SecProbe.io

Filing text and metadata
Intelligence Terminal Search Probe Scores Topics IPO Watchlist Monthly Activity About API

SEC Comment Letter for Republic Property Trust (CIK 0001335686) — Oct 24, 2005

Republic Property Trust (CIK 0001335686)
Date: Oct. 24, 2005 · CIK: 0001335686 · Accession: 0000000000-05-053965

AI Filing Summary & Sentiment

File numbers found in text: 333-128554

Date
October 24, 2005
Author
Not clearly detected
Form
UPLOAD
Company
Republic Property Trust (CIK 0001335686)

Letter

October 24, 2005 Mail Stop 4561 Mark R. Keller Chief Executive Officer Republic Property Trust 1280 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Suite 280 Washington, D.C. 20024

Re: Republic Property Trust Registration Statement on Form S-11 Filed September 26, 2005 File No. 333-128554

Dear Mr. Keller:

We have reviewed your filing and have the following comments. Where indicated, we think you should revise your document in response to these comments. If you disagree, we will consider your explanation as to why our comment is inapplicable or a revision is unnecessary. Please be as detailed as necessary in your explanation. In some of our comments, we may ask you to provide us with information so we may better understand your disclosure. After reviewing this information, we may raise additional comments.

Please understand that the purpose of our review process is to assist you in your compliance with the applicable disclosure requirements and to enhance the overall disclosure in your filing. We look forward to working with you in these respects. We welcome any questions you may have about our comments or any other aspect of our review. Feel free to call us at the telephone numbers listed at the end of this letter. General 1. We note that much of the information on your website appears to have been drawn directly from your registration statement. It appears to constitute a non-conforming prospectus and may have the effect of conditioning the market. Please revise the contents of your website to remove all information that may be considered touting in nature including, without limitation, the sections on your competitive strengths and strategy. Also, please tell us when the information on the site was first published. Please include a reference to your website in your prospectus. Refer to Item 101(e)(3) of Regulation S-K 2. Please tell us the exemption from registration upon which you intend to rely for: * the repayment, using REIT shares, of at least part of a loan associated with RKB Holding, L.P., described on page 9; and * the award of restricted shares to your officers and employees, described on page 15.

Prospectus Summary 3. Please revise to explain the difference between "Class A," "Class B" and "Class C" property. 4. Please limit your summary to the most significant aspects of your business and the most significant terms of the offering. Detailed descriptions of your markets, competitive strengths, and strategies are more appropriate for the body of your prospectus. If you choose to retain any of this disclosure, please substantially limit the information presented in the summary. Also, please avoid detailed disclosure that is repeated elsewhere in the prospectus, such as the terms of your options to acquire properties. Instead, summarize the most significant terms and include the detailed disclosure in the body of your prospectus.

Experienced Senior Management Team, page 2 5. To the extent you retain this disclosure, please avoid references to the aggregate or average experience of your management team. Provide conforming changes throughout the prospectus. 6. Here and on page 80, please remove references to your annualized return. You may discuss your historical returns in detail in your MD&A.

Summary Risk Factors, page 5 7. Please add a risk factor addressing the fact, from page 33, that your managers and board have no experience operating a REIT or a public company.

Option Properties, page 7 8. To the extent you retain this disclosure, please revise the first full paragraph on page 8, to quantify, as of the most recent practicable date, unpaid debt and unreturned capital associated with each option property. Also, please discuss the anticipated minimum costs associated with these acquisitions in your section on liquidity.

Formation Transactions, page 8

Merger of RKB Holding L.P. into Our Operating Partnership, page 9 9. Please disclose the aggregate amount of cash and REIT shares that the Operating Partnership is obligated to issue in connection with the merger, prior to the reduction for the outstanding loan and tax liability. We note that the consideration is based on a previous election made by each RKB Holding partner. 10. Please identify the lender (including the nature of its affiliation with RKB Holding) and explain the purpose of the loan. Also, please disclose the source of the tax liability.

Management and Development Services, page 9

Contribution of Management and Development Services by Republic Properties Corporation, page 9 11. It appears that Republic Properties Corporation will receive OP units in exchange for the management and development agreements it will contribute to your Operating Partnership. We note that the disclosure states you "will" enter into an agreement relating to this contribution, suggesting that you have not yet done so. Please tell us why the issuance of OP units to Republic Properties Corporation in connection with this contribution agreement should not be integrated with the public offering. 12. Please disclose in this section the number of OP units that Republic Properties Corporation will receive under the terms of this agreement. Provide conforming disclosure on page 73. Republic Properties Corporation also appears to hold interests in The Portals management and development agreements. Please quantify the consideration it will receive for those interests as well and briefly describe the ownership of Republic Properties Corporation.

Outsourcing of Management and Development Services for The Portals Properties, page 10 13. Please disclose in this section the number of OP units or other consideration that Mr. Kramer and Mr. Grigg will receive for each of the interests described in this section.

Excluded Assets, page 11 14. Please discuss and quantify Mr. Kramer`s and Mr. Grigg`s interest in Republic Land Development, LLC, referred to on page 32, and identify the office properties it is currently engaged in developing. Also, please quantify the interest in Market Square held by Mr. Kramer and Mr. Grigg.

Benefits to Related Parties, page 14 15. Please break out separately consideration to be paid for interests in property and management and development agreements. 16. Please discuss your efforts, described on page 66, to release Republic Properties Corporation from its guarantee of the loan on Pender Business Park.

Conflicts of Interest, page 15 17. Please provide a more detailed summary of these conflicts. Specifically identify the trustees and officers with conflicts and the nature of those conflicts. Merely stating that their interests may conflict with those of your other investors is not sufficient. 18. Please revise to discuss conflicts created by Mr. Leisch`s affiliation with Delta Associates. Identify the data you rely on in this prospectus and indicate whether any of it was prepared for you.

Proposed Line of Credit, page 16 19. Once known, please disclose the details of this loan, including negative financial covenants and default provisions. Also, please tell us whether you are negotiating this line of credit with any of your underwriters.

Our Tax Status, page 16 20. Please disclose that up to 25% of your assets may be held through your taxable REIT subsidiary and the portion of your initial assets that will be held by the TRS. Also, please disclose that all accumulated earnings retained in the TRS will be excluded from the 90% of REIT taxable income that is required to be distributed to shareholders.

Risk Factors, page 23 21. Where relevant, and only to the extent material, please discuss the following risks:

* risk, including total current liability, associated with any tax protection agreements you have entered into;

* the dilutive impact of equity issuances (or the equivalent) connected to the anticipated acquisition of the option properties;

* risk related to restrictive covenants in your existing loan agreements;

* risk related to any failure to obtain the anticipated line of credit or the terms of that line, if obtained;

* risk associated with cost concerns related to your City Center projected and expressed recently by West Palm Beach officials and residents. Refer to a September 5, 2005 report published by the Palm Beach Post.

Our initial portfolio of properties, together with..., page 23 22. Please discuss with more specificity the volatility associated with the Northern Virginia real estate market, where you have the bulk of your assets. We note, for example, a May 9, 2005 article published by the Washington Post titled "Market Microcosm; Point West Plaza Illustrates State of Northern Virginia Office Buildings." Your discussion should canvass recent recommendations by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission and the U.S. Department of Defense`s policy to move civilian employees to military bases.

If one or more of our tenants with early termination..., page 24 23. Please describe the early termination rights in more detail, including the required notice period and how much of your rental revenue is subject to early termination through 2006. Also, please identify any tenants holding early termination rights that account for a material part of your annual rental revenue.

We may be unable to renew existing leases..., page 24 24. If your leases subject to expiration are currently at above- market rates, please disclose this and quantify the difference. Also, please discuss risks related to a decline in lease rates as these properties are re-let.

If we are not successful in efficiently integrating..., page 27 25. Please give examples of ways in which acquired properties might not be compatible with your growth strategy.

Required payments of principal and interest..., page 29 26. Please discuss the dilutive impact of equity offerings.

We could become highly leveraged in the future..., page 29 27. Please disclose your current leverage ratio and clarify what you consider to be "highly leveraged."

Our Chairman of the Board and our President..., page 32 28. Please discuss risks related to the fact that your senior officers may spend substantial amounts of their time on business unrelated to your own. Also, please discuss risks related to the fact that your senior officers may compete with you, insofar as your non-competition agreements have carved out exceptions for current business interests in your market.

We may assume unknown liabilities..., page 34 29. Please explain how you estimated the liability associated with RKB Holding and explain how this estimate may prove to be inaccurate.

Failure to qualify as a domestically-controlled REIT..., page 37 30. We note from your discussion of recent sales that you are relying in part on Regulation S for an exemption from registration. Please indicate here what percentage of your shares you expect to be held by non-U.S. shareholders following this offering.

Future sales of our common shares..., page 40 31. Please quantify the number of shares subject to conversion of operating partnership units and the number of restricted shares to be issued to your officers, employees and trustees. If you intend to register shares underlying your incentive plan, please discuss that here.

Use of Proceeds, page 43 32. We note from page 5 that your future growth is dependent on your acquisition of the Republic Square and Portals III properties. In light of this statement, please tell us whether you intend to use proceeds from this offering to acquire those properties. If so, include the disclosure required by Instruction 5 to Item 504 of Regulation S-K.

Distribution Policy, page 44 33. Please disclose in your narrative the sources of and any assumptions underlying estimated cash flows from operations and investing and financing activities. Please tell us whether your operating cash flow assumptions include any of the management and development contracts you intend to purchase from your affiliates. Please note, material assumptions that could impact distributions should be reflected in your summary disclosure on page 17.

34. Please clarify what percentage of the expected distributions will represent a return of capital, if any.

35. Tell us what consideration was given to expanding the preamble to include prominent disclosure clarifying that cash available for distribution is not an alternative to measures calculated under GAAP and that it is not a basis for determining future distributions.

36. Reference is made to the subtotals for estimated cash flows from operations, investing activities and financing activities and your disclosures regarding estimated distributions on page 45. Please revise as appropriate to indicate these amounts are for the twelve months ending June 30, 2006 or advise us.

37. Please tell us why you have presented estimated cash available for distribution applicable to common shares and operating units as shown at the bottom of your distribution table. The preamble to your distribution table only discusses distributions to be made to the holders of your common shares.

Note (3), page 46 38. Tell us your factual basis for including an adjustment for tenant recovery rents in your calculation of cash available for distribution.

39. Reference is made to your disclosure in the last paragraph of this footnote. For executed leases in which the space is unoccupied with certain termination provisions, please clarify if the space is currently available to be occupied or if it is still under development. Further, tell us if these amounts are presented on an annualized basis.

40. Please clarify if you have provided for decreases in contractual rental income due to lease expirations assuming no renewals for the twelve months ending June 30, 2006. 41. Please quantify assumptions related to the non-exercise of early termination clauses by governmental or corporate renters, other than CACI. Also, please explain why you assume the non-exercise by CACI here but assume the exercise in footnote 8 on page 88.

Note (4), page 46

42. Tell us your factual basis for including adjustments for management fees and development fees in your calculation of cash available for distribution.

Management`s Discussion and Analysis, page 45 43. Where relevant, please discuss factors that may impact comparability of financial results. Refer to instruction 2 to Item 301 of Regulation S-K. For instance, we note that your historical results do not appear to reflect management and development fees, even on a pro forma basis. Please explain why. 44. Please discuss your management and development fees and all the activities of your taxable REIT subsidiary. Explain how you will account for these fees in light of the fact that at least a portion of them will be received from properties owned by you or related parties. To the extent that you can, please quantify anticipated management fees and the costs upon which your development fees will be based. For instance, we note that costs associated with City Center (of which you receive 2%) are projected to be $39.3 million. Refer to a September 5, 2005 report published by the Palm Beach Post.

Results of Operations for our Predecessor, page 59

Comparison of six months ended June 30, 2005 to six months ended June 30, 2004 45. Please explain why interest expense rose significantly faster than rental income, leading to a net loss for the period. We note that you did not experience a similar divergence from 2003 to 2004.

Liquidity and Capital Resources, page 61 46. We note that you expect to have available cash of $18.7 million following the offering and planned debt repayments. Please revise to clarify whether this figure is net of anticipated cash payments to property contributors and improvement funds being held in escrow by lenders. 47. Please explain the basis of your belief that you will have sufficient cash to m

Show Raw Text
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>LETTER
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.txt
<TEXT>

October 24, 2005

Mail Stop 4561

Mark R. Keller
Chief Executive Officer
Republic Property Trust
1280 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Suite 280
Washington, D.C. 20024

      Re:	Republic Property Trust
		Registration Statement on Form S-11
      Filed September 26, 2005
		File No.  333-128554

Dear Mr. Keller:

      We have reviewed your filing and have the following
comments.
Where indicated, we think you should revise your document in
response
to these comments.  If you disagree, we will consider your
explanation as to why our comment is inapplicable or a revision is
unnecessary.  Please be as detailed as necessary in your
explanation.
In some of our comments, we may ask you to provide us with
information so we may better understand your disclosure.  After
reviewing this information, we may raise additional comments.

      Please understand that the purpose of our review process is
to
assist you in your compliance with the applicable disclosure
requirements and to enhance the overall disclosure in your filing.
We look forward to working with you in these respects.  We welcome
any questions you may have about our comments or any other aspect
of
our review.  Feel free to call us at the telephone numbers listed
at
the end of this letter.
General
1. We note that much of the information on your website appears to
have been drawn directly from your registration statement.  It
appears to constitute a non-conforming prospectus and may have the
effect of conditioning the market.  Please revise the contents of
your website to remove all information that may be considered
touting
in nature including, without limitation, the sections on your
competitive strengths and strategy.  Also, please tell us when the
information on the site was first published.  Please include a
reference to your website in your prospectus.  Refer to Item
101(e)(3) of Regulation S-K
2. Please tell us the exemption from registration upon which you
intend to rely for:
* the repayment, using REIT shares, of at least part of a loan
associated with RKB Holding, L.P., described on page 9; and
* the award of restricted shares to your officers and employees,
described on page 15.

Prospectus Summary
3. Please revise to explain the difference between "Class A,"
"Class
B" and "Class C" property.
4. Please limit your summary to the most significant aspects of
your
business and the most significant terms of the offering.  Detailed
descriptions of your markets, competitive strengths, and
strategies
are more appropriate for the body of your prospectus.  If you
choose
to retain any of this disclosure, please substantially limit the
information presented in the summary.  Also, please avoid detailed
disclosure that is repeated elsewhere in the prospectus, such as
the
terms of your options to acquire properties.  Instead, summarize
the
most significant terms and include the detailed disclosure in the
body of your prospectus.

Experienced Senior Management Team, page 2
5. To the extent you retain this disclosure, please avoid
references
to the aggregate or average experience of your management team.
Provide conforming changes throughout the prospectus.
6. Here and on page 80, please remove references to your
annualized
return.  You may discuss your historical returns in detail in your
MD&A.

Summary Risk Factors, page 5
7. Please add a risk factor addressing the fact, from page 33,
that
your managers and board have no experience operating a REIT or a
public company.

Option Properties, page 7
8. To the extent you retain this disclosure, please revise the
first
full paragraph on page 8, to quantify, as of the most recent
practicable date, unpaid debt and unreturned capital associated
with
each option property.  Also, please discuss the anticipated
minimum
costs associated with these acquisitions in your section on
liquidity.

Formation Transactions, page 8

Merger of RKB Holding L.P. into Our Operating Partnership, page 9
9. Please disclose the aggregate amount of cash and REIT shares
that
the Operating Partnership is obligated to issue in connection with
the merger, prior to the reduction for the outstanding loan and
tax
liability.  We note that the consideration is based on a previous
election made by each RKB Holding partner.
10. Please identify the lender (including the nature of its
affiliation with RKB Holding) and explain the purpose of the loan.
Also, please disclose the source of the tax liability.

Management and Development Services, page 9

Contribution of Management and Development Services by Republic
Properties Corporation, page 9
11. It appears that Republic Properties Corporation will receive
OP
units in exchange for the management and development agreements it
will contribute to your Operating Partnership.  We note that the
disclosure states you "will" enter into an agreement relating to
this
contribution, suggesting that you have not yet done so.  Please
tell
us why the issuance of OP units to Republic Properties Corporation
in
connection with this contribution agreement should not be
integrated
with the public offering.
12. Please disclose in this section the number of OP units that
Republic Properties Corporation will receive under the terms of
this
agreement.  Provide conforming disclosure on page 73.  Republic
Properties Corporation also appears to hold interests in The
Portals
management and development agreements.  Please quantify the
consideration it will receive for those interests as well and
briefly
describe the ownership of Republic Properties Corporation.

Outsourcing of Management and Development Services for The Portals
Properties, page 10
13. Please disclose in this section the number of OP units or
other
consideration that Mr. Kramer and Mr. Grigg will receive for each
of
the interests described in this section.

Excluded Assets, page 11
14. Please discuss and quantify Mr. Kramer`s and Mr. Grigg`s
interest
in Republic Land Development, LLC, referred to on page 32, and
identify the office properties it is currently engaged in
developing.
Also, please quantify the interest in Market Square held by Mr.
Kramer and Mr. Grigg.

Benefits to Related Parties, page 14
15. Please break out separately consideration to be paid for
interests in property and management and development agreements.
16. Please discuss your efforts, described on page 66, to release
Republic Properties Corporation from its guarantee of the loan on
Pender Business Park.

Conflicts of Interest, page 15
17. Please provide a more detailed summary of these conflicts.
Specifically identify the trustees and officers with conflicts and
the nature of those conflicts.  Merely stating that their
interests
may conflict with those of your other investors is not sufficient.
18. Please revise to discuss conflicts created by Mr. Leisch`s
affiliation with Delta Associates.  Identify the data you rely on
in
this prospectus and indicate whether any of it was prepared for
you.

Proposed Line of Credit, page 16
19. Once known, please disclose the details of this loan,
including
negative financial covenants and default provisions.  Also, please
tell us whether you are negotiating this line of credit with any
of
your underwriters.

Our Tax Status, page 16
20. Please disclose that up to 25% of your assets may be held
through
your taxable REIT subsidiary and the portion of your initial
assets
that will be held by the TRS.  Also, please disclose that all
accumulated earnings retained in the TRS will be excluded from the
90% of REIT taxable income that is required to be distributed to
shareholders.

Risk Factors, page 23
21. Where relevant, and only to the extent material, please
discuss
the following risks:

* risk, including total current liability, associated with any tax
protection agreements you have entered into;

* the dilutive impact of equity issuances (or the equivalent)
connected to the anticipated acquisition of the option properties;

* risk related to restrictive covenants in your existing loan
agreements;

* risk related to any failure to obtain the anticipated line of
credit or the terms of that line, if obtained;

* risk associated with cost concerns related to your City Center
projected and expressed recently by West Palm Beach officials and
residents. Refer to a September 5, 2005 report published by the
Palm
Beach Post.

Our initial portfolio of properties, together with..., page 23
22. Please discuss with more specificity the volatility associated
with the Northern Virginia real estate market, where you have the
bulk of your assets.  We note, for example, a May 9, 2005 article
published by the Washington Post titled "Market Microcosm; Point
West
Plaza Illustrates State of Northern Virginia Office Buildings."
Your
discussion should canvass recent recommendations by the Defense
Base
Closure and Realignment Commission and the U.S. Department of
Defense`s policy to move civilian employees to military bases.

If one or more of our tenants with early termination..., page 24
23. Please describe the early termination rights in more detail,
including the required notice period and how much of your rental
revenue is subject to early termination through 2006.  Also,
please
identify any tenants holding early termination rights that account
for a material part of your annual rental revenue.

We may be unable to renew existing leases..., page 24
24. If your leases subject to expiration are currently at above-
market rates, please disclose this and quantify the difference.
Also, please discuss risks related to a decline in lease rates as
these properties are re-let.

If we are not successful in efficiently integrating..., page 27
25. Please give examples of ways in which acquired properties
might
not be compatible with your growth strategy.

Required payments of principal and interest..., page 29
26. Please discuss the dilutive impact of equity offerings.

We could become highly leveraged in the future..., page 29
27. Please disclose your current leverage ratio and clarify what
you
consider to be "highly leveraged."

Our Chairman of the Board and our President..., page 32
28. Please discuss risks related to the fact that your senior
officers may spend substantial amounts of their time on business
unrelated to your own.  Also, please discuss risks related to the
fact that your senior officers may compete with you, insofar as
your
non-competition agreements have carved out exceptions for current
business interests in your market.

We may assume unknown liabilities..., page 34
29. Please explain how you estimated the liability associated with
RKB Holding and explain how this estimate may prove to be
inaccurate.

Failure to qualify as a domestically-controlled REIT..., page 37
30. We note from your discussion of recent sales that you are
relying
in part on Regulation S for an exemption from registration.
Please
indicate here what percentage of your shares you expect to be held
by
non-U.S. shareholders following this offering.

Future sales of our common shares..., page 40
31. Please quantify the number of shares subject to conversion of
operating partnership units and the number of restricted shares to
be
issued to your officers, employees and trustees.  If you intend to
register shares underlying your incentive plan, please discuss
that
here.

Use of Proceeds, page 43
32. We note from page 5 that your future growth is dependent on
your
acquisition of the Republic Square and Portals III properties.  In
light of this statement, please tell us whether you intend to use
proceeds from this offering to acquire those properties.  If so,
include the disclosure required by Instruction 5 to Item 504 of
Regulation S-K.

Distribution Policy, page 44
33. Please disclose in your narrative the sources of and any
assumptions underlying estimated cash flows from operations and
investing and financing activities.  Please tell us whether your
operating cash flow assumptions include any of the management and
development contracts you intend to purchase from your affiliates.
Please note, material assumptions that could impact distributions
should be reflected in your summary disclosure on page 17.

34. Please clarify what percentage of the expected distributions
will
represent a return of capital, if any.

35. Tell us what consideration was given to expanding the preamble
to
include prominent disclosure clarifying that cash available for
distribution is not an alternative to measures calculated under
GAAP
and that it is not a basis for determining future distributions.

36. Reference is made to the subtotals for estimated cash flows
from
operations, investing activities and financing activities and your
disclosures regarding estimated distributions on page 45.  Please
revise as appropriate to indicate these amounts are for the twelve
months ending June 30, 2006 or advise us.

37. Please tell us why you have presented estimated cash available
for distribution applicable to common shares and operating units
as
shown at the bottom of your distribution table.  The preamble to
your
distribution table only discusses distributions to be made to the
holders of your common shares.

Note (3), page 46
38. Tell us your factual basis for including an adjustment for
tenant
recovery rents in your calculation of cash available for
distribution.

39. Reference is made to your disclosure in the last paragraph of
this footnote.  For executed leases in which the space is
unoccupied
with certain termination provisions, please clarify if the space
is
currently available to be occupied or if it is still under
development.  Further, tell us if these amounts are presented on
an
annualized basis.

40. Please clarify if you have provided for decreases in
contractual
rental income due to lease expirations assuming no renewals for
the
twelve months ending June 30, 2006.
41. Please quantify assumptions related to the non-exercise of
early
termination clauses by governmental or corporate renters, other
than
CACI.  Also, please explain why you assume the non-exercise by
CACI
here but assume the exercise in footnote 8 on page 88.

Note (4), page 46

42. Tell us your factual basis for including adjustments for
management fees and development fees in your calculation of cash
available for distribution.

Management`s Discussion and Analysis, page 45
43. Where relevant, please discuss factors that may impact
comparability of financial results.  Refer to instruction 2 to
Item
301 of Regulation S-K.  For instance, we note that your historical
results do not appear to reflect management and development fees,
even on a pro forma basis.  Please explain why.
44. Please discuss your management and development fees and all
the
activities of your taxable REIT subsidiary.  Explain how you will
account for these fees in light of the fact that at least a
portion
of them will be received from properties owned by you or related
parties.  To the extent that you can, please quantify anticipated
management fees and the costs upon which your development fees
will
be based.  For instance, we note that costs associated with City
Center (of which you receive 2%) are projected to be $39.3
million.
Refer to a September 5, 2005 report published by the Palm Beach
Post.

Results of Operations for our Predecessor, page 59

Comparison of six months ended June 30, 2005 to six months ended
June
30, 2004
45. Please explain why interest expense rose significantly faster
than rental income, leading to a net loss for the period.  We note
that you did not experience a similar divergence from 2003 to
2004.

Liquidity and Capital Resources, page 61
46. We note that you expect to have available cash of $18.7
million
following the offering and planned debt repayments.  Please revise
to
clarify whether this figure is net of anticipated cash payments to
property contributors and improvement funds being held in escrow
by
lenders.
47. Please explain the basis of your belief that you will have
sufficient cash to m