Property Operating Expenses.
Property operating expenses are comprised mainly of building common area and maintenance expenses, insurance, property taxes, property management fees, as well as certain expenses that are not recoverable from tenants, the majority of which are related to costs necessary to maintain the appearance and marketability of vacant space. In the normal course of business, property expenses fluctuate and are impacted by various factors including, but not limited to, occupancy levels, weather, utility costs, repairs, maintenance and
re-leasing
costs. Property operating expenses increased by $1.2 million, or 7%, to $17.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, from $16.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. Of this increase, the December 2021 acquisitions of Block 23, The Terraces and Bloc 83, which were undergoing first generation
lease-up
in 2022, contributed $0.3 million, $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively. In addition, property operating expenses from FRP Collection and Park Tower increased $0.3 million and $0.3 million, respectively, due to higher operating costs associated with higher occupancy over the prior year. Offsetting these increases, the disposition of Lake Vista Pointe resulted in a $0.3 million decrease. The remaining properties’ expenses increased a combined $0.3 million.
General and Administrative.
General and administrative expenses are comprised of public company reporting costs and the compensation of our management team and Board of Directors, as well as
non-cash
stock-based compensation expenses. General and administrative expenses increased $0.3 million, or 9%, to $3.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, from $3.5 million reported in the prior period. General and administrative expenses increased primarily due to higher payroll and stock-based compensation expense.
Depreciation and Amortization.
Depreciation and amortization decreased by $0.5 million, or 3%, to $15.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, from $15.8 million reported for the same period in 2022. Of this decrease, our SanTan property contributed $0.5 million to the decrease mainly due to accelerated amortization of tenant-related assets recorded in the prior year associated with an early lease termination at the property. The disposition of Lake Vista Pointe also contributed $0.2 million to the decrease. Depreciation and amortization for Mission City decreased by $0.4 million as the amortization expense associated with acquired lease intangible assets were fully amortized in 2022. Offsetting these decreases, Block 23, Bloc 83 and Circle Point incurred higher depreciation and amortization expense of $0.2 million, $0.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively, related to tenanting costs. The remaining properties’ depreciation expenses were marginally lower in comparison to the prior year.
Interest expense increased $2.2 million, or 37%, to $8.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, from $6.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The increase was primarily attributable to higher amounts drawn and higher interest rates on our floating rate debt.
Comparison of Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 to Three Months Ended March 31, 2022
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash were $52.2 million and $47.6 million as of March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022, respectively.
Cash flow from operating activities.
Net cash provided by operating activities decreased by $0.8 million to $13.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 compared to $14.7 million for the same period in 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to changes in working capital.
Cash flow to investing activities.
Net cash used in investing activities increased by $5.5 million to $12.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 compared to $6.9 million for the same period in 2022. The increase in cash used in investing activities was primarily due to an increase in additions to real estate properties for the three months ended March 31, 2023.