Forest City's Form 10-K signals a smaller arena, offers new warnings about loss of financing and sponsorships
While the annual Form 10-K documents filed by Forest City Enterprises with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) contain boilerplate language about the risks facing the Atlantic Yards project, that language has changed somewhat, providing some significant hints about the developer's plans and concerns.
Notably, the developer no longer promises that the Atlantic Yards arena would be 850,000 square feet. A smaller arena would indeed be cheaper to build.
Also, the developer now acknowledges additional potential for increased costs and delays, for the first time warning of potential "inability to retain the current land acquisition financing" and "loss of arena sponsorships and related revenues." Forest City also warns about the possibility of failing to meet required equity contributions.
FY 2008
From the Form 10-K for Fiscal Year 2008. Bolded sections should be compared with the text from the other two years. There's no longer a mention of the arena's size, and the second part of item (iii) is new, as is item (vi). The mention of only one lawsuit is somewhat disingenuous, since there is an ongoing effort to appeal the other major lawsuit.
Also, the lawyer behind another lawsuit wants to reopen the record because this new document, among others, raises further questions about the likelihood that Atlantic Yards benefits would be delivered as promised.
Brooklyn Atlantic Yards. We are in the process of developing Brooklyn Atlantic Yards, a long-term $4.0 billion mixed-use project in downtown Brooklyn expected to feature a state of the art sports and entertainment arena for the Nets basketball team, a franchise of the NBA. The acquisition and development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards has been formally approved by the required state governmental authorities but final documentation of the transactions are subject to the completion of negotiations with local and state governmental authorities, including negotiation of the applicable development documentation and public subsidies. Pre-construction activities have commenced for the potential removal, remediation or other activities to address environmental contamination at, on, under or emanating to or from the land.
There is also one lawsuit pending challenging the use of eminent domain which may not be resolved in our favor resulting in Brooklyn Atlantic Yards not being developed at all or not being developed with the features we anticipate. As a result of the foregoing, this project has experienced delays and may continue to experience further delays. There is also the potential for increased costs and delays to the project as a result of (i) increasing construction costs, (ii) scarcity of labor and supplies, (iii) our inability to obtain tax-exempt financing or the availability of financing or public subsidies, or our inability to retain the current land acquisition financing, (iv) our or our partners’ inability or failure to meet required equity contributions, (v) increasing rates for financings, (vi) loss of arena sponsorships and related revenues and (vii) other potential litigation seeking to enjoin or prevent the project or litigation for which there may not be insurance coverage. The development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards is being done in connection with the proposed move of the Nets to the planned arena. The arena itself (and its plans) along with any movement of the team is subject to approval by the NBA, which we may not receive. If any of the foregoing risks were to occur, we may not be able to develop Brooklyn Atlantic Yards to the extent intended or at all. Even if we are able to continue with the development, we would likely not be able to do so as quickly as originally planned.
FY 2007
From the Form 10-K for Fiscal Year 2007. Bolded sections cite the size of the arena, "various lawsuits," and, oddly enough, the incorrect claim--no longer extant--that some condemnation of land had begun.
Brooklyn Atlantic Yards. We are in the process of developing Brooklyn Atlantic Yards, a long-term $4.0 billion mixeduse project in downtown Brooklyn expected to feature an 850,000 square foot sports and entertainment arena for the Nets basketball team, a franchise of the NBA. The acquisition and development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards has been formally approved by the required state governmental authorities but final documentation of the transactions are subject to the completion of negotiations with local and state governmental authorities, including negotiation of the applicable development documentation and public subsidies. Condemnation of some of the land has commenced for the potential removal, remediation or other activities to address environmental contamination at, on, under or emanating to or from the land.
There are also various lawsuits filed challenging the approval process and use of eminent domain which may not be resolved in our favor resulting in Brooklyn Atlantic Yards not being developed with the features we anticipate. There is also the potential for increased costs and delays to the project as a result of (i) increasing construction costs, (ii) scarcity of labor and supplies, (iii) our inability to obtain tax-exempt financing or the availability of financing or public subsidies, (iv) increasing rates for financings, and (v) other potential litigation seeking to enjoin or prevent the project for which there may not be insurance coverage. The development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards is being done in connection with the proposed move of the Nets to the planned arena. The arena itself (and its plans) along with any movement of the team is subject to approval by the NBA, which we may not receive. If any of the foregoing risks were to occur, we may not be able to develop Brooklyn Atlantic Yards to the extent intended or at all. Even if we are able to continue with the development, we would likely not be able to do so as quickly as originally planned.
FY 2006
From the Form 10-K for Fiscal Year 2006. Bolded sections cite the size of the arena and possibility of condemnation.
Brooklyn Atlantic Yards. We are in the process of developing Brooklyn Atlantic Yards, a $4.0 billion mixed-use project in downtown Brooklyn expected to feature an 850,000 square foot sports and entertainment arena for the Nets basketball team, a franchise of the NBA. The acquisition and development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards has been formally approved by the required state governmental authorities but final documentation of the transactions are subject to the completion of negotiations with local and state governmental authorities, including negotiation of the applicable development documentation. There is also the possibility that condemnation of the land will be needed for the development and potential removal, remediation or other activities to address environmental contamination at, on, under or emanating to or from the land.
There are also various lawsuits filed challenging the approval process and use of eminent domain which may not be resolved in our favor resulting in Brooklyn Atlantic Yards not being developed with the features we anticipate. There is also the potential for increased costs and delays to the project as a result of (i) increasing construction costs, (ii) scarcity of labor and supplies, (iii) our inability to obtain tax exempt financing or the availability of financing generally, (iv) increasing rates for financing, and (v) other potential litigation seeking to enjoin or prevent the project for which there may not be insurance coverage. The development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards is being done in connection with the proposed move of the Nets to the planned arena. While we are part of an ownership group that acquired the Nets on August 16, 2004, the Arena itself (and its plans) along with any movement of the team is subject to approval by the NBA. If we do not receive this approval, we may not be able to develop Brooklyn Atlantic Yards to the extent intended or at all. Even if we are able to continue with the development, we would likely not be able to do so as quickly as originally planned.
Notably, the developer no longer promises that the Atlantic Yards arena would be 850,000 square feet. A smaller arena would indeed be cheaper to build.
Also, the developer now acknowledges additional potential for increased costs and delays, for the first time warning of potential "inability to retain the current land acquisition financing" and "loss of arena sponsorships and related revenues." Forest City also warns about the possibility of failing to meet required equity contributions.
FY 2008
From the Form 10-K for Fiscal Year 2008. Bolded sections should be compared with the text from the other two years. There's no longer a mention of the arena's size, and the second part of item (iii) is new, as is item (vi). The mention of only one lawsuit is somewhat disingenuous, since there is an ongoing effort to appeal the other major lawsuit.
Also, the lawyer behind another lawsuit wants to reopen the record because this new document, among others, raises further questions about the likelihood that Atlantic Yards benefits would be delivered as promised.
Brooklyn Atlantic Yards. We are in the process of developing Brooklyn Atlantic Yards, a long-term $4.0 billion mixed-use project in downtown Brooklyn expected to feature a state of the art sports and entertainment arena for the Nets basketball team, a franchise of the NBA. The acquisition and development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards has been formally approved by the required state governmental authorities but final documentation of the transactions are subject to the completion of negotiations with local and state governmental authorities, including negotiation of the applicable development documentation and public subsidies. Pre-construction activities have commenced for the potential removal, remediation or other activities to address environmental contamination at, on, under or emanating to or from the land.
There is also one lawsuit pending challenging the use of eminent domain which may not be resolved in our favor resulting in Brooklyn Atlantic Yards not being developed at all or not being developed with the features we anticipate. As a result of the foregoing, this project has experienced delays and may continue to experience further delays. There is also the potential for increased costs and delays to the project as a result of (i) increasing construction costs, (ii) scarcity of labor and supplies, (iii) our inability to obtain tax-exempt financing or the availability of financing or public subsidies, or our inability to retain the current land acquisition financing, (iv) our or our partners’ inability or failure to meet required equity contributions, (v) increasing rates for financings, (vi) loss of arena sponsorships and related revenues and (vii) other potential litigation seeking to enjoin or prevent the project or litigation for which there may not be insurance coverage. The development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards is being done in connection with the proposed move of the Nets to the planned arena. The arena itself (and its plans) along with any movement of the team is subject to approval by the NBA, which we may not receive. If any of the foregoing risks were to occur, we may not be able to develop Brooklyn Atlantic Yards to the extent intended or at all. Even if we are able to continue with the development, we would likely not be able to do so as quickly as originally planned.
FY 2007
From the Form 10-K for Fiscal Year 2007. Bolded sections cite the size of the arena, "various lawsuits," and, oddly enough, the incorrect claim--no longer extant--that some condemnation of land had begun.
Brooklyn Atlantic Yards. We are in the process of developing Brooklyn Atlantic Yards, a long-term $4.0 billion mixeduse project in downtown Brooklyn expected to feature an 850,000 square foot sports and entertainment arena for the Nets basketball team, a franchise of the NBA. The acquisition and development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards has been formally approved by the required state governmental authorities but final documentation of the transactions are subject to the completion of negotiations with local and state governmental authorities, including negotiation of the applicable development documentation and public subsidies. Condemnation of some of the land has commenced for the potential removal, remediation or other activities to address environmental contamination at, on, under or emanating to or from the land.
There are also various lawsuits filed challenging the approval process and use of eminent domain which may not be resolved in our favor resulting in Brooklyn Atlantic Yards not being developed with the features we anticipate. There is also the potential for increased costs and delays to the project as a result of (i) increasing construction costs, (ii) scarcity of labor and supplies, (iii) our inability to obtain tax-exempt financing or the availability of financing or public subsidies, (iv) increasing rates for financings, and (v) other potential litigation seeking to enjoin or prevent the project for which there may not be insurance coverage. The development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards is being done in connection with the proposed move of the Nets to the planned arena. The arena itself (and its plans) along with any movement of the team is subject to approval by the NBA, which we may not receive. If any of the foregoing risks were to occur, we may not be able to develop Brooklyn Atlantic Yards to the extent intended or at all. Even if we are able to continue with the development, we would likely not be able to do so as quickly as originally planned.
FY 2006
From the Form 10-K for Fiscal Year 2006. Bolded sections cite the size of the arena and possibility of condemnation.
Brooklyn Atlantic Yards. We are in the process of developing Brooklyn Atlantic Yards, a $4.0 billion mixed-use project in downtown Brooklyn expected to feature an 850,000 square foot sports and entertainment arena for the Nets basketball team, a franchise of the NBA. The acquisition and development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards has been formally approved by the required state governmental authorities but final documentation of the transactions are subject to the completion of negotiations with local and state governmental authorities, including negotiation of the applicable development documentation. There is also the possibility that condemnation of the land will be needed for the development and potential removal, remediation or other activities to address environmental contamination at, on, under or emanating to or from the land.
There are also various lawsuits filed challenging the approval process and use of eminent domain which may not be resolved in our favor resulting in Brooklyn Atlantic Yards not being developed with the features we anticipate. There is also the potential for increased costs and delays to the project as a result of (i) increasing construction costs, (ii) scarcity of labor and supplies, (iii) our inability to obtain tax exempt financing or the availability of financing generally, (iv) increasing rates for financing, and (v) other potential litigation seeking to enjoin or prevent the project for which there may not be insurance coverage. The development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards is being done in connection with the proposed move of the Nets to the planned arena. While we are part of an ownership group that acquired the Nets on August 16, 2004, the Arena itself (and its plans) along with any movement of the team is subject to approval by the NBA. If we do not receive this approval, we may not be able to develop Brooklyn Atlantic Yards to the extent intended or at all. Even if we are able to continue with the development, we would likely not be able to do so as quickly as originally planned.
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