Granby, Connecticut, entered into a lease to expand into an additional 59,000 square feet to replace a tenant vacating that space as a result of an expiring lease. The other new lease reflects a tenant that will relocate from approximately 11,000 square feet in one of Griffin’s office/flex buildings into approximately 22,000 square feet in NE Tradeport that was vacated on February 29, 2020 as a result of a lease expiration. Also in the 2020 second quarter, a lease aggregating approximately 24,000 square feet of industrial/warehouse space in NE Tradeport was renewed. Additionally, as previously reported in the 2020 second quarter, Griffin acquired 170 Sunport Lane, a mostly vacant approximately 68,000 square foot industrial/warehouse building in Orlando, Florida. As of May 31, 2020, Griffin’s thirty industrial/warehouse buildings aggregated approximately 4,206,000 square feet and represented 91% of Griffin’s total real estate portfolio.
For Griffin’s office/flex portfolio, two leases aggregating approximately 17,000 square feet expired in the 2020 second quarter and were not renewed and a tenant that leased approximately 11,000 square feet of office/flex space agreed to relocate into an industrial/warehouse space in NE Tradeport, as discussed above. Griffin’s twelve office/flex buildings, which aggregate approximately 433,000 square feet and represent 9% of Griffin’s total real estate portfolio, were 65.2% leased as of May 31, 2020, as compared to 71.7% leased as of February 29, 2020.
Griffin’s total real estate portfolio of approximately 4,639,000 square feet was 91.6% leased as of May 31, 2020 (96.2% leased excluding 160 and 180 International Drive and 170 Sunport Lane) as compared to a portfolio of 4,570,000 square feet that was 92.7% leased as of February 29, 2020 (96.4% leased excluding 160 and 180 International Drive).
Rent Collections/COVID-19 Impact
Griffin is also reporting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its business. Griffin collected essentially 100% of April rent, 98% of May rent and 98% of June rent through June 15. In the first several weeks after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in March, Griffin received rent relief requests from tenants representing 22% of total monthly rent. Griffin has not received any new requests for rent relief subsequent to April 30. Griffin is currently in rent relief discussions with: (i) two tenants (both subsidiaries of a Fortune 500 company) that represent 3% of Griffin’s total monthly rent to enter into long-term renewal agreements (in excess of 36 months) in exchange for rent relief effectively equal to two months of forgiven rent; and (ii) a tenant that represents approximately 0.4% of Griffin’s total monthly rent to defer three months of rent. No final agreements have been executed with any of these three tenants, but based on the discussions described above, the anticipated amount of rent relief granted in total would equate to less than 1% of Griffin's total annual rent. All other requests for rent relief were either denied by Griffin or the tenants withdrew their requests.
About Griffin
Griffin is a real estate business principally engaged in developing, acquiring, managing and leasing industrial/warehouse properties. Griffin currently owns 42 buildings totaling approximately 4.6 million square feet (approximately 4.2 million of which is industrial/warehouse space) in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida in addition to over 3,400 acres of undeveloped land.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This Press Release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements include Griffin’s beliefs and expectations regarding future events or conditions including, without limitation, statements regarding the outcome of discussions regarding rent relief with certain tenants. Although Griffin believes that its plans, intentions and expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved.