EastGroup Properties, Inc. (EGP) announced today its recent business activity.
Year to date in 2023, EastGroup began construction of three development projects located in Atlanta, Orlando and Miami which will contain 810,000 square feet and have projected total costs of $111,700,000. Also, the Company transferred two development projects totaling 200,000 square feet with projected total costs of $25,600,000 to the operating portfolio (at the earlier of 90% occupancy or one year after completion). These projects, located in Ft. Myers and Houston, are currently 100% leased. As of March 1, 2023, EastGroup's development and value-add program consisted of 21 projects (4,591,000 square feet) in 12 cities. The projects, which were collectively 37% leased as of March 1, 2023, have a projected total cost of $580,200,000.
As of March 1, 2023, EastGroup's portfolio was 98.4% leased and 98.2% occupied. Year to date in 2023, rental rates on new and renewal leases (1.4% of total square footage) increased an average of 50.0% on a straight-line basis and 31.6% on a cash basis.
During the first quarter of 2023 to date, EastGroup issued and sold 533,580 shares of common stock under the continuous common equity offering program at a weighted average price of $163.01 per share, providing aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $86,979,000.
Effective January 10, 2023, EastGroup and a group of banks expanded the capacity on its unsecured bank credit facilities by $200,000,000, from $475,000,000 to $675,000,000. In conjunction with the amendment, LIBOR was replaced by SOFR as the benchmark interest rate. The maturity date remains July 30, 2025.
Also, effective January 13, 2023, the Company closed on a $100,000,000 senior unsecured term loan with a seven-year term and interest only payments, bearing interest at the annual rate of SOFR plus an applicable margin based on the Company's senior unsecured long-term debt rating. The Company also entered into an interest rate swap agreement to convert the loan's SOFR rate component to a fixed interest rate for the entire term of the loan, providing a total effectively fixed interest rate of 5.27%.
Management is scheduled to present at the Citi 2023 Global Property CEO Conference on March 6, 2023 at 2:20 PM E.T. The presentation will be broadcast live and is accessible at https://kvgo.com/citi/eastgroup-properties-march-2023. During the conference, EastGroup executives may discuss the Company's transaction activity, leasing environment, market trends and conditions, financial matters and other business that may be affecting the Company. A replay of the webcast will be available until March 6, 2024.
Commenting on the Company's activity, Marshall Loeb, CEO, stated, "We are pleased to see the strength and resiliency of the industrial market continuing over from 2022 into this year. We've had a busy quarter in terms of continuing to enhance our financial flexibility. The balance sheet positioning allows us the ability to continue pursuing attractive opportunities in a volatile capital market."