While there remains significant uncertainty with respect to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, recent updates showing reductions in new cases and reduced hospitalizations, and the ongoing distribution of the vaccines give retailers hope for a more normalized economic environment on the horizon. However, many of the Company’s tenants, primarily small shop merchants, are struggling and likely will continue to struggle for some time. Nevertheless, the Company is optimistic that collections will remain strong as rents from tenants deemed “essential” represent 63% of total rents for the quarter. Cash collections from these essential tenants were 96% for the fourth quarter. Additionally, cash collections from “non-essential” tenants for the quarter represent 91% of the total compared to 89% for the third quarter.
“We are extremely pleased with the continued improvement in cash collections in the quarter as it reflects the strength of our transformed portfolio of quality properties. While we continue to work our way through issues with our tenants, there are several categories where our tenants are healthy, thriving and expanding. We are also very excited with the strength of our leasing activity as the number of deals we completed in the fourth quarter is the highest we have produced in a fourth quarter since 2015. Leasing activity continues to accelerate in 2021 with approximately $10 million of annualized revenue from leases that are signed but not yet paying rent. Additionally, we have a robust pipeline of over 60 new leases that are under letter of intent and negotiating in our legal department with annualized rents greater than $7 million that makes us optimistic as we look to the future,” said Johnny Hendrix, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Additional information can be found on page 41 of our supplemental disclosure.
Transaction and Development Activity
During the fourth quarter, the Company purchased 42% of the Village Plaza at Bunker Hill center with proceeds from the Company’s simultaneous disposition of Overton Park Plaza in Fort Worth, Texas, which marks its exit from that market. Village Plaza at Bunker Hill, of which the Company is now the sole owner, is a 492,000 square foot center in Houston, Texas. It is anchored by a 128,000 square foot H-E-B grocer, Burlington, Nordstrom Rack, Ross and Academy Sports + Outdoors. This property is one of the top shopping centers in Houston with 140,000 people and average incomes of $141,000 in a 3-mile radius. Additionally, the Company exited Charlotte, North Carolina with the sale of Galleria Shopping Center.
For the full year, the Company’s dispositions included eleven shopping centers and four land parcels totaling $248 million. The Company expects dispositions will be lower in 2021, but will continue to monitor opportunities to further de-risk its portfolio through strategic dispositions going forward. As always, the Company will carefully consider the impact of current market conditions in assessing sales prices. In addition, the Company purchased two shopping centers and four buildings in existing centers for $167 million and invested approximately $75 million in its three large new development projects.
Subsequent to quarter end, the Company sold two non-core properties in Raleigh, North Carolina and Tucson, Arizona for $54 million.
The Company’s three mixed-use new development projects continue to progress nicely. At Centro Arlington in Washington DC, construction is complete and the residential portion of the property is 86% leased and the retail portion is 98% leased. West Alex, also located in DC, is 82% leased on the retail component and 43% leased on the residential component of the property. The Harris Teeter supermarket is under construction and should open in the summer of 2021.
Construction on the residential tower at the Driscoll at River Oaks is nearly complete with 40% leased. The Company is encouraged by the leasing progress at all three of these projects, in light of market conditions.