividends or dividend equivalents and their respective participation rights in undistributed earnings. Certain restricted stock awards granted to employees and directors are considered participating securities as they receive non-forfeitable dividend or dividend equivalents at the same rate as common stock. The impact of adopting EITF 03-6-1 decreased previously filed basic and diluted EPS by $0.02 for the three months ended March 31, 2008.

 

Effective January 1, 2009 we adopted SFAS No. 141 (revised 2007), “Business Combinations” (“SFAS 141R”). SFAS 141R states direct costs of a business combination, such as transaction fees, due diligence and consulting fees no longer qualify to be capitalized as part of the business combination. Instead, these direct costs need to be recognized as expense in the period in which they are incurred. Accordingly, we retroactively expensed these types of costs in 2008 related to future operating property acquisitions.

 

Effective January 1, 2009 we adopted FSP APB 14-1 “Accounting for Convertible Debt Instruments That May Be Settled in Cash upon Conversion (Including Partial Cash Settlement)” (“FSP APB 14-1”) that requires the liability and equity components of convertible debt instruments to be separately accounted for in a manner that reflects the issuer’s nonconvertible debt borrowing rate. FSP APB 14-1 requires that the value assigned to the debt component be the estimated fair value of a similar bond without the conversion feature, which would result in the debt being recorded at a discount. The resulting debt discount is then amortized over the period during which the debt is expected to be outstanding as additional non-cash interest expense. Retrospective application to all periods presented is required.

 

The equity component of our convertible unsecured notes (the “2011 Exchangeable Notes”) was $7,898 and therefore we retroactively adjusted our Senior Unsecured Debt by this amount as of September 2006. This debt discount has been subsequently amortized and as of March 31, 2009 the principal amount of the 2011 Exchangeable

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

Notes, its unamortized discount and the net carrying amount is $200,000, $3,949 and $196,051, respectively. In addition, we reclassified $194 of the original finance fees incurred in relation to the 2011 Exchangeable Notes to equity as of September 2006. For the three months ended March 31, 2009, we recognized $2,707 of interest expense related to the 2011 Exchangeable Notes of which $2,312 relates to the coupon rate and $395 relates to the debt discount amortization. We anticipate amortizing the remaining debt discount into interest expense through maturity in September, 2011. We recognized $3,555 and $(88) as an adjustment to total equity as of December 31, 2008 that represents amortization expense of the discount and the loan fees, respectively, which would have been recognized had FSP APB 14-1 been effective since the issuance date of our 2011 Exchangeable Notes.

 

The impact to net income and the loss from continuing operations, before noncontrolling interest, related to the adoption of SFAS 141R and FSP APB 14-1, for the three months ended March 31, 2008 was an increase to general and administrative expense of $67, an increase to interest expense of $395 and a decrease to amortization of deferred financing fees of $10.

 

The impact to the balance sheet as of December 31, 2008 related to the adoption of SFAS 141R and FSP APB 14-1 is as follows:

 

 

 

At March 31, 2009, the 2003 Net Lease Joint Venture owned 10 industrial properties comprising approximately 5.1 million square feet of GLA, the 2005 Development/Repositioning Joint Venture owned 46 industrial properties comprising approximately 8.6 million square feet of GLA and several land parcels, the 2005 Core Joint Venture owned 48 industrial properties comprising approximately 3.9 million square feet of GLA and several land parcels, the 2006 Net Lease Co-Investment Program owned 12 industrial properties comprising approximately 5.0 million square feet of GLA, the 2006 Land/Development Joint Venture owned one industrial property comprising approximately 0.8 million square feet and several land parcels and the 2007 Canada Joint Venture owned two industrial properties comprising approximately 0.2 million square feet of GLA and several land parcels. As of March 31, 2009, the 2007 Europe Joint Venture does not own any properties.

 

During July 2007, we entered into a management arrangement with an institutional investor to provide property management, leasing, acquisition, disposition and portfolio management services for industrial properties (the “July 2007 Fund”). We do not own an equity interest in the July 2007 Fund, however, are entitled to incentive payments if certain economic thresholds related to the industrial properties are achieved.

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

At March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, we have receivables from the Joint Ventures and the July 2007 Fund of $3,924 and $3,939, respectively, which mainly relates to development, leasing, property management and asset management fees due to us from the Joint Ventures and the July 2007 Fund, reimbursement for insurance premiums and other operating expenditures paid on behalf of the Joint Ventures and the July 2007 Fund and reimbursement for development expenditures made by the TRS who is acting in the capacity of the general contractor for development projects for the 2005 Development/Repositioning Joint Venture. These receivable amounts are included in Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets, Net.

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, we invested the following amounts in, as well as received distributions from, our Joint Ventures and recognized fees from acquisition, disposition, leasing, development, incentive, property management and asset management services from our Joint Ventures and the July 2007 Fund in the following amounts:

 

 

 

The following table discloses certain information regarding our mortgage loans payable, senior unsecured debt and unsecured line of credit:

 

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

 

 

In connection with our offering of the 2011 Exchangeable Notes, we entered into capped call transactions (the “capped call transactions”) with affiliates of two of the initial purchasers of the 2011 Exchangeable Notes (the “option counterparties”) in order to increase the effective exchange price of the 2011 Exchangeable Notes to $59.42 per share of our common stock, which represents an exchange premium of approximately 40% based on the last reported sale price of $42.44 per share of the our common stock on September 19, 2006. The aggregate cost of the capped call transactions was approximately $6,835. The capped call transactions are expected to reduce the potential dilution with respect to our common stock upon exchange of the 2011 Exchangeable Notes to the extent the then market value per share of our common stock does not exceed the cap price of the capped call transaction during the observation period relating to an exchange. The cost of the capped call is accounted for as a hedge and included in First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity because the derivative is indexed to our own stock and meets the scope exception in SFAS 133.

 

The following is a schedule of the stated maturities and scheduled principal payments of the mortgage loans, senior unsecured debt and unsecured line of credit, exclusive of premiums and discounts, for the next five years ending December 31, and thereafter:

 

 

All of our senior unsecured debt (except for the 2011 Exchangeable Notes) contain certain covenants, including limitations on incurrence of debt and debt service coverage. The Unsecured Line of Credit contains certain covenants including limitations on incurrence of debt and debt service coverage. Under the Unsecured Line of Credit, an event of default can also occur if the lenders, in their good faith judgment, determine that a material adverse change has occurred which could prevent timely repayment or materially impair our ability to perform our obligations under the loan agreement. We believe that the Operating Partnership and the Company were in compliance with all covenants relating to senior unsecured debt and the Unsecured Line of Credit as of March 31, 2009. However, these financial covenants are complex and there can be no assurance that these provisions would not be interpreted by our noteholders or lenders in a manner that could impose and cause us to incur material costs.

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

 

Shares of Common Stock:

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2009, 118,510 limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership (“Units”) were converted into an equivalent number of shares of common stock, resulting in a reclassification of $2,521 of noncontrolling interest to First Industrial Realty Trust Inc.’s Stockholders’ Equity.

 

The following table summarizes the changes in Total Equity:

 

 

Restricted Stock:

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2009, we awarded 8,612 shares of restricted common stock to certain directors. These restricted common stock shares had a fair value of approximately $61 on the date of issuance. The restricted common stock awarded to directors generally vests over a three to ten year period. Compensation expense will be charged to earnings over the respective vesting period for the shares expected to vest.

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2009, we made a grant of 1,000,000 restricted stock units to our Chief Executive Officer. These restricted stock units had a fair value of approximately $6,014 on the date of issuance. Of these restricted stock units, a total of 600,000 (the “Service Awards”) vest in four equal installments on the first, second, third and fourth year anniversary of December 31, 2008, and a total of 400,000 (the “Performance Awards”) vest in four installments of up to 100,000 on the first, up to 200,000 on the second, up to 300,000 on the third and up to 400,000 on the fourth year anniversary of December 31, 2008, to the extent certain market conditions are met. The market conditions are met when certain stock price levels are achieved and maintained for certain time periods between the award issuance date and December 31, 2013. Both the Service Awards and Performance Awards require the Chief Executive Officer to be employed by the Company at the applicable vesting dates, subject to certain clauses in the award agreement. The Service Awards are amortized over the four year service period. The Performance Awards are amortized over the service period of each installment, which is the expectation of time to meet the market conditions.

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

Dividend/Distributions:

 

The following table summarizes dividends/distributions accrued during the three months ended March 31, 2009.

 

 

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2008, we acquired ten industrial properties comprising approximately 1.3 million square feet of GLA and several land parcels. The purchase price of these acquisitions totaled approximately $93,298, excluding costs incurred in conjunction with the acquisition of the industrial properties and land parcels.

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2009, we acquired one land parcel. The purchase price of the land parcel was approximately $208, excluding costs incurred in conjunction with the acquisition of the land parcel.

 

Intangible Assets Subject to Amortization in the Period of Acquisition

 

The fair value of in-place leases, above market leases, tenant relationships and below market leases recorded due to real estate properties acquired for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008 is as follows:

 

 

The weighted average life in months of in-place leases, above market leases, tenant relationships and below market leases recorded as a result of the real estate properties acquired for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008 is as follows:

 

 

8.  Sale of Real Estate, Real Estate Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2009, we sold three industrial properties comprising approximately 0.4 million square feet of GLA and one land parcel. Gross proceeds from the sales of the three industrial properties

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

and one land parcel were approximately $19,883. The gain on sale of real estate was approximately $4,873, of which $4,413 is shown in discontinued operations. The three sold industrial properties meet the criteria established by SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long- Lived Assets” (“SFAS 144”), to be included in discontinued operations. Therefore, in accordance with SFAS 144, the results of operations and gain on sale of real estate for the three sold industrial properties are included in discontinued operations. The results of operations and gain on sale of real estate for the one land parcel that does not meet the criteria established by SFAS 144 is included in continuing operations.

 

At March 31, 2009, we had three industrial properties comprising approximately 0.7 million square feet of GLA held for sale. In accordance with SFAS 144, the results of operations of the three industrial properties held for sale at March 31, 2009 are included in discontinued operations. There can be no assurance that such industrial properties held for sale will be sold.

 

Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes, for the three months ended March 31, 2008 reflects the results of operations of the three industrial properties that were sold during the three months ended March 31, 2009, the results of operations of 113 industrial properties that were sold during the year ended December 31, 2008, the results of operations of the three industrial properties identified as held for sale at March 31, 2009 and the gain on sale of real estate relating to 38 industrial properties that were sold during the three months ended March 31, 2008.

 

The following table discloses certain information regarding the industrial properties included in our discontinued operations for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008:

 

 

At March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, we had mortgage notes receivables outstanding of approximately $37,332 and $34,532, respectively, in conjunction with certain property sales for which we provided seller financing, which is included as a component of Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets, Net.

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

 

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

 

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

 

The computation of basic and diluted EPS is presented below:

 

 

Participating securities included unvested restricted stock/Units outstanding during the respective period that participate in non-forfeitable dividends of the Company. In accordance with EITF 03-6-1, $1,016 of income was allocated to participating securities for purposes of the EPS computation based on their proportionate share of net income for the three months ended March 31, 2008. Participating security holders are not obligated to share in losses, therefore, none of the loss was allocated to participating securities for the three months ended March 31, 2009.

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

The number of weighted average shares — diluted is the same as the number of weighted average shares — basic for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008 as the dilutive effect of stock options and restricted Units (that are not participating securities) was excluded as its inclusion would have been antidilutive to the loss from continuing operations available to common stockholders, net of noncontrolling interest and income tax. If the loss from continuing operations available to common stockholders, net of noncontrolling interest and income tax, had been income, the dilutive effect of stock options and restricted Units (that are not participating securities) would have been 0 and 0, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and 8,936 and 0, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2008.

 

The total unvested restricted Units (that are not participating securities) aggregating 1,000,000 and 0 were antidilutive at March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, respectively, as the issue price of these Units was higher than the Company’s average stock price during the respective periods and accordingly, was excluded from dilution computations.

 

Additionally, options to purchase common stock of 162,634 and 354,101 for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, respectively, were antidilutive as the strike price of these stock options was higher than the Company’s average stock price during the respective periods and accordingly was excluded from dilution computations.

 

The 2011 Exchangeable Notes issued during 2006, which are convertible into common shares of the Company at a price of $50.93, were not included in the computation of diluted EPS as our average stock price did not exceed the strike price of the conversion feature.

 

 

During 2009, the Board of Directors committed the Company to a plan to further reduce organizational and overhead costs. For the three months ended March 31, 2009, we recorded as restructuring costs a pre-tax charge of $4,744 to provide for employee severance and benefits ($4,032), costs associated with the termination of certain office leases ($328) and other costs ($384) associated with implementing the restructuring plan. Included in employee severance costs is $2,759 of non-cash costs which represents the accelerated recognition of restricted stock expense for certain employees. At March 31, 2009, we have $2,830 included in Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities related to severance obligations, remaining lease payments and other costs incurred but not yet paid.

 

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, we recognized $5,422 and $3,460, respectively, in compensation expense related to restricted stock awards, of which $45 and $395, respectively, was capitalized in connection with development activities. At March 31, 2009, we have $16,573 in unrecognized compensation related to unvested restricted stock awards. The weighted average period that the unrecognized compensation is expected to be recognized is 1.28 years. We did not award options to our employees or our directors during the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008 and all outstanding options are fully vested; therefore, no stock-based employee compensation expense related to options is included in Net (Loss) Income Attributable to First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.’s Common Stockholders.

 

On October 23, 2008, we granted stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) to our former interim Chief Executive Officer (who is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company) that entitles him to a special cash payment equal to the appreciation in value of 75,000 shares of our common stock. The payment is to be based on the excess of the closing price of our common stock on October 22, 2009 over $7.94, the closing price on the grant date. The award fully vested during the three months ended December 31, 2008 upon his acceptance of the position.

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

At March 31, 2009, the fair value of the stock appreciation rights was determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions:

 

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2009, we reduced compensation expense by $178 which was due to the decrease in value per SAR from December 31, 2008 to March 31, 2009.

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2009, we made a grant of 1,000,000 restricted stock units to our Chief Executive Officer (see Note 6).

 

 

Our objectives in using interest rate derivatives are to add stability to interest expense and to manage our exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish this objective, we primarily use interest rate swaps as part of our interest rate risk management strategy. Interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount.

 

As of March 31, 2009, we have two forward starting swaps each with a notional value of $59,750, which fixed the interest rate on forecasted debt offerings. We designated both swaps as cash flow hedges. The rate on the forecasted debt issuance underlying one of the swaps locked on March 20, 2009 (the “Forward Starting Agreement 1”) and as such, ceased to qualify for hedge accounting. We recognized a $384 loss in Mark-to-Market Gain on Interest Rate Protection Agreements in the statement of operations related to the change in value from March 20, 2009 to March 31, 2009. We anticipate that the other swap (the “Forward Starting Agreement 2”) will be highly effective, and, as a result, the change in its value is shown in other comprehensive income.

 

The effective portion of changes in the fair value of the Forward Starting Agreements 1 and 2 is recorded in Other Comprehensive Income and the settlement amount is subsequently amortized to earnings through interest expense. In the next 12 months, we will amortize approximately $240 into net income by decreasing interest expense for similar interest rate protection agreements we settled in previous periods.

 

As of March 31, 2009, we also have an interest rate swap agreement with a notional value of $50,000 which fixed the LIBOR rate on a portion of our outstanding borrowings on our Unsecured Line of Credit at 2.4150% (the “Interest Rate Swap Agreement”). Monthly payments or receipts are treated as a component of interest expense. We designated the Interest Rate Swap Agreement as a cash flow hedge. We anticipate that the Interest Rate Swap Agreement will be highly effective, and, as a result, the change in the fair value is shown in other comprehensive income.

 

On or after March 31, 2009, our Series F Preferred Stock is subject to a coupon rate reset. The coupon rate resets every quarter beginning March 31, 2009 at 2.375% plus the greater of i) the 30 year U.S. Treasury rate, ii) the 10 year U.S. Treasury rate or iii) 3-month LIBOR. In October 2008, we entered into an interest rate swap agreement with a notional value of $50,000 to mitigate our exposure to floating interest rates related to the forecasted reset rate of the coupon rate our Series F Preferred Stock (the “Series F Agreement”). This Series F Agreement fixes the 30-year U.S. Treasury rate at 5.2175%. SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

Activities,” (“SFAS 133”) does not permit hedge accounting treatment related to equity instruments and therefore the mark to market gains or losses related to this agreement are recorded in the statement of operations.

 

The following is a summary of the terms of the forward starting swaps and the interest rate swaps and their fair values, which are included in Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2009:

 

 

 

 

 

Additionally as of March 31, 2009, two of the Joint Ventures have interest rate protection agreements outstanding which effectively convert floating rate debt to fixed rate debt on a portion of their total variable debt. The hedge relationships are considered highly effective and as such, for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, we recorded $63 and ($666) in unrealized gain (loss), respectively, representing our 10% share, offset by ($25) and $259 of income tax (provision) benefit, respectively, which is shown in Mark-to-Market on Interest Rate Protection Agreements, Net of Income Tax, in other comprehensive income.

 

Our agreements with our derivative counterparties contain provisions where if we default on any of our indebtedness, then we could also be declared in default on our derivative obligations subject to certain thresholds.

 

We adopted the provisions of SFAS 157 as of January 1, 2008, for financial instruments recorded at fair value. SFAS 157 establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. These tiers include: Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets; Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable; and Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions.

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

The following table sets forth our financial liabilities that are accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2009:

 

 

The valuation of the Forward Starting Swap Agreements 1 and 2 and the Interest Rate Swap Agreement are determined using widely accepted valuation techniques including discounted cash flow analysis on the expected cash flows of each instrument. This analysis reflects the contractual terms of the agreements, including the period to maturity, and uses observable market-based inputs, including interest rate curves and implied volatilities. In adjusting the fair value of the interest rate protection agreements for the effect of nonperformance risk, we have considered the impact of netting and any applicable credit enhancements. To comply with the provisions of SFAS 157, we incorporated credit valuation adjustments (“CVA”) to appropriately reflect both our own nonperformance risk and the respective counterparty’s nonperformance risk in the fair value measurements. However, assessing significance of inputs is a matter of judgment that should consider a variety of factors. One factor we consider is the CVA and its materiality to the overall valuation of the derivatives on the balance sheet and to their related changes in fair value. We believe the inputs obtained related to our CVAs are observable and therefore fall under Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. Accordingly, the liabilities related to the Forward Starting Agreements 1 and 2 and the Interest Rate Swap Agreement are classified as Level 2 amounts.

 

The Valuation of the Series F Agreement utilizes the same valuation technique as the Forward Swap Agreements 1 and 2 and the Interest Rate Swap Agreement, however, we consider the Series F Agreement to be classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy due to a significant number of unobservable inputs. The Series F Agreement swaps a fixed rate 5.2175% for floating rate payments based on the 30-year Treasury. No market observable prices exist for long-dated Treasuries past 30 years. Therefore, we have classified the Series F Agreement in its entirety as a Level 3.

 

The following table presents a reconciliation of our liabilities classified as Level 3 at March 31, 2009:

 

 

 

In the normal course of business, we are involved in legal actions arising from the ownership of our industrial properties. In our opinion, the liabilities, if any, that may ultimately result from such legal actions are not expected to have a materially adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, operations or liquidity.

 

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

Currently, we are the defendant in a suit brought in February 2009 by the trustee in the bankruptcy of a former tenant. The trustee is seeking the return of $5,000 related to letters of credit that we drew down when the tenant defaulted on its leases. The suit is in the early stages and, at this time, we are not in a position to assess what, if any, ultimate liability we may have to the bankruptcy estate. We plan to vigorously defend the suit. In addition, in the normal course of business, we are involved in other legal actions arising from the ownership of our industrial properties. Except as disclosed herein, in our opinion, the liabilities, if any, that may ultimately result from such legal actions are not expected to have a materially adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, operations or liquidity.

 

At December 31, 2008 our investment in the 2005 Development/Repositioning Joint Venture and the 2006 Land/Development Joint Venture was $0 for both joint ventures. This investment balance was due to impairment losses we recorded in the year ended December 31, 2008 in accordance with APB Opinion No. 18, “The Equity Method of Accounting for Investments in Common Stock.” At March 31, 2009 our investment in the 2005 Development/Repositioning Joint Venture and the 2006 Land/Development Joint Venture is $(851) and $(166), respectively and are included within Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities, Net due to our current commitment to fund operations at both ventures.

 

At March 31, 2009, we had 14 letters of credit outstanding in the aggregate amount of $5,263. These letters of credit expire between June 2009 and February 2010.

 

 

From April 1, 2009 to April 24, 2009, we sold two industrial properties for approximately $12,600 of gross proceeds. There were no industrial properties acquired during this period.

 

On April 8, 2009, we repurchased and retired $1,045 of our senior unsecured notes maturing in June 2009 (the “2009 Notes”) at a redemption price of 95.000% of par. In connection with the partial retirement, we recognized $49 as gain on early retirement of debt, which is the difference between the repurchase amount of $993 and the principal amount retired of $1,045, net of the pro rata write off of the unamortized loan fees and the unamortized settlement amount of the interest rate protection agreements related to the 2009 Notes.

 

On April 17, 2009, we repurchased and retired $5,000 of the 2009 Notes at a redemption price of 97.000% of par. In connection with the partial retirement, we recognized $136 as gain on early retirement of debt, which is the difference between the repurchase amount of $4,850 and the principal amount retired of $5,000, net of the pro rata write-off of the unamortized loan fees and the unamortized settlement amount of the interest rate protection agreements related to the 2009 Notes.

 

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-Q.

 

This report contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are including this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe future plans, strategies and expectations of the Company, are generally identifiable by use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” or similar expressions. Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Factors which could have an adverse effect on our operations and future prospects include, but are not limited to, changes in: national, international (including trade volume growth), regional and local economic conditions generally and real estate markets specifically, legislation/regulation (including changes to laws governing the taxation of real estate investment trusts), our ability to qualify and maintain our status as a real estate investment trust, availability and attractiveness of financing (including both public and private capital) to us and to our potential counterparties, interest rate levels, our ability to maintain our current credit agency ratings, competition, supply and demand for industrial properties (including land, the supply and demand for which is inherently more volatile than other types of industrial property) in the Company’s current and proposed market areas, difficulties in consummating acquisitions and dispositions, risks related to our investments in properties through joint ventures, potential environmental liabilities, slippage in development or lease-up schedules, tenant credit risks, higher-than-expected costs, changes in general accounting principles, policies and guidelines applicable to real estate investment trusts, risks related to doing business internationally (including foreign currency exchange risks and risks related to integrating international properties and operations) and those additional factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 (“2008 Form 10-K”), in the Company’s subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and in Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in this quarterly report. We caution you not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements, which reflect our analysis only and speak only as of the date of this report or the dates indicated in the statements. Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., First Industrial, L.P. and their controlled subsidiaries. We refer to our operating partnership, First Industrial, L.P., as the “Operating Partnership,” and our taxable REIT subsidiary, First Industrial Investment, Inc., as the “TRS.”

 

GENERAL

 

The Company was organized in the state of Maryland on August 10, 1993. We are a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”).

 

We began operations on July 1, 1994. Our operations are conducted primarily through the Operating Partnership, of which we are the sole general partner with an approximate 88.7% and 87.6% ownership interest at March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, respectively, and through the TRS, of which the Operating Partnership is the sole stockholder. We also conduct operations through other partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies, the operating data of which, together with that of the Operating Partnership and the TRS, are consolidated with that of the Company, as presented herein. Noncontrolling interest at March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008 of approximately 11.3% and 12.4%, respectively, represents the aggregate partnership interest in the Operating Partnership held by the limited partners thereof.

 

We also own noncontrolling equity interests in, and provide services to, seven joint ventures whose purpose is to invest in industrial properties (the “2003 Net Lease Joint Venture,” the “2005 Development/Repositioning Joint Venture,” the “2005 Core Joint Venture,” the “2006 Net Lease Co-Investment Program” the “2006 Land/Development Joint Venture.”, the “2007 Canada Joint Venture” and the “2007 Europe Joint Venture,” together the “Joint Ventures”). The Joint Ventures are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. One of the Joint Ventures, the 2007 Europe Joint Venture, does not own any properties.

 

The operating data of the Joint Ventures is not consolidated with that of the Company as presented herein.

As of March 31, 2009, we owned 796 industrial properties (inclusive of developments in process) located in 28 states in the United States and one province in Canada, containing an aggregate of approximately 70.8 million square feet of gross leaseable area (“GLA”).

 

We maintain a website at www.firstindustrial.com. Information on this website shall not constitute part of this Form 10-Q. Copies of our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to such reports are available without charge on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Audit Committee Charter, Compensation Committee Charter, Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee Charter, along with supplemental financial and operating information prepared by us, are all available without charge on our website or upon request to us. Amendments to, or waivers from, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that apply to our executive officers or directors will also be posted to our website. We also post or otherwise make available on our website from time to time other information that may be of interest to our investors. Please direct requests as follows:

 

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.
311 S. Wacker, Suite 4000
Chicago, IL 60606
Attn: Investor Relations

 

MANAGEMENT’S OVERVIEW

 

We believe our financial condition and results of operations are, primarily, a function of our performance and our Joint Ventures’ performance in four key areas: leasing of industrial properties, acquisition and development of additional industrial properties, redeployment of internal capital and access to external capital.

 

We generate revenue primarily from rental income and tenant recoveries from long-term (generally three to six years) operating leases of our industrial properties and our Joint Ventures’ industrial properties. Such revenue is offset by certain property specific operating expenses, such as real estate taxes, repairs and maintenance, property management, utilities and insurance expenses, along with certain other costs and expenses, such as depreciation and amortization costs and general and administrative and interest expenses. Our revenue growth is dependent, in part, on our ability to (i) increase rental income, through increasing either or both occupancy rates and rental rates at our properties and our Joint Ventures’ properties, (ii) maximize tenant recoveries and (iii) minimize operating and certain other expenses. Revenues generated from rental income and tenant recoveries are a significant source of funds, in addition to income generated from gains/losses on the sale of our properties and our Joint Ventures’ properties (as discussed below), for our distributions. The leasing of property, in general, and occupancy rates, rental rates, operating expenses and certain non-operating expenses, in particular, are impacted, variously, by property specific, market specific, general economic and other conditions, many of which are beyond our control. The leasing of property also entails various risks, including the risk of tenant default. If we were unable to maintain or increase occupancy rates and rental rates at our properties and our Joint Ventures’ properties or to maintain tenant recoveries and operating and certain other expenses consistent with historical levels and proportions, our revenue growth would be limited. Further, if a significant number of our tenants and our Joint Ventures’ tenants were unable to pay rent (including tenant recoveries) or if we or our Joint Ventures were unable to rent our properties on favorable terms, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to pay dividends on, and the market price of, our common stock would be adversely affected.

 

Our revenue growth is also dependent, in part, on our ability and our Joint Ventures’ ability to acquire existing, and acquire and develop new, additional industrial properties on favorable terms. The Company itself, and through our various Joint Ventures, continually seeks to acquire existing industrial properties on favorable terms, and, when conditions permit, also seeks to acquire and develop new industrial properties on favorable terms. Existing properties, as they are acquired, and acquired and developed properties, as they are leased, generate revenue from rental income, tenant recoveries and fees, income from which, as discussed above, is a source of funds for our distributions. The acquisition and development of properties is impacted, variously, by property specific, market specific, general economic and other conditions, many of which are beyond our control. The acquisition and

development of properties also entails various risks, including the risk that our investments and our Joint Ventures’ investments may not perform as expected. For example, acquired existing and acquired and developed new properties may not sustain and/or achieve anticipated occupancy and rental rate levels. With respect to acquired and developed new properties, we may not be able to complete construction on schedule or within budget, resulting in increased debt service expense and construction costs and delays in leasing the properties. Also, we, as well as our Joint Ventures, face significant competition for attractive acquisition and development opportunities from other well-capitalized real estate investors, including both publicly-traded REITs and private investors. Further, as discussed below, we and our Joint Ventures may not be able to finance the acquisition and development opportunities we identify. If we and our Joint Ventures were unable to acquire and develop sufficient additional properties on favorable terms, or if such investments did not perform as expected, our revenue growth would be limited and our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to pay dividends on, and the market price of, our common stock would be adversely affected.

 

We also generate income from the sale of our properties and our Joint Ventures’ properties (including existing buildings, buildings which we or our Joint Ventures have developed or re-developed on a merchant basis, and land). The Company itself and through our various Joint Ventures is continually engaged in, and our income growth is dependent in part on, systematically redeploying capital from properties and other assets with lower yield potential into properties and other assets with higher yield potential. As part of that process, we and our Joint Ventures sell, on an ongoing basis, select properties or land. The gain/loss on, and fees from, the sale of such properties are included in our income and are a significant source of funds, in addition to revenues generated from rental income and tenant recoveries, for our distributions. Also, a significant portion of our proceeds from such sales is used to fund the acquisition of existing, and the acquisition and development of new, industrial properties. The sale of properties is impacted, variously, by property specific, market specific, general economic and other conditions, many of which are beyond our control. The sale of properties also entails various risks, including competition from other sellers and the availability of attractive financing for potential buyers of our properties and our Joint Ventures’ properties. Further, our ability to sell properties is limited by safe harbor rules applying to REITs under the Code which relate to the number of properties that may be disposed of in a year, their tax bases and the cost of improvements made to the properties, along with other tests which enable a REIT to avoid punitive taxation on the sale of assets. If we and our Joint Ventures were unable to sell properties on favorable terms, our income growth would be limited and our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to pay dividends on, and the market price of, our common stock would be adversely affected.

 

We utilize a portion of the net sales proceeds from property sales, borrowings under our unsecured line of credit (the “Unsecured Line of Credit”) and proceeds from the issuance when and as warranted, of additional debt and equity securities to finance future acquisitions and developments and to fund our equity commitments to our Joint Ventures. Access to external capital on favorable terms plays a key role in our financial condition and results of operations, as it impacts our cost of capital and our ability and cost to refinance existing indebtedness as it matures and to fund acquisitions, developments and contributions to our Joint Ventures or through the issuance, when and as warranted, of additional equity securities. Our ability to access external capital on favorable terms is dependent on various factors, including general market conditions, interest rates, credit ratings on our capital stock and debt, the market’s perception of our growth potential, our current and potential future earnings and cash distributions and the market price of our capital stock. If we were unable to access external capital on favorable terms, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to pay dividends on, and the market price of, our common stock would be adversely affected.

 

Current Business Risks and Uncertainties

 

The real estate markets have been significantly impacted by recent events in the global credit markets. The current recession has resulted in downward pressure on our net operating income and has impaired our ability to sell properties.

 

Our Unsecured Line of Credit and the indentures under which our senior unsecured indebtedness is, or may be, issued contain certain financial covenants, including, among other things, coverage ratios and limitations on our ability to incur secured and unsecured indebtedness. Consistent with our prior practice, we will, in the future, continue to interpret and certify our performance under these covenants in a good faith manner that we deem

reasonable and appropriate. However, these financial covenants are complex and there can be no assurance that these provisions would not be interpreted by our lenders in a manner that could impose and cause us to incur material costs. Any violation of these covenants would subject us to higher finance costs and fees, or accelerated maturities. In addition, our credit facilities and senior debt securities contain certain cross-default provisions, which are triggered in the event that our other material indebtedness is in default. Under the Unsecured Line of Credit, an event of default can also occur if the lenders, in their good faith judgment, determine that a material adverse change has occurred which could prevent timely repayment or materially impair our ability to perform our obligations under the loan agreement.

 

We believe that we were in compliance with our financial covenants as of March 31, 2009, and we anticipate that we will be able to operate in compliance with our financial covenants for the remainder of 2009. However, our ability to meet our financial covenants may be reduced if economic and credit market conditions limit our property sales and reduce our net operating income below our projections. We expect to refinance indebtedness maturing in 2009 and to comply with our financial covenants for the remainder of 2009 and beyond. We plan to enhance our liquidity through a combination of capital retention, mortgage financing and asset sales.

 

 

In addition, we may from time to time repurchase or redeem our outstanding securities. Any repurchases or redemptions would depend upon prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors we consider important. Future repurchases or redemptions may materially impact our liquidity, future tax liability and results of operations.

 

Although we believe we will be successful in meeting our liquidity needs through a combination of capital retention, mortgage financing and asset sales, if we were to be unsuccessful in executing one or more of the strategies outlined above, we would be materially adversely affected.

 

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

Comparison of Three Months Ended March 31, 2009 to Three Months Ended March 31, 2008

 

Our net (loss) income attributable to First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.’s common stockholders and participating securities was $(15.4) million and $48.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, respectively. Basic and diluted net (loss) income attributable to First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.’s common stockholders were $(0.35) per share for the three months ended March 31, 2009, and $1.10 per share for the three months ended March 31, 2008.

The tables below summarize our revenues, property expenses and depreciation and other amortization by various categories for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008. Same store properties are properties owned prior to January 1, 2008 and held as an operating property through March 31, 2009 and developments and redevelopments that were placed in service prior to January 1, 2008 or were substantially completed for 12 months prior to January 1, 2008. Properties which are at least 75% occupied at acquisition are placed in service. All other properties are placed in service as they reach the earlier of a) stabilized occupancy (generally defined as 90% occupied), or b) one year subsequent to acquisition or development completion. Acquired properties are properties that were acquired subsequent to December 31, 2007 and held as an operating property through March 31, 2009. Sold properties are properties that were sold subsequent to December 31, 2007. (Re)Developments and land are land parcels and developments and redevelopments that were not a) substantially complete 12 months prior to January 1, 2008 or b) placed in service prior to January 1, 2008. Other revenues are derived from the operations of our maintenance company, fees earned from our Joint Ventures and other miscellaneous revenues. Construction revenues and expenses represent revenues earned and expenses incurred in connection with the TRS acting as general contractor or development manager to construct industrial properties, including industrial properties for the 2005 Development/Repositioning Joint Venture, and also includes revenues and expenses related to the development and sale of properties built for third parties. Other expenses are derived from the operations of our maintenance company and other miscellaneous regional expenses.

 

Our future financial condition and results of operations, including rental revenues, may be impacted by the future acquisition and sale of properties. Our future revenues and expenses may vary materially from historical rates.

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, the occupancy rates of our same store properties were 86.4% and 88.6%, respectively.

 

 

Revenues from same store properties decreased $3.8 million due primarily to a decrease in lease termination fees of $1.7 million and a decrease in occupancy. Revenues from acquired properties increased $6.3 million due to the 26 industrial properties acquired subsequent to December 31, 2007 totaling approximately 3.1 million square feet of GLA, as well as acquisitions of land parcels in September and October 2008 for which we receive ground rents. Revenues from sold properties decreased $15.4 million due to the 117 industrial properties sold subsequent to December 31, 2007 totaling approximately 9.5 million square feet of GLA. Revenues from (re)developments and land increased $3.8 million primarily due to an increase in occupancy. Other revenues decreased $1.6 million due primarily to a decrease in fees earned from our Joint Ventures. Construction revenues decreased $4.5 million primarily due to the substantial completion of certain development projects for which we were acting in the capacity of development manager, substantially offset by two development projects that commenced in April 2008 and August 2008 for which we are acting in the capacity of development manager.