REGENCY CENTERS CORP - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

or

For the transition period from              to             

Commission File Number 1-12298 (Regency Centers Corporation)

Commission File Number 0-24763 (Regency Centers, L.P.)

REGENCY CENTERS CORPORATION

REGENCY CENTERS, L.P.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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

Regency Centers Corporation

Regency Centers, L.P.

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

Regency Centers Corporation: None

Regency Centers, L.P.: Units of Partnership Interest

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Regency Centers Corporation    Yes     ☒      No     ☐      Regency Centers, L.P.    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

Regency Centers Corporation    Yes     ☐      No     ☒      Regency Centers, L.P.    Yes     ☐      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.

Regency Centers Corporation    Yes     ☒      No     ☐      Regency Centers, L.P.    Yes     ☒      No     ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files).

Regency Centers Corporation    Yes     ☒      No     ☐      Regency Centers, L.P.    Yes     ☒      No     ☐

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

Regency Centers Corporation:

Regency Centers, L.P.:

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Regency Centers Corporation     ☐ Regency Centers, L.P.     ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

Regency Centers Corporation     ☒ Regency Centers, L.P.     ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).

Regency Centers Corporation     Yes     ☐      No     ☒     Regency Centers, L.P.     Yes     ☐      No     ☒   

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrants' most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

Regency Centers Corporation     $7.7 billion   Regency Centers, L.P.     N/A

The number of shares outstanding of the Regency Centers Corporation’s common stock was 169,828,953 as of February 15, 2021.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of Regency Centers Corporation's proxy statement in connection with its 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This report combines the annual reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, of Regency Centers Corporation and Regency Centers, L.P. Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, references to “Regency Centers Corporation” or the “Parent Company” mean Regency Centers Corporation and its controlled subsidiaries and references to “Regency Centers, L.P.” or the “Operating Partnership” mean Regency Centers, L.P. and its controlled subsidiaries. The term “the Company”, “Regency Centers” or “Regency” means the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, collectively.

The Parent Company is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) and the general partner of the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership’s capital includes general and limited common Partnership Units (“Units”). As of December 31, 2020, the Parent Company owned approximately 99.6% of the Units in the Operating Partnership. The remaining limited Units are owned by investors. As the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, the Parent Company has exclusive control of the Operating Partnership’s day-to-day management.

The Company believes combining the annual reports on Form 10-K of the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership into this single report provides the following benefits:

Management operates the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership as one business. The management of the Parent Company consists of the same individuals as the management of the Operating Partnership. These individuals are officers of the Parent Company and employees of the Operating Partnership.

The Company believes it is important to understand the key differences between the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership in the context of how the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership operate as a consolidated company. The Parent Company is a REIT, whose only material asset is its ownership of partnership interests of the Operating Partnership. As a result, the Parent Company does not conduct business itself, other than acting as the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, issuing public equity from time to time and guaranteeing certain debt of the Operating Partnership. Except for $200 million of unsecured private placement debt, the Parent Company does not hold any indebtedness, but guarantees all of the unsecured debt of the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership is also the co-issuer and guarantees the $200 million of Parent Company debt. The Operating Partnership holds all the assets of the Company and retains the ownership interests in the Company’s joint ventures. Except for net proceeds from public equity issuances by the Parent Company, which are contributed to the Operating Partnership in exchange for partnership units, the Operating Partnership generates all remaining capital required by the Company’s business. These sources include the Operating Partnership’s operations, its direct or indirect incurrence of indebtedness, and the issuance of partnership units.

Stockholders’ equity, partners’ capital, and noncontrolling interests are the main areas of difference between the consolidated financial statements of the Parent Company and those of the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership’s capital includes general and limited common Partnership Units. The limited partners’ units in the Operating Partnership owned by third parties are accounted for in partners’ capital in the Operating Partnership’s financial statements and outside of stockholders’ equity in noncontrolling interests in the Parent Company’s financial statements.

In order to highlight the differences between the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, there are sections in this report that separately discuss the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, including separate financial statements, controls and procedures sections, and separate Exhibit 31 and 32 certifications. In the sections that combine disclosure for the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, this report refers to actions or holdings as being actions or holdings of the Company.

As general partner with control of the Operating Partnership, the Parent Company consolidates the Operating Partnership for financial reporting purposes, and the Parent Company does not have assets other than its investment in the Operating Partnership. Therefore, while stockholders’ equity and partners’ capital differ as discussed above, the assets and liabilities of the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership are the same on their respective financial statements.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this document regarding anticipated financial, business, legal or other outcomes including business and market conditions, outlook and other similar statements relating to Regency’s future events, developments, or financial or operational performance or results, are “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws.  These forward-looking statements are identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “estimate,” “believe,” “intend,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “guidance,” and other similar language.  However, the absence of these or similar words or expressions does not mean a statement is not forward-looking.  While we believe these forward-looking statements are reasonable when made, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and undue reliance should not be placed on these statements.  Although we believe the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance these expectations will be attained, and it is possible actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks and uncertainties.

Our operations are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, those described in Item 1A, Risk Factors.  When considering an investment in our securities, you should carefully read and consider these risks, together with all other information in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our other filings and submissions to the SEC.  If any of the events described in the risk factors actually occur, our business, financial condition or operating results, as well as the market price of our securities, could be materially adversely affected.  Forward-looking statements are only as of the date they are made, and Regency undertakes no duty to update its forward-looking statements except as required by law.  

PART I

Item 1. Business

Regency Centers Corporation is a fully integrated real estate company and self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust that began its operations as a publicly-traded REIT in 1993. Regency Centers L.P. is the entity through which Regency Centers Corporation conducts substantially all of its operations and owns substantially all of its assets. Our business consists of acquiring, developing, owning and operating income-producing retail real estate principally located in many of the top markets in the United States.  We generate revenues by leasing space to retail tenants such as highly productive grocers, restaurants, service providers, and best-in-class retailers. Regency has been an S&P 500 Index member since 2017.

As of December 31, 2020, we had full or partial ownership interests in 411 properties, primarily anchored by market leading grocery stores, encompassing 51.9 million square feet (“SF”) of gross leasable area (“GLA”). Our Pro-rata share of this GLA is 42.2 million square feet, including our share of the partially owned properties.

Our mission is to be the preeminent national owner, operator, and developer of shopping centers, creating places that provide a thriving environment for outstanding retailers and service providers to connect with the surrounding neighborhoods and communities.

Our goals are to:

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Key strategies to achieve our goals are to:

COVID-19 Pandemic

On March 11, 2020, the novel coronavirus disease (“COVID-19”) was declared a pandemic (“COVID-19 pandemic” or the “pandemic”) by the World Health Organization as the disease spread throughout the world.  The pandemic continues to evolve, making the broader implications on our future results of operations and overall financial performance uncertain at this time.  While much of our lease income is derived from contractual rent payments, our tenants’ ability to meet their lease obligations has been negatively impacted by the disruptions and uncertainties of the pandemic.  Certain of our tenants’ ability to respond to these disruptions, including adapting to governmental orders, recommendations, and changes in their customers’ shopping habits and behaviors, could influence their ability to survive and ultimately fulfill their lease obligations.  While the announcement of vaccine approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) in early December 2020 was a positive development, at about the same time, several states and many localities reinstituted mandatory business limitations and closures as infection rates increased, in advance of full scale vaccine deployment.  Forced closures may continue to occur as infection rates increase or additional strains of the virus emerge, while the speed of vaccine rollout remains uncertain.  

Due to the pandemic, certain tenants have requested rent concessions or have sought to renegotiate future rents based on changes to the economic environment.  Other tenants have chosen not to reopen or honor the terms of their existing lease agreements.  In addition, in 2020 we saw a meaningful increase in the number of bankruptcy filings by our tenants versus prior years, which in certain cases can lead to a tenant “rejecting” (terminating) one or more of our leases as permitted by applicable bankruptcy law, or seeking to negotiate reduced rent as part of the bankruptcy reorganization process.  

We are closely monitoring our rent collections from our tenants, which significantly declined from historic levels at the start of the pandemic, but have since gradually improved.  As of February 8, 2021, we experienced sequential improvement in our collection rates of Pro-rata base rent billed by quarter in 2020 as follows:

Since the pandemic began, we have executed approximately 1,600 rent deferral agreements within our consolidated and unconsolidated real estate portfolios.  The weighted average deferral period of these agreements is approximately 3.3 months, with repayment periods of approximately 9.7 months beginning on average in December 2020.  In some cases, we expect to continue to work with tenants to address the adverse impacts of the pandemic, which may result in further rent deferrals, concessions or abatements.  As a result, there can be no assurance that our future base rent collection percentages will continue at or above Q4 2020 levels, or that cash flows from operations will be sufficient to sustain and fund our dividend payments without the benefit of other sources of capital or changes to our current dividend levels.  In the event of a surge in COVID-19 cases or new governmental restrictions causing our tenants to reduce their operations or close, our base rent collection percentages and percent leased could decline from current levels.

New leasing activity declined in 2020 and is expected to remain below 2019 levels into 2021 as businesses delay executing leases amidst the immediate and uncertain future economic impacts of the pandemic.  This, coupled with tenant failures and bankruptcies, may result in decreased demand for retail space in our centers, which could result in difficulty attracting new tenants resulting in pricing pressure on rents.  Additionally, if construction of tenant improvements are delayed due to the impacts of the pandemic, it may take longer before new tenants are able to open and commence rent payments.

The pandemic has significantly slowed and in certain situations delayed tenant buildouts, new ground up developments or redevelopment of existing properties.  The pandemic has also limited our ability to timely source materials for construction and has caused labor shortages, which have impacted our ability to complete construction projects on anticipated schedules.  In the event a surge in new cases resulting in additional lockdowns occurs, similar impacts to our supply chain may arise which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.  We continue to closely monitor our projects, which has resulted in prudently delaying, phasing or curtailing certain of our development, redevelopment and capital expenditure projects.

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The duration and severity of the pandemic across the United States will continue to negatively impact many of our tenants and their ability to meet their rent obligations under their lease agreements.  As such, the pandemic could continue to negatively impact our results of operations and overall financial condition in the future.  See also Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors for further discussion.  

Our business continuity and disaster recovery plan enabled us to continue operating productively during the pandemic.  We have maintained, and expect to continue to maintain, without interruption, our financial reporting systems as well as our internal controls over our financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures.    

Competition

We are among the largest owners of shopping centers in the nation based on revenues, number of properties, GLA, and market capitalization.  There are numerous companies and individuals engaged in the ownership, development, acquisition, and operation of shopping centers that compete with us in our targeted markets, including grocery store chains that also anchor some of our shopping centers.  This results in competition for attracting tenants, as well as the acquisition of existing shopping centers and new development sites. In addition, brick and mortar shopping centers, in general, face continued competition from alternative shopping and delivery methods, including e-commerce and home delivery. We believe that our competitive advantages are driven by:

Corporate Responsibility

Our vision is to be the preeminent national owner, operator and developer of shopping centers, connecting outstanding retailers and service providers with their neighborhoods and communities while striving to achieve best-in-class corporate responsibility. To integrate corporate responsibility into our vision, we focus on three key overarching concepts: long-term value creation, our Regency brand and reputation, and the importance of maintaining our culture.  

We have established four pillars for our corporate responsibility program that we believe enable us to support our vision and implement these concepts:

Our People – Our people are our most important asset and we strive to ensure that they are engaged, passionate about their work, connected to their teams, and supported to deliver their best performance. We recognize and value the importance of attracting and retaining talented individuals to Regency’s performance and growth.  We strive to maintain a safe and healthy workspace, promote employee well-being, and empower our employees by focusing on their training and education.  Another key element of our focus on people is our understanding and appreciation of the value of an inclusive and diverse workforce.  In 2020, we began developing and implementing a comprehensive three-year diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) strategy, which includes training, recruitment, and engagement.  Our employees have been directly engaged in the development of our DEI strategy to ensure they are connected to and actively involved in its implementation across the entirety of our business.

Our Communities – Our predominately grocery-anchored neighborhood centers provide many benefits to the communities in which we live and work, including significant local economic impacts in the form of investment, jobs and taxes.  Our local teams are also passionate about investing in and engaging with our communities, as they customize and cultivate our centers to create a distinctive environment to bring our tenants and shoppers together for the best retail experience. Further, philanthropy and giving back are cornerstones of what we do and who Regency is.  In addition, charitable contributions are made directly by the Company, and the vast majority of our employees donate their time and money to local non-profits serving their communities.

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Ethics and Governance – As long-term stewards of our investors’ capital, we are committed to best-in-class corporate governance. To create long-term value for our stakeholders, we place great emphasis on our culture and core values, the integrity and transparency of our reporting practices, and our overall governance structure in respect of oversight and shareholder rights.

Environmental Stewardship – We believe sustainability is in the best interest of our investors, tenants, employees, and the communities in which we operate, and we strive to integrate sustainable practices throughout our business.  We have six strategic priorities when it comes to identifying and implementing sustainable business practices and minimizing our environmental impact: green building, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, water conservation, waste minimization and management, and climate resilience.  We believe these commitments are not only the right thing to do to address material environmental topics such as air pollution, climate change, and resource scarcity, but also support us in achieving key strategic objectives in our operations and development projects.

More information about our corporate responsibility strategy, goals, performance, and reporting is available on our website at www.regencycenters.com.  The content of our website, including information relating to corporate responsibility, is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our website are intended to be inactive textual references only.

Employees

Our corporate headquarters are located at One Independent Drive, Suite 114, Jacksonville, Florida.  We presently maintain 22 market offices nationwide, including our corporate headquarters, where we conduct management, leasing, construction, and investment activities.  We have 431 employees throughout the United States and we believe that our relations with our employees are good.  

Compliance with Governmental Regulations

We are subject to various regulatory and tax-related requirements within the jurisdictions in which we operate.  Changes to such requirements may result in unanticipated financial impacts or adverse tax consequences, and could affect our operating results and financial condition.  Significant regulatory requirements include the laws and regulations described below.

REIT Laws and Regulations

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under the federal income tax laws. As a REIT, we are generally not subject to federal income tax on taxable income that we distribute to our stockholders. Under the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”), REITs are subject to numerous regulatory requirements, including the requirement to generally distribute at least 90% of taxable income each year. We will be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income 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 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 (“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 which, to date, have not been material to us.

Environmental Laws and Regulations

Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, we may be liable for the cost to assess and remediate certain hazardous substances at our shopping centers that generally arise from dry cleaners, gas stations, asbestos, and historic land use practices.  These requirements often impose liability without regard to whether the owner knew of, or committed the acts or omissions that caused, the presence of the hazardous substances.  The presence of such substances, or the failure to properly address contamination caused by such substances, may adversely affect our ability to sell or lease the property or borrow using the property as collateral.  Although we have a number of properties that could require or are currently undergoing varying levels of assessment and remediation, known environmental liabilities are not currently expected to have a material financial impact.

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Executive Officers

Our executive officers are appointed each year by our Board of Directors.  Each of our executive officers has been employed by us for more than five years and, as of December 31, 2020, included the following:

Company Website Access and SEC Filings

Our website may be accessed at www.regencycenters.com. All of our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) can be accessed free of charge through our website promptly after filing; however, in the event that the website is inaccessible, we will provide paper copies of our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, the most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, current reports filed or furnished on Form 8-K, and all related amendments, excluding exhibits, free of charge upon request. These filings are also accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The content of our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our website are intended to be inactive textual references only.

General Information

Our registrar and stock transfer agent is Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), Philadelphia, PA. We offer a dividend reinvestment plan (“DRIP”) that enables our shareholders to reinvest dividends automatically, as well as to make voluntary cash payments toward the purchase of additional shares. For more information, contact Broadridge toll free at (855) 449-0975 or our Shareholder Relations Department at (904) 598-7000.

The Company’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market and trades under the stock symbol “REG”.

Our independent registered public accounting firm is KPMG LLP, Jacksonville, Florida. Our legal counsel is Foley & Lardner LLP, Jacksonville, Florida.

Annual Meeting of Shareholders

Our 2021 annual meeting of shareholders is currently expected to be held on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.  In light of public health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to help protect the safety of our shareholders, directors, employees, and other participants, the Company’s annual meeting will be conducted in a virtual-only format.  

Defined Terms

In addition to the required Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) presentations, we use certain non-GAAP performance measures as we believe these measures improve the understanding of the Company's operational results.  We believe these non-GAAP measures provide useful information to our Board of Directors, management and investors regarding certain trends relating to our financial condition and results of operations. Our management uses these non-GAAP measures to compare our performance to that of prior periods for trend analyses, purposes of determining management incentive compensation and budgeting, forecasting and planning

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purposes.  We continually evaluate the usefulness, relevance, limitations, and calculation of our reported non-GAAP performance measures to determine how best to provide relevant information to the public, and thus such reported measures could change.

We do not consider non-GAAP measures an alternative to financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP, rather they supplement GAAP measures by providing additional information we believe to be useful to our shareholders. The principal limitation of these non-GAAP financial measures is they may exclude significant expense and income items that are required by GAAP to be recognized in our consolidated financial statements. In addition, they reflect the exercise of management’s judgment about which expense and income items are excluded or included in determining these non-GAAP financial measures. In order to compensate for these limitations, reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures we use to their most directly comparable GAAP measures are provided. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be relied upon in evaluating the financial condition, results of operations or future prospects of the Company.

The following terms, as defined, are commonly used by management and the investing public to understand and evaluate our operational results:

Companies use different depreciable lives and methods, and real estate values historically fluctuate with market conditions. Since Nareit FFO excludes depreciation and amortization and gains on sale and impairments of real estate, it provides a performance measure that, when compared year over year, reflects the impact on operations from trends in percent leased, rental rates, operating costs, acquisition and development activities, and financing costs. This provides a perspective of our financial performance not immediately apparent from net income determined in accordance with GAAP. Thus, Nareit FFO is a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure of our operating performance, which does not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP; and, therefore, should not be considered a substitute measure of cash flows from operations. We provide a reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to Common Stockholders to Nareit FFO.

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We provide Pro-rata financial information because we believe it assists investors and analysts in estimating our economic interest in our consolidated and unconsolidated partnerships, when read in conjunction with the Company’s reported results under GAAP.  We believe presenting our Pro-rata share of assets, liabilities, operating results, and other metrics, along with certain other non-GAAP measures, makes comparisons of other REITs’ operating results to ours more meaningful.  The Pro-rata information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, presented in accordance with GAAP.  The Pro-rata supplemental details of assets and liabilities and supplemental details of operations reflect our proportionate economic ownership of the assets, liabilities, and operating results of the properties in our portfolio

The Pro-rata information is prepared on a basis consistent with the comparable consolidated amounts and is intended to more accurately reflect our proportionate economic interest in the assets, liabilities, and operating results of properties in our portfolio.  We do not control the unconsolidated investment partnerships, and the Pro-rata presentations of the assets and liabilities, and revenues and expenses do not represent our legal claim to such items.  The partners are entitled to profit or loss allocations and distributions of cash flows according to the operating agreements, which generally provide for such allocations according to their invested capital.  Our share of invested capital establishes the ownership interests we use to prepare our Pro-rata share.

The presentation of Pro-rata information has limitations which include, but are not limited to, the following:

Because of these limitations, the Pro-rata financial information should not be considered independently or as a substitute for our financial statements as reported under GAAP.  We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP financial statements, using the Pro-rata information as a supplement.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

Our operations are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, those listed below.  When considering an investment in our securities, carefully read and consider these risks, together with all other information in our other filings and submissions to the SEC, which provide much more information and detail.  If any of the events described in the following risk factors actually occur, our business, financial condition and/ or operating results, as well as the market price of our securities, could be materially adversely affected.  

Risk Factors Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Pandemics or other health crises, such as the pandemic, may adversely affect our tenants’ financial condition, the profitability of our properties, and our access to the capital markets and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

During the ongoing pandemic, U.S. federal, state, and local governments have continued to mandate or recommend various actions to reduce or prevent the spread of COVID-19 which continues to directly impact many of our tenants, and in particular those whose businesses may be considered non-essential.  Grocery stores, which anchor over 80% of our operating centers, have generally been able to continue operating and serving their customers. However, non-essential businesses such as dine-in restaurants, fitness facilities and movie theaters in many states continue to experience significant declines in customer traffic when compared to previous years, or have temporarily closed their locations (in some cases multiple times) in response to governmental orders or voluntary efforts to support social distancing.  

Due to the pandemic, certain tenants have requested rent concessions or have sought to renegotiate future rents based on changes to the economic environment. Other tenants have chosen not to reopen or honor the terms of their existing lease agreements.  In addition, moratoria and other temporary legal restrictions in certain states on our ability to bring legal action to enforce our leases have impacted our ability to collect rent and may continue to do so into 2021.

New leasing activity has declined and is expected to remain at lower levels than pre-pandemic into 2021 as businesses delay executing leases amidst the immediate and uncertain future economic impacts of the pandemic. This, coupled with tenant failures, may result in decreased demand for retail space in our centers, which could result in downward pressure on rents.  Additionally, due to delays in construction of tenant improvements due to the impacts of the pandemic, it may take longer before new tenants are able to open and commence rent payments.

The pandemic has adversely impacted our ability to start or complete tenant buildouts, new ground up development and redevelopment of existing properties. The pandemic has also impacted our ability to timely source materials for construction and caused labor shortages, which have impacted our ability to complete construction projects on anticipated schedules.  New or extended government orders to combat the further spread of the virus could result in similar impacts to our development and redevelopment projects and supply chain, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation.

The full impacts of the pandemic on our future results of operations and overall financial performance remain uncertain.  While the vast majority of our lease income is derived from contractual rent payments, the ability of certain of our tenants to meet their lease obligations have been negatively impacted by the disruptions and uncertainties of the pandemic. Our tenants’ ability to respond to these disruptions and uncertainties, including adjusting to governmental orders and changes in their customers’ shopping habits and behaviors, will impact their businesses’ ability to survive, and ultimately, their ability to comply with their lease obligations.  The risk of diminished sales and future closures exists so long as the virus remains active and continues to spread. Ultimately, the duration and severity of the health crisis in the United States and the speed at which the country, states and localities are able to safely reopen and remain open, will continue to materially impact the overall economy, our retail tenants, and therefore our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Until the virus is contained or eradicated, or effective and reliable treatments and/or vaccines are widely available and accepted by the public, commerce and employment may not return to pre-pandemic levels and we may experience material reductions in our cash flows, NOI and financial performance compared to pre-pandemic periods.

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Risk Factors Related to Operating Retail-Based Shopping Centers

Economic and market conditions may adversely affect the retail industry and consequently reduce our revenues and cash flow, and increase our operating expenses.

Our properties are leased primarily to retail tenants from whom we derive most of our revenue in the form of base rent, expense recoveries and other income. Therefore, our performance and operating results are directly linked to the economic and market conditions occurring in the retail industry. We are subject to the risks that, upon expiration, leases for space in our properties are not renewed by existing tenants, vacant space is not leased to new tenants, and/or tenants demand modified lease terms, including costs for renovations or concessions. Moreover, pandemics, such as the pandemic, may exacerbate the effects of these risks.  The economic and market conditions potentially affecting the retail industry and our properties specifically include the following:

To the extent that any or a combination of these conditions occur they are likely to impact the retail industry, our retail tenants, the demand and market rents for retail space, the percent leased levels of our properties, our ability to sell, acquire or develop properties, our operating results and our cash available for distributions to stock and unit holders.

Shifts in retail trends, sales, and delivery methods between brick and mortar stores, e-commerce, home delivery, and curbside pick-up may adversely impact our revenues and cash flows.

Retailers are increasingly impacted by e-commerce and changes in customer buying habits, including the delivery or curbside pick-up of items ordered online. The pandemic has likely accelerated these trends and their potential impacts. Retailers are considering these e-commerce trends when making decisions regarding their bricks and mortar stores and how they will compete and innovate in a rapidly changing retail environment. Many retailers in our shopping centers provide services or sell goods, which have historically been less likely to be purchased online; however, the continuing increase in e-commerce sales in all retail categories may cause retailers to adjust the size or number of their retail locations in the future or close stores. Our grocer tenants are incorporating e-commerce concepts through home delivery and curbside pick-up, which could reduce foot traffic at our centers. In certain higher-income markets, foot traffic at our centers may be impacted more meaningfully by these alternative delivery methods if consumers are willing to pay premiums for such services.  Changes in shopping trends as a result of the growth in e-commerce may also impact the profitability of retailers that do not adapt to changes in market conditions, including their financial condition and ability to pay rent. This shift may adversely impact our percent leased and rental rates, which would impact our results of operations and cash flows.

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Changing economic and retail market conditions in geographic areas where our properties are concentrated may reduce our revenues and cash flow.

Economic conditions in markets where our properties are concentrated can greatly influence our financial performance. During the year ended December 31, 2020, our properties in California, Florida, Texas, New York and Georgia accounted for 27.2%, 22.1%, 7.5%, 5.2%, and 5.1% respectively, of our NOI from Consolidated Properties plus our Pro-rata share from Unconsolidated Properties. Our revenues and cash flow may be adversely affected by this geographic concentration if market conditions, such as supply of or demand for retail space, deteriorate more significantly in these states compared to other geographic areas.  For example, with respect to the pandemic, California has imposed very stringent restrictions on re-opening and has implemented stringent eviction moratoria, making it more difficult in certain circumstances to collect rent and enforce our leases.  Additionally, there is a risk that many businesses and residents in major metropolitan cities may desire to relocate to different states or suburban markets as a result of the pandemic, following the impact of state regulations on businesses and residents coupled with the shift to remote work.  

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

“Anchor Tenants” (tenants occupying 10,000 square feet or more) operate large stores in our shopping centers, pay a significant portion of the total rent at a property and contribute to the success of other tenants by attracting shoppers to the property.  Our net income and cash flow may be adversely affected by the loss of revenues and incurrence of additional costs in the event a significant Anchor Tenant:

Some anchors have the right to vacate their space and may prevent us from re-tenanting by continuing to comply and pay rent in accordance with their lease agreement. Vacated anchor space, including space that may be owned by the anchor (as discussed below), can reduce rental revenues generated by the shopping center in other spaces because of the loss of the departed anchor's customer drawing power. In addition, if a significant tenant vacates a property, co-tenancy clauses in select lease contracts may allow other tenants to modify or terminate their rent or lease obligations. Co-tenancy clauses have several variants: they may allow a tenant to postpone a store opening if certain other tenants fail to open their stores; they may allow a tenant to close its store prior to lease expiration if another tenant closes its store prior to lease expiration; or more commonly, they may allow a tenant to pay reduced levels of rent until a certain number of tenants open their stores within the same shopping center.

Additionally, some of our shopping centers are anchored by retailers who own their space whose location is within or immediately adjacent to our shopping center (“shadow anchors”).  In those cases, the shadow anchors appear to the consumer as a retail tenant of the shopping center and, as a result, attract additional consumer traffic to the center. In the event that a shadow anchor were to close, it could negatively impact our center as consumer traffic would likely be reduced.    

A significant percentage of our revenues are derived from smaller “shop space” tenants and our net income may be adversely impacted if our smaller shop tenants are not successful.

At December 31, 2020, tenants occupying less than 10,000 square feet (“Shop Space Tenants”) represent approximately 35.6% of our GLA, with approximately 14.3% of those considered local tenants.  These tenants may be more vulnerable to negative economic conditions, including the impacts from pandemics, as they may have more limited resources and access to capital than Anchor Tenants. Shop Space Tenants may be facing reduced sales as a result of an increase in competition including from e-commerce retailers. The types of Shop Space Tenants vary from retail shops and restaurants to service providers. If we are unable to attract the right type or mix of Shop Space Tenants into our centers, our revenues and cash flow may be adversely impacted.

During times of economic downturns or uncertainties, including during pandemics such as COVID-19, some tenants may suffer disproportionally greater impacts and be at greater risk of default on their lease obligations or request lease concessions from us.  If we are unable to attract the right type or mix of low or non-credit tenants into our centers, our revenues and cash flow may be adversely impacted.  

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We may be unable to collect balances due from tenants in bankruptcy.

Although lease income is supported by long-term lease contracts, tenants who file for bankruptcy have the legal right to reject any or all of their leases and close related stores. Any unsecured claim we hold against a bankrupt tenant for unpaid rent may be paid only to the extent that funds are available and only in the same percentage as is paid to all other holders of unsecured claims. As a result, it is likely that we would recover substantially less than the full value of any unsecured claims we hold. Moreover, in the year ended December 31, 2020, we saw meaningfully higher levels of tenant bankruptcies than in recent years as a result of the pandemic, and we expect this trend to continue into at least the first half of 2021.  Additionally, we may incur significant expense to recover our claim and to re-lease the vacated space. In the event that a tenant with a significant number of leases in our shopping centers files for bankruptcy and rejects its leases, we may experience a significant reduction in our revenues and may not be able to collect all pre-petition amounts owed by the bankrupt tenant.

Many of our costs and expenses associated with operating our properties may remain constant or increase, even if our lease income decreases.

Certain costs and expenses associated with our operating our properties, such as real estate taxes, insurance, utilities and common area expenses, generally do not decrease in the event of reduced occupancy or rental rates, non-payment of rents by tenants, general economic downturns, pandemics or other similar circumstances. In fact, in some cases, such as real estate taxes and insurance, they may actually increase despite such events. As such, we may not be able to lower the operating expenses of our properties sufficiently to fully offset such circumstances, and may not be able to fully recoup these costs from our tenants. In such cases, our cash flows, operating results and financial performance may be adversely impacted.

Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and fire, safety and other regulations may have a negative effect on us.

All of our properties are required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), which generally requires that buildings be made accessible to people with disabilities. Compliance with ADA requirements may require removal of access barriers, and noncompliance may result in imposition of fines by the U.S. government or an award of damages to private litigants, or both. While the tenants to whom we lease space in our properties are obligated by law to comply with the ADA provisions, and typically under tenant leases are obligated to cover costs associated with compliance, if required changes involve greater expenditures than anticipated, or if the changes must be made on a more accelerated basis than anticipated, the ability of these tenants to cover costs may be adversely affected. In addition, we are required to operate the properties in compliance with fire and safety regulations, building codes and other land use regulations, as they may be adopted by governmental entities and become applicable to the properties. Costs to be in compliance with the ADA or any other building regulations could be material and have a negative impact on our results of operations.  

Risk Factors Related to Real Estate Investments

Our real estate assets may decline in value and be subject to impairment losses which may reduce our net income.

Our real estate properties are carried at cost unless circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recoverable. We evaluate whether there are any indicators, including property operating performance and general market conditions, such that the value of the real estate properties (including any related tangible or intangible assets or liabilities, including goodwill) may not be recoverable. Through the evaluation, we compare the current carrying value of the asset to the estimated undiscounted cash flows that are directly associated with the use and ultimate disposition of the asset. Our estimated cash flows are based on several key assumptions, including rental rates, costs of tenant improvements, leasing commissions, anticipated holding periods, and assumptions regarding the residual value upon disposition, including the exit capitalization rate. These key assumptions are subjective in nature and may differ materially from actual results. Changes in our disposition strategy or changes in the marketplace may alter the holding period of an asset or asset group, which may result in an impairment loss and such loss may be material to the Company's financial condition or operating performance. To the extent that the carrying value of the asset exceeds the estimated undiscounted cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized equal to the excess of carrying value over fair value.

The fair value of real estate assets is subjective and is determined through the use of comparable sales information and other market data if available, or through use of an income approach such as the direct capitalization method or the discounted cash flow approach. Such cash flow projections take into account expected future operating income, trends and prospects, as well as the effects of demand, competition and other relevant criteria, and therefore are subject to management judgment. The impacts of the pandemic to future income, trends and prospects is uncertain and continues to evolve, therefore any assumptions impacting real estate values may be subject to change in the future, which may impact the determination of fair value. In estimating the fair value of undeveloped land, we generally use market data and comparable sales information.

These subjective assessments have a direct impact on our net income because recording an impairment charge results in an immediate negative adjustment to net income, which may be material. There can be no assurance that we will not record impairment charges in the future related to our assets.

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We face risks associated with development, redevelopment and expansion of properties.

We actively pursue opportunities for new retail development and existing property redevelopment or expansion. Development and redevelopment activities require various government and other approvals for entitlements and any delay in such approvals may significantly delay development and redevelopment projects. We may not recover our investment in our projects for which approvals are not received, and delays may adversely impact our expected returns. Additionally, changes in political elections and policies may impact our ability to obtain favorable land use and zoning for in-process and future developments and redevelopment projects.  We are subject to other risks associated with these activities, including the following:

We face risks associated with the development of mixed-use commercial properties.

We have expanded our investment focus to include a limited number of more complex acquisitions and mixed-use development and redevelopment projects in dense urban locations, which pose unique risks to our return on investment.  Mixed-use projects refer to real estate projects that, in addition to retail space, may also include space for residential, office, hotel or other commercial purposes.  We have less experience in developing and managing non-retail real estate than we do retail real estate.  As a result, if a development or redevelopment project includes a non-retail use, we may seek to develop that component ourselves, sell the rights to that component to a third-party developer, or partner with a developer.  

In addition, redevelopment of existing shopping centers into mixed-use projects generally includes tenant vacancies before and during the redevelopment, which could result in volatility in NOI.  

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We face risks associated with the acquisition of properties.

Our investment strategy includes investing in high-quality shopping centers that are leased to market-leading grocers, category-leading anchors, specialty retailers, or restaurants located in areas with high barriers to entry and above average household incomes and population densities. The acquisition of properties and/or real estate entities entails risks that include, but are not limited to, the following, any of which may adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows:

We may be unable to sell properties when desired because of market conditions.

Our properties, including their related tangible and intangible assets, represent the majority of our total consolidated assets and they may not be readily convertible to cash. Moreover, pandemics such as COVID-19 may impact our ability to sell properties on our preferred timing and at prices and returns we deem acceptable.  As a result, our ability to sell one or more of our properties, including properties held in joint ventures, in response to changes in economic, industry, or other conditions may be limited. The real estate market is affected by many factors, such as general economic conditions, availability and terms of financing, interest rates and other factors, including supply and demand for space, that are beyond our control. There may be less demand for lower quality properties that we have identified for ultimate disposition in markets with uncertain economic or retail environments, and where buyers are more reliant on the availability of third party mortgage financing. If we want to sell a property, we can provide no assurance that we will be able to dispose of it in the desired time period or at all or that the sales price of a property will be attractive at the relevant time or even exceed the carrying value of our investment.

Changes in tax laws could impact our acquisition or disposition of real estate.  

Certain properties we own have a low tax basis, which may result in a taxable gain on sale. We intend to utilize Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 like-kind exchanges to mitigate taxable income; however, there can be no assurance that we will identify properties that meet our investment objectives for acquisitions or that changes to the tax laws do not eliminate or significantly change 1031 exchanges. In the event that we do not utilize 1031 exchanges, we may be required to distribute the gain proceeds to shareholders or pay income tax, which may reduce our cash flow available to fund our commitments.

Risk Factors Related to the Environment Affecting Our Properties

Climate change may adversely impact our properties directly, and may lead to additional compliance obligations and costs as well as additional taxes and fees.

We cannot reliably predict the extent, rate, or impact of climate change.  To the extent climate change causes adverse changes in weather patterns, our properties in certain markets, especially those nearer to the coasts, may experience increases in storm intensity and rising sea‑levels. Further, population migration may occur in response to these or other factors and negatively impact our centers. Climate and other environmental changes may result in volatile or decreased demand for retail space at certain of our properties or, in extreme cases, our inability to operate certain properties at all. Climate change may also have indirect effects on our business by increasing the cost of insurance, or making insurance unavailable. Moreover, while the federal government has not yet enacted comprehensive legislation to address climate change, certain states in which we own and operate shopping centers, including California and New York, have done so.  Compliance with these and future new laws or regulations related to climate change may require us to make improvements to our existing properties, resulting in increased capital expenditures, or pay additional taxes and fees assessed on us or our properties.  Although we strive to identify, analyze, and respond to the risk and opportunities that climate change presents, at this time, there can be no assurance that climate change will not have an adverse effect on the value of our properties and our financial performance.  

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Geographic concentration of our properties makes our business more vulnerable to natural disasters, severe weather conditions and climate change.

A significant number of our properties are located in areas that are susceptible to earthquakes, tropical storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, sea-level rise due to climate change, and other natural disasters. At December 31, 2020, 22% of the GLA of our portfolio is located in the state of California, including a number of properties in the San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles areas. Additionally, 23% and 8% of the GLA of our portfolio is located in the states of Florida and Texas, respectively. Insurance costs for properties in these areas have increased, and recent intense weather conditions may cause property insurance premiums to increase significantly in the future. We recognize that the frequency and / or intensity of extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and other climatic changes may continue to increase, and as a result, our exposure to these events may increase. These weather conditions may disrupt our business and the business of our tenants, which may affect the ability of some tenants to pay rent and may reduce the willingness of tenants or residents to remain in or move to these affected areas. Therefore, as a result of the geographic concentration of our properties, we face risks, including disruptions to our business and the businesses of our tenants and higher costs, such as uninsured property losses, higher insurance premiums, and potential additional regulatory requirements by government agencies in response to perceived risks.

Costs of environmental remediation may impact our financial performance and reduce our cash flow.

Under various federal, state, and local laws, an owner or manager of real property may be liable for the costs to assess and remediate the presence of hazardous substances on the property, which in our case generally arise from former dry cleaners, gas stations, asbestos usage, and historic land use practices. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of hazardous substances. The presence of, or the failure to properly address the presence of, hazardous substances may adversely affect our ability to sell or lease the property or borrow using the property as collateral. We can provide no assurance that we are aware of all potential environmental liabilities or their ultimate cost to address; that our properties will not be affected by tenants or nearby properties or other unrelated third parties; and that future uses or conditions, or changes in environmental laws and regulations, or their interpretation, will not result in additional material environmental liabilities to us.

Risk Factors Related to Corporate Matters

An uninsured loss or a loss that exceeds the insurance coverage on our properties may subject us to loss of capital and revenue on those properties.

We carry comprehensive liability, fire, flood, terrorism, business interruption, and environmental insurance for our properties with policy specifications and insured limits customarily carried for similar properties. Some types of losses, such as losses from named windstorms, earthquakes, terrorism, or wars may have more limited coverage, or in some cases, can be excluded from insurance coverage. In addition, it is possible that the availability of insurance coverage in certain areas may decrease in the future, and the cost to procure such insurance may increase due to factors beyond our control.  We may reduce the insurance we procure as a result of the foregoing or other factors.  While we believe our coverage is appropriate and adequate to cover our insurable risks, should a loss occur at any of our properties that is in excess of the property or casualty insurance limits of our policies, we may lose part or all of our invested capital and revenues from such property, which may have a material adverse impact on our operating results, financial condition, and our ability to make distributions to stock and unit holders.

Terrorist activities or violence occurring at our properties also may directly affect the value of our properties through damage, destruction or loss.  Insurance for such acts may be unavailable or cost more resulting in an increase to our operating expenses and adversely affect our results of operations.  To the extent that our tenants are affected by such attacks and threats of attacks, their businesses may be adversely affected, including their ability to continue to meet obligations under their existing leases.  

Failure to attract and retain key personnel may adversely affect our business and operations.

The success of our business depends, in part, on the leadership and performance of our executive management team and key employees, and our ability to attract, retain and motivate talented employees may significantly impact our future performance. Competition for these individuals is intense, and we cannot be assured that we will retain all of our executive management team and other key employees or that we will be able to attract and retain other highly qualified individuals for these positions in the future. Losing any one or more of these persons may have an adverse effect on us.

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The unauthorized access, use, theft or destruction of tenant or employee personal, financial or other data or of Regency’s proprietary or confidential information stored in our information systems or by third parties on our behalf could impact our reputation and brand and expose us to potential liability and loss of revenues.

Many of our information technology systems (including those we use for administration, accounting, and communications, as well as the systems of our co-investment partners and other third-party business partners and service providers, whether cloud-based or hosted in proprietary servers) contain personal, financial or other information that is entrusted to us by our tenants and employees. Many of our information technology systems also contain our proprietary information and other confidential information related to our business. We are frequently subject to attempts to compromise our information technology systems. To the extent we or a third party were to experience a material breach of our or such third party’s information technology systems that result in the unauthorized access, theft, use, destruction or other compromises of tenants’ or employees' data or our confidential information stored in such systems, including through cyber-attacks or other external or internal methods, such a breach may damage our reputation and cause us to lose tenants and revenues, incur third party claims and cause disruption to our business and plans. Such security breaches also could result in a violation of applicable U.S. privacy and other laws, and subject us to private consumer, business partner, or securities litigation and governmental investigations and proceedings, any of which could result in our exposure to material civil or criminal liability, and we may not be able to recover these expenses from our service providers, responsible parties, or insurance carriers.  Despite the ongoing significant investments in technology and training we make in cybersecurity, we can provide no assurance that we will avoid or prevent such breaches or attacks.

Additionally, federal, state and local authorities continue to develop laws to address data privacy protection.  Monitoring such changes, and taking steps to comply, involves significant costs and effort by management, which may adversely affect our operating results and cash flows.

Despite the implementation of security measures for our disaster recovery and business continuity plans, our systems are vulnerable to damages from multiple sources, including computer viruses, unauthorized access, energy blackouts, natural disasters, terrorism, war, and telecommunication failure.  Any system failure or accident that causes interruptions in our operations could result in a material disruption to our business and cause us to incur additional costs to remedy such damages.

Risk Factors Related to Our Partnerships and Joint Ventures

We do not have voting control over all of the properties owned in our co-investment partnerships and joint ventures, so we are unable to ensure that our objectives will be pursued.

We have invested substantial capital as a partner in a number of partnerships and joint ventures to acquire, own, lease, develop or redevelop properties. These activities are subject to the same risks as our investments in our wholly-owned properties. These investments, and other future similar investments may involve risks that would not be present were a third party not involved, including the possibility that partners or other owners might become bankrupt, suffer a deterioration in their creditworthiness, or fail to fund their share of required capital contributions. Partners or other owners may have economic or other business interests or goals that are inconsistent with our own business interests or goals, and may be in a position to take actions contrary to our policies or objectives.

These investments, and other future similar investments, also have the potential risk of creating impasses on decisions, such as a sale or financing, because neither we nor our partner or other owner has full control over the partnership or joint venture. Disputes between us and partners or other owners might result in litigation or arbitration that may increase our expenses and prevent management from focusing their time and efforts on our business. Consequently, actions by, or disputes with, partners or other owners might result in subjecting properties owned by the partnership or joint venture to additional risk. In addition, we risk the possibility of being liable for the actions of our partners or other owners. These factors may limit the return that we receive from such investments or cause our cash flows to be lower than our estimates.

The termination of our partnerships may adversely affect our cash flow, operating results, and our ability to make distributions to stock and unit holders.

If partnerships owning a significant number of properties were dissolved for any reason, we could lose the asset, property management, leasing and construction management fees from these partnerships as well as the operating income of the properties, which may adversely affect our operating results and our cash available for distribution to stock and unit holders.  Certain of our partnership operating agreements provide either member the ability to elect buy/sell clauses.  The election of these dissolution provisions could require us to invest additional capital to acquire the partners’ interest or to sell our share of the property thereby losing the operating income and cash flow.

15

Risk Factors Related to Funding Strategies and Capital Structure

Our ability to sell properties and fund acquisitions and developments may be adversely impacted by higher market capitalization rates and lower NOI at our properties which may dilute earnings.

As part of our funding strategy, we sell operating properties that no longer meet our investment standards or those with a limited future growth profile. These sales proceeds are used to fund debt repayment, acquisition of operating properties, and the construction of new developments and redevelopments. An increase in market capitalization rates or a decline in NOI may cause a reduction in the value of centers identified for sale, which would have an adverse impact on the amount of cash generated.  Additionally, the sale of properties resulting in significant tax gains may require higher distributions to our stockholders or payment of additional income taxes in order to maintain our REIT status.

We depend on external sources of capital, which may not be available in the future on favorable terms or at all.

To qualify as a REIT, the Parent Company must, among other things, distribute to its stockholders each year at least 90% of its REIT taxable income (excluding any net capital gains). Because of these distribution requirements, we may not be able to fund all future capital needs with income from operations. In such instances, we would rely on third-party sources of capital, which may or may not be available on favorable terms or at all. Our access to third-party sources of capital depends on a number of things, including the market's perception of our growth potential and our current and potential future earnings. Our access to debt depends on our credit rating, the willingness of creditors to lend to us and conditions in the capital markets. In addition to finding creditors willing to lend to us, we are dependent upon our joint venture partners to contribute their pro rata share of any amount needed to repay or refinance existing debt when lenders reduce the amount of debt our partnerships and joint ventures are eligible to refinance.

In addition, our existing debt arrangements also impose covenants that limit our flexibility in obtaining other financing. Additional equity offerings may result in substantial dilution of stockholders' interests and additional debt financing may substantially increase our degree of leverage.

Without access to external sources of capital, we would be required to pay outstanding debt with our operating cash flows and proceeds from property sales. Our operating cash flows may not be sufficient to pay our outstanding debt as it comes due and real estate investments generally cannot be sold quickly at a return we believe is appropriate. If we are required to deleverage our business with operating cash flows and proceeds from property sales, we may be forced to reduce the amount of, or eliminate altogether, our distributions to stock and unit holders or refrain from making investments in our business.

Our debt financing may adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Our ability to make scheduled payments 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. In addition, we do not expect to generate sufficient operating cash flow to make balloon principal payments on our debt when due. If we are unable to refinance our debt on acceptable terms, we may be forced (i) to dispose of properties, which might result in losses, or (ii) to obtain financing at unfavorable terms, either of which may reduce the cash flow available for distributions to stock and unit holders. If we cannot make required mortgage payments, the mortgagee may foreclose on the property securing the mortgage.

Covenants in our debt agreements may restrict our operating activities and adversely affect our financial condition.

Our unsecured notes, unsecured term loans, and unsecured line of credit (the “Line”) contain customary covenants, including compliance with financial ratios, such as ratio of indebtedness to total asset value and fixed charge coverage ratio. These covenants may limit our operational flexibility and our investment activities. Moreover, if we breach any of the covenants in our debt agreements, and do not cure the breach within the applicable cure period, our lenders may require us to repay the debt immediately, even in the absence of a payment default. Many of our debt arrangements, including our unsecured notes, unsecured term loan, and unsecured line of credit are cross-defaulted, which means that the lenders under those debt arrangements can require immediate repayment of their debt if we breach and fail to cure a default under certain of our other material debt obligations. As a result, any default under our debt covenants may have an adverse effect on our financial condition, our results of operations, our ability to meet our obligations, and the market value of our stock.

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Increases in interest rates would cause our borrowing costs to rise and negatively impact our results of operations.

Although a significant amount of our outstanding debt has fixed interest rates, we do borrow funds at variable interest rates under our credit facility, term loan, and certain secured borrowings. As of December 31, 2020, less than 1.0% of our outstanding debt was variable rate debt not hedged to fixed rate debt. Increases in interest rates would increase our interest expense on any variable rate debt to the extent we have not hedged our exposure to changes in interest rates. In addition, increases in interest rates will affect the terms under which we refinance our existing debt as it matures, to the extent we have not hedged our exposure to changes in interest rates. This would reduce our future earnings and cash flows, which may adversely affect our ability to service our debt and meet our other obligations and also may reduce the amount we are able to distribute to our stock and unit holders.

Hedging activity may expose us to risks, including the risks that a counterparty will not perform and that the hedge will not yield the economic benefits we anticipate, which may adversely affect us.  

We manage our exposure to interest rate volatility by using interest rate hedging arrangements.  These arrangements involve risk, such as the risk that counterparties may fail to honor their obligations under these arrangements, and that these arrangements may not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes. There can be no assurance that our hedging arrangements will qualify for hedge accounting or that our hedging activities will have the desired beneficial impact on our results of operations. Should we desire to terminate a hedging arrangement, there may be significant costs and cash requirements involved to fulfill our obligations under the hedging arrangement. In addition, failure to effectively hedge against interest rate changes may adversely affect our results of operations.

The interest rates on our Unsecured Credit facilities as well as on our variable rate mortgages and interest rate swaps might change based on changes to the method in which LIBOR or its replacement rate is determined.  

In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) that regulates the London Inter-bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) announced it intends to stop compelling banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. As a result, the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York organized the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (“ARRC”) which identified the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as its preferred alternative to USD-LIBOR in derivatives and other financial contracts.  We are not able to predict when LIBOR will cease to be available or when there will be sufficient liquidity in the SOFR markets. Any changes adopted by FCA or other governing bodies in the method used for determining LIBOR may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in reported LIBOR. If that were to occur, our interest payments could change. In addition, uncertainty about the extent and manner of future changes may result in interest rates and/or payments that are higher or lower than if LIBOR were to remain available in its current form.

We have contracts that are indexed to LIBOR, including our $1.25 billion unsecured revolving credit facility and fifteen mortgages within our consolidated and unconsolidated portfolios totaling $225.5 million on a Pro-rata basis, as well as interest rate swaps to fix these variable cash flows with notional amounts totaling $177.0 million on a Pro-rata basis.  These LIBOR based instruments mature between 2020 and 2028.  We are monitoring and evaluating the related risks, which include interest on loans or amounts received and paid on derivative instruments. These risks arise in connection with transitioning contracts to a new alternative rate, including any resulting value transfer that may occur. The value of loans, securities, or derivative instruments tied to LIBOR could also be impacted if LIBOR is limited or discontinued. For some instruments, the method of transitioning to an alternative rate may be challenging, as they may require negotiation with the respective counterparty.

If a contract is not transitioned to an alternative rate and LIBOR is discontinued, the impact is likely to vary by contract. If LIBOR is discontinued or if the methods of calculating LIBOR change from their current form, interest rates on our current or future indebtedness and related interest rate swaps may be adversely affected.

While we expect LIBOR to be available in substantially its current form through June 2023, it is possible that LIBOR will become nonrepresentative prior to that point.  This could result, for example, if sufficient banks decline to make submissions to the LIBOR administrator. In that case, the risks associated with the transition to an alternative reference rate will be accelerated and magnified.

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Risk Factors Related to the Market Price for Our Securities

Changes in economic and market conditions may adversely affect the market price of our securities.

The market price of our debt and equity securities may fluctuate significantly in response to many factors, many of which are out of our control, including:

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

There is no assurance that we will continue to pay dividends at historical rates.

Our ability to continue to pay dividends at historical rates or to increase our dividend rate will depend on a number of factors, including, among others, the following:

If we do not maintain or periodically increase the dividend on our common stock, it may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and other securities.

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Risk Factors Relating to the Company’s Qualification as a REIT

If the Parent Company fails to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, it would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates.

We believe that the Parent Company qualifies for taxation as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, and we plan to operate so that we can continue to meet the requirements for taxation as a REIT. If the Parent Company continues to qualify as a REIT, it generally will not be subject to federal income tax on income that we distribute to our stockholders. Many REIT requirements, however, are highly technical and complex. The determination that the Parent Company is a REIT requires an analysis of various factual matters and circumstances, some of which may not be totally within our control and some of which involve questions of interpretation. For example, to qualify as a REIT, at least 95% of our gross income must come from specific passive sources, like rent, that are itemized in the REIT tax laws. There can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or a court would agree with the positions we have taken in interpreting the REIT requirements. We are also required to distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, excluding net capital gains. We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our undistributed taxable income and net capital gain and to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on any amount by which distributions we pay with respect to any calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of our ordinary income, 95% of our capital gain net income and 100% of our undistributed income from prior years. The fact that we hold many of our assets through co-investment partnerships and their subsidiaries further complicates the application of the REIT requirements. Furthermore, Congress and the IRS might make changes to the tax laws and regulations, and the courts might issue new rulings, that make it more difficult for the Parent Company to remain qualified as a REIT.

Also, unless the IRS granted relief under certain statutory provisions, the Parent Company would remain disqualified as a REIT for four years following the year it first failed to qualify. If the Parent Company failed to qualify as a REIT (currently and/or with respect to any tax years for which the statute of limitations has not expired), we would have to pay significant income taxes, reducing cash available to pay dividends, which would likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of our securities. In addition, we would no longer be required to pay any dividends to stockholders in order to maintain our REIT status. Although we believe that the Parent Company qualifies as a REIT, we cannot be assured that the Parent Company will continue to qualify or remain qualified as a REIT for tax purposes.

Even if the Parent Company qualifies as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we are required to pay certain federal, state, and local taxes on our income and property. For example, if we have net income from “prohibited transactions,” that income will be subject to a 100% tax. In general, prohibited transactions include sales or other dispositions of property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. The determination as to whether a particular sale is a prohibited transaction depends on the facts and circumstances related to that sale. While we have undertaken a significant number of asset sales in recent years, we do not believe that those sales should be considered prohibited transactions, but there can be no assurance that the IRS would not contend otherwise.

New legislation, as well as new regulations, administrative interpretations, or court decisions may be introduced, enacted, or promulgated from time to time, that may change the tax laws or interpretations of the tax laws regarding qualification as a REIT, or the federal income tax consequences of that qualification, in a manner that is adverse to our stockholders.

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

Subject to limited exceptions, dividends paid by REITs (other than distributions designated as capital gain dividends, qualified dividends or returns of capital) are not eligible for reduced rates for qualified dividends paid by “C” corporations and are taxable at ordinary income tax rates. The more favorable tax rates applicable to regular corporate qualified dividends may cause investors who are individuals, trusts and estates to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which may adversely affect the value of the shares of REITs, including the shares of our capital stock.

Certain foreign stockholders may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain recognized on a disposition of our common stock if we do not qualify as a “domestically controlled” REIT.

A foreign person disposing of a U.S. real property interest, including shares of a U.S. corporation whose assets consist principally of U.S. real property interests is generally subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain recognized on the disposition. This tax does not apply, however, to the disposition of stock in a REIT if the REIT is “domestically controlled.” In general, we will be a domestically controlled REIT if at all times during the five-year period ending on the applicable stockholder’s disposition of our stock, less than 50% in value of our stock was held directly or indirectly by non-U.S. persons. If we were to fail to qualify as a domestically controlled REIT, gain recognized by a foreign stockholder on a disposition of our common stock would be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless our common stock was traded on an established securities market and the foreign stockholder did not at any time during a specified testing period directly or indirectly own more than 10% of our outstanding common stock.

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Legislative or other actions affecting REITs may have a negative effect on us.

The rules dealing with federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Changes to the tax laws, with or without retroactive application, may adversely affect Regency or our investors. We cannot predict how changes in the tax laws might affect Regency or our investors. New legislation, Treasury Regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions may significantly and negatively affect our ability to qualify as a REIT or the federal income tax consequences of such qualification, or the federal income tax consequences of an investment in us. There is also a risk that REIT status may be adversely impacted by a change in tax or other laws.  Also, the law relating to the tax treatment of other entities, or an investment in other entities, may change, making an investment in such other entities more attractive relative to an investment in a REIT.

Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively and may cause us to incur tax liabilities.

The REIT provisions of the Code limit our ability to hedge our liabilities. Generally, income from a hedging transaction that constitutes “qualifying income” for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests applicable to REITs, does not constitute “gross income” for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests, provided that we properly identify the hedging transaction pursuant to the applicable sections of the Code and Treasury Regulations. To the extent that we enter into other types of hedging transactions, or fail to make the proper tax identifications, the income from those transactions is likely to be treated as non-qualifying income for purposes of both gross income tests. As a result of these rules, we may need to limit our use of otherwise advantageous hedging techniques or implement those hedges through a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”).

Risks Related to the Company’s Common Stock

Restrictions on the ownership of the Parent Company’s capital stock to preserve its REIT status may delay or prevent a change in control.

Ownership of more than 7% by value of our outstanding capital stock is prohibited, with certain exceptions, by the Parent Company's articles of incorporation, for the purpose of maintaining its qualification as a REIT. This 7% limitation may discourage a change in control and may also (i) deter tender offers for our capital stock, which offers may be attractive to our stockholders, or (ii) limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their capital stock that might otherwise exist if an investor attempted to assemble a block in excess of 7% of our outstanding capital stock or to affect a change in control.

The issuance of the Parent Company's capital stock may delay or prevent a change in control.

The Parent Company's articles of incorporation authorize our Board of Directors to issue up to 30,000,000 shares of preferred stock and 10,000,000 shares of special common stock and to establish the preferences and rights of any shares issued. The issuance of preferred stock or special common stock may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control. The provisions of the Florida Business Corporation Act regarding affiliated transactions may also deter potential acquisitions by preventing the acquiring party from consummating a merger or other extraordinary corporate transaction without the approval of our disinterested stockholders.

Ownership in the Parent Company may be diluted in the future.

In the future, a stockholder’s percentage ownership in the Company may be diluted because of equity issuances for acquisitions, capital market transactions or other corporate purposes, including equity awards we will grant to our directors, officers and employees. In the past we have issued equity in the secondary market and may do so again in the future, depending on the price of our stock and other factors.

In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue, without the approval of our stockholders, one or more classes or series of preferred stock having such designation, powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights, including preferences over our common stock respecting dividends and distributions, as our board of directors generally may determine. The terms of one or more classes or series of preferred stock could dilute the voting power or reduce the value of our common stock. For example, we could grant the holders of preferred stock the right to elect some number of our directors in all events or on the happening of specified events or the right to veto specified transactions. Similarly, the repurchase or redemption rights or liquidation preferences we could assign to holders of preferred stock could affect the residual value of the common stock.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

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Item 2. Properties

The following table is a list of the shopping centers, summarized by state and in order of largest holdings by number of properties, presented for Consolidated Properties (excludes properties owned by unconsolidated co-investment partnerships):

Certain Consolidated Properties are encumbered by mortgage loans of $415.7 million, excluding debt issuance costs and premiums and discounts, as of December 31, 2020.

The weighted average annual effective rent for the consolidated portfolio of properties, net of tenant concessions, is $22.90 and $22.38 PSF as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.  

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The following table is a list of the shopping centers, summarized by state and in order of largest holdings by number of properties, presented for Unconsolidated Properties (includes properties owned by unconsolidated co-investment partnerships):

Certain Unconsolidated Properties are encumbered by non-recourse mortgage loans of $1.6 billion, excluding debt issuance costs and premiums and discounts, as of December 31, 2020.

The weighted average annual effective rent for the unconsolidated portfolio of properties, net of tenant concessions, is $21.84 and $21.69 PSF as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.  

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The following table summarizes our top tenants occupying our shopping centers for Consolidated Properties plus our Pro-rata share of Unconsolidated Properties, as of December 31, 2020, based upon a percentage of total annualized base rent (GLA and dollars in thousands):

Our leases for tenant space under 10,000 square feet generally have initial terms ranging from three to seven years. Leases greater than 10,000 square feet (“Anchor Leases”) generally have initial lease terms in excess of five years and are mostly comprised of Anchor Tenants. Many of the leases contain provisions allowing the tenant the option of extending the term of the lease at expiration. Our leases typically provide for the payment of fixed base rent, the tenant’s Pro-rata share of real estate taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance (“CAM”) expenses, and reimbursement for utility costs if not directly metered.

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The following table summarizes Pro-rata lease expirations for the next ten years and thereafter, for our Consolidated and Unconsolidated Properties, assuming no tenants renew their leases (GLA and dollars in thousands):

During 2021, we have a total of 1,086 leases expiring, representing 2.9 million square feet of GLA.  These expiring leases have an average base rent of $25.24 PSF.  The average base rent of new leases signed during 2020 was $26.22 PSF.  During periods of economic weakness or when percent leased is low, tenants have more bargaining power, which may result in rental rate declines on new or renewal leases.  In periods of recovery and/or when percent leased levels are high, landlords have more bargaining power, which generally results in rental rate growth on new and renewal leases.  As a result of the pandemic, new leasing activity has declined as many businesses delay executing leases amidst its immediate and uncertain future economic impacts.  This trend, coupled with additional potential retail failures resulting from the pandemic, may result in decreased demand for retail space in our centers, which could result in downward pressure on rents.  

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The following table lists information about our Consolidated and Unconsolidated Properties.  For further information, see Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis.