CBL Properties - 10-K annual report 2024

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

☒ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024

Or

☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM ____________ TO _______________

COMMISSION FILE NO. 1-12494

CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 423.855.0001

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

The aggregate market value of the 18,122,078 shares of CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.'s common stock, $0.001 par value, held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2024 was $423,694,184, based on the closing price of $23.38 per share on the New York Stock Exchange on June 28, 2024. (For this computation, the registrant has excluded the market value of all shares of its common stock reported as beneficially owned by executive officers and directors of the registrant; such exclusion shall not be deemed to constitute an admission that any such person is an “affiliate” of the registrant.)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Section 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.

As of February 25, 2025, 30,935,922 shares of common stock were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may be deemed “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact should be considered to be forward-looking statements. In many cases, these forward looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “will,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “projects,” “goals,” “objectives,” “targets,” “predicts,” “plans,” “seeks,” and variations of these words and similar expressions. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the factors discussed throughout this report.

Although we believe the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and we can give no assurance that these expectations will be attained. It is possible that actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements due to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. In addition to the risk factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A of this report, and those factors noted above, such known risks and uncertainties include, without limitation:

This list of risks and uncertainties is only a summary and is not intended to be exhaustive. We disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in the factors affecting the forward-looking information.

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this "Annual Report") is being filed by CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (the "Company," "CBL," "we," "us" and "our"), a Delaware corporation. Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, references to the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” also includes our subsidiaries.

The Company’s Business

We are a self-managed, self-administered, fully integrated real estate investment trust ("REIT"). We own, develop, acquire, lease, manage, and operate regional shopping malls, outlet centers, lifestyle centers, open-air centers and other properties. At December 31, 2024, our properties are located in 21 states, but are primarily in the southeastern and midwestern United States. We have elected to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes.

We conduct substantially all our business through CBL & Associates Limited Partnership (the "Operating Partnership"), which is a variable interest entity ("VIE"). We are the 100% owner of two qualified REIT subsidiaries, CBL Holdings I, Inc. and CBL Holdings II, Inc. CBL Holdings I, Inc. is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. At December 31, 2024, CBL Holdings I, Inc. owned a 1.0% general partner interest and CBL Holdings II, Inc. owned a 98.98% limited partner interest in the Operating Partnership, for a combined interest held by us of 99.98%. As of December 31, 2024, third parties owned a 0.02% limited partner interest in the Operating Partnership.

See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for information on our properties as of December 31, 2024. Our malls, lifestyle centers, outlet centers, open-air centers and other property types are collectively referred to as the “properties” and individually as a “property.” The other property type (the "All Other" or "All Other Properties") is made up of office buildings, outparcels and hotels.

We conduct our property management and development activities through CBL & Associates Management, Inc. (the "Management Company") to comply with certain requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Internal Revenue Code"). The Operating Partnership owns 100% of the Management Company’s outstanding stock.

Rental revenues are primarily derived from leases with retail tenants and generally include fixed minimum rents, percentage rents based on tenants’ sales volumes and reimbursements from tenants for expenditures related to real estate taxes, insurance, common area maintenance ("CAM") and other recoverable operating expenses, as well as certain capital expenditures. We also generate revenues from management, leasing and development fees, sponsorships, sales of peripheral land at our properties and from sales of operating real estate assets when it is determined that we can realize an appropriate value for the assets. Proceeds from such sales are generally used to retire related indebtedness, reduce outstanding balances on our indebtedness and for general corporate purposes.

The following terms used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K will have the meanings described below:

Significant Markets and Tenants

Top Five Markets

Our top five markets, based on percentage of total revenues, were as follows for the year ended December 31, 2024:

Top 25 Tenants

Our top 25 tenants based on percentage of total revenues were as follows for the year ended December 31, 2024:

Operating Strategy

We operate a diverse portfolio of dynamic properties including enclosed regional malls, outlet centers, lifestyle centers and open-air centers. Our assets are located in strong mid-tier markets with a focus in the growing southeast and midwest. Approximately 30% of our 2024 same-center net operating income ("NOI") was generated by non-enclosed mall assets. Our primary objective is to operate our portfolio to maximize the long-term value of our company by generating increasing levels of NOI and improving free cash flow through a variety of methods as further discussed below.

NOI is a non-GAAP measure. For a description of NOI, a reconciliation from net income (loss) to NOI, and an explanation of why we believe this is a useful performance measure, see Non-GAAP Measure – Same-center Net Operating Income in “Results of Operations.”

Internal Growth

We look to generate internal growth through a variety of strategies. We incorporate contractual rent increases in our leases and negotiate increases in rental rates as leases mature, when possible. We aggressively pursue new tenants to maintain and grow occupancy, enhance our tenant mix to meet changing consumer demand and improve the credit quality of our tenant base. We actively manage our properties including a focus on controlling operating expenses with a goal of maintaining or improving operating margins and enhancing cash flows, while providing a high-quality customer experience. We pursue opportunities to generate ancillary revenues at our properties when space is available for shorter terms through temporary leases and license agreements, as well as advertising including sponsorships and promotional activities. These programs allow us to maximize revenues in our centers during downtime between permanent leases, as well as monetize other aspects of the property.

Asset Densification

Our strategy of owning a diverse portfolio of dynamic properties in strong mid-tier markets has served the company well as CBL’s dominant locations generate significant demand from retail and non-retail users alike. We actively evaluate unused parking fields and available land for primarily non-retail densification projects, which provides us with the opportunity to capitalize on the embedded equity value of our land and increase the overall value of our properties. We believe the addition of non-retail users drives new and additional traffic and sales to our centers, which may preserve or enhance their dominant position in the market.

Through redevelopment we capitalize on opportunities to increase the productivity of previously occupied space and enhance the overall value of the centers by re-tenanting and/or changing the use of the space, as well as aesthetic upgrades. Redevelopments may result from acquiring or regaining possession of Anchor space (such as former department stores) and re-leasing to a single user, subdividing it into multiple spaces or razing the building for new development. When evaluating a redevelopment project, we review the stand-alone cost and returns, terminal value and co-tenancy, as well as the impact that the project and new tenant(s) is expected to have on the rest of the property including the aesthetic impact and improvements to traffic, sales and leasing demand.

See Developments and Redevelopments in Item 7 of this Annual Report for information on the projects completed during 2024 and under construction at December 31, 2024.

Active Portfolio Management and Asset Recycling

We actively manage our asset base with the goal of enhancing the overall quality and value of our portfolio. We regularly review our portfolio to identify assets that no longer fit our strategy or where we believe it appropriate to redeploy resources into investments with higher growth or higher return opportunities. We also selectively acquire properties, including enclosed regional malls that we believe will be additive to our portfolio by providing stable and/or growing cash flow, redevelopment opportunities or other opportunities to realize value. We also selectively acquire available anchors or parcels that we believe will provide resilient cash flows or that can appreciate in value by increasing NOI through our redevelopment, leasing and management expertise.

Balance Sheet Strategy

Our balance sheet strategy is focused on reducing overall debt, extending our debt maturity schedule, limiting exposure to floating rate debt and recourse loans and lowering our overall cost of borrowings to limit maturity risk, improve free cash flow and enhance enterprise value.

We also pursue opportunities to improve the terms of our secured property-level, mortgage loans including refinancing loans at lower interest rates and longer-term maturities. We are exploring refinancing opportunities in the open lending market, as appropriate, in addition to working with our current lenders toward favorable modifications of existing loans.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)/Green Building Practices

CBL’s ESG efforts are led by the ESG Steering Committee, a dedicated leadership committee that focuses on ESG factors including Sustainability, Social Governance and Corporate Governance as well as reporting to CBL’s board of directors, on our website and in public filings. The members that make up this committee represent various departments within CBL, such as Management, Investor Relations, People & Culture, Corporate & Public Relations and Operations Services with day-to-day efforts led by our Vice President - ESG. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee of CBL's board of directors is responsible for oversight of the Company’s ESG efforts. Part of our efforts includes regularly reviewing existing policies and procedures to incorporate current best practices and working to ensure compliance with new regulations including related reporting and disclosures. More information on this program and others, including social responsibility and community involvement initiatives, is available in the Human Capital section below and on dedicated web pages at cblproperties.com/esg-commitment/overview. The information on our web site is not, and should not be considered, a part of this Form 10-K.

Environmental Matters

A discussion of the current effects and potential impacts on our business and properties of compliance with federal, state and local environmental regulations is presented in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the subheading “Risks Related to Real Estate Investments and Our Business.”

Competition

Our properties compete with various shopping facilities in attracting retailers to lease space. In addition, retailers at our properties face competition from online shopping alternatives, discount shopping centers, outlet centers, wholesale clubs, direct mail, television shopping networks and other retail shopping developments. The extent of the retail and non-retail competition varies from market to market. We work aggressively to attract customers through marketing promotions and social media campaigns. Many of our retailers have adopted an omni-channel approach which leverages sales through both digital and traditional retailing channels.

Seasonality

The shopping center business is, to some extent, seasonal in nature with tenants typically achieving the highest levels of sales during the fourth quarter due to the holiday season, which generally results in higher percentage rent income in the fourth quarter. Additionally, our properties earn most of their “temporary” rents (rents from short-term tenants) during the holiday period. Thus, occupancy levels and revenues are generally the highest in the fourth quarter of each year. Results of operations realized in any one quarter may not be indicative of the results likely to be experienced over the course of our fiscal year.

Equity

Common Stock

Our authorized common stock consists of 200,000,000 shares at $0.001 par value per share. We had 30,711,227 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024.

Preferred Stock

Our authorized preferred stock consists of 15,000,000 shares at $0.001 par value per share. No shares of preferred stock were issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024.

Financial Information about Segments

See Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements for information about our reportable segments.

Human Capital

We believe our people are critical to the success of our company. We are committed to providing a work environment that attracts, develops, and retains high-performing team members and to promoting a culture that allows each team member to feel respected, included and empowered. We engage with our employees regularly and in 2024 completed an employee engagement assessment. The survey netted a 75% response rate and secured CBL Great Place to Work Certification™, with 93% of employees saying it is a great place to work.

CBL does not have any employees other than its statutory officers. As of December 31, 2024, our Management Company had 390 full-time and 87 part-time employees that represented the following voluntarily provided demographics:

CBL benefits from low voluntary turnover, which decreased to 6% for 2024. 85% of employees who left voluntarily completed our exit interview process with 91% stating they would recommend working at CBL to family and friends. While we support freedom of association, we enjoy direct relationships as none of our employees are represented by a union.

To attract, retain and develop our high-performing team members, we offer compensation programs that include a mix of salaries, variable incentive bonuses and equity-based awards. To help ensure pay for performance alignment, CBL team members and their direct managers participate in an annual performance evaluation process. The evaluation process includes interactive goal setting and feedback designed to enhance performance, engagement, and professional development. Annually, we conduct a compensation analysis to ensure any pay gaps are reviewed and addressed. Our compensation programs are supplemented by comprehensive employment benefits as well as training and educational programs. Certain benefits are also available to part-time CBL team members.

We provide our team with learning and development opportunities including conferences, leadership programs, and other ad hoc training programs. Programs cover a variety of topics such as career development and skills training; health, well-being, and safety; inclusion and belonging; and more. We also mandate annual cybersecurity training and ethics training for all full-time employees. In 2024, CBL team members completed 4,627 hours of training.

We continued our outreach efforts in recruiting through several partnerships including:

We have long maintained several employee-led programs, including CBL Community, CBL Cares, CBL Fit and CBL Social.

CBL Community is focused on initiatives that emphasize the importance and focus we place on people, the driving force behind CBL. CBL Community pursues internal and external endeavors to improve organizational impacts that help foster an inclusive environment for our team members and our customers through education, engagement initiatives, and the creation of opportunities and partnerships with a broad array of groups, including underrepresented groups. In 2024, CBL Community continued its Fireside Chat program, which allows team members to learn about various topics from their peers as well as subject matter experts. A strong focus in 2024 was on the mental well-being of our workforce.

CBL Cares partners with and supports local charitable organizations that contribute to the growth and development of the communities we serve. In 2024, we increased the number of hours CBL team members volunteered through our CBL Cares volunteer program, with team members volunteering over 1,100 hours with non-profit organizations. In 2024, we added matching gifts to our CBL Cares program, which allows employees to submit their individual charitable contributions for a 1:1 company match up to $100 per donation. In total, through volunteer hours, corporate donations, matching gifts, CBL Cares grants, and our annual United Way workplace campaign we provided support valued at nearly $170,000 to organizations across our portfolio that work to meet the needs of our communities.

CBL Fit provides advocacy of wellness for the whole person at work and CBL Social provides engagement opportunities and interconnectivity through team-based events.

Corporate Offices

Our principal executive offices are located at CBL Center, 2030 Hamilton Place Boulevard, Suite 500, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37421 and our telephone number is (423) 855-0001.

Available Information

There is additional information about us on our web site at cblproperties.com. Electronic copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, as well as any amendments to those reports, are available free of charge by visiting the “Investor Relations” section of our web site. These reports are posted as soon as reasonably practical after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information on our web site is not, and should not be considered, a part of this Form 10-K.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Set forth below are certain factors that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Any one or more of the following factors may cause our actual results for various financial reporting periods

to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us, or on our behalf. See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” contained herein on page 1.

RISK FACTOR SUMMARY

The following is a summary of the most significant risks relating to our business activities that we have identified. If any of these risks occur, our business, financial condition or results of operation, including our ability to generate cash and make distributions, could be materially adversely affected. For a more complete understanding of our material risk factors, this summary should be read in conjunction with the detailed description of our risk factors which follows this summary.

Risks Related to Real Estate Investments and Our Business

Risks Related to Debt and Financial Markets

Risks Related to Dividends and Our Stock

Risks Related to Geographic Concentrations

Risks Related to Federal Income Tax Laws

Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure

RISKS RELATED TO REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS AND OUR BUSINESS

Real property investments are subject to various risks, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause declines in the operating revenues and/or the underlying value of one or more of our properties.

A number of factors may decrease the income generated by a retail shopping center property, including:

In addition, other factors may adversely affect the value of our properties without affecting their current revenues, including:

Illiquidity of real estate investments could significantly affect our ability to respond to adverse changes in the performance of our properties and harm our financial condition.

Substantially all our consolidated assets consist of investments in real estate properties. Because real estate investments are relatively illiquid, our ability to quickly sell one or more properties in our portfolio in response to changing economic, financial and investment conditions is limited. The real estate market is affected by many factors, such as general economic conditions, availability of financing, interest rates and other factors, including supply and demand for space, that are beyond our control. We cannot predict whether we will be able to sell any property for the price or on the terms we set, or whether any price or other terms offered by a prospective purchaser would be acceptable to us. We also cannot predict the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to close the sale of a property. In addition, current economic and capital market conditions might make it more difficult for us to sell properties or might adversely affect the price we receive for properties that we do sell, as prospective buyers might experience increased costs of debt financing or other difficulties in obtaining debt financing.

Moreover, there are some limitations under federal income tax laws applicable to REITs that limit our ability to sell assets. In addition, because many of our properties are mortgaged to secure our debts, we may not be able to obtain a release of a lien on a mortgaged property without the payment of the associated debt or release price, and/or a substantial prepayment penalty, or transfer of debt to a buyer, which restricts our ability to dispose of a property, even though the sale might otherwise be desirable. Furthermore, the number of prospective buyers interested in purchasing shopping centers is limited. Therefore, if we want to sell one or more of our properties, we may not be able to dispose of it in the desired time period and may receive less consideration than we originally invested in the property.

Before a property can be sold, we may be required to make expenditures to correct defects or to make improvements. We cannot assure you that we will have funds available to correct those defects or to make those improvements, and if we cannot do so, we might not be able to sell the property, or might be required to sell the property on unfavorable terms. In acquiring a property, we might agree to provisions that materially restrict us from selling that property for a period of time or impose other restrictions, such as limitations on the amount of debt that can be placed or repaid on that property. These factors and any others that would impede our ability to respond to adverse changes in the performance of our properties could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We may elect not to proceed with certain developments, redevelopments or expansion projects once they have been undertaken, resulting in charges that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for the period in which the charge is taken.

We will incur various risks in connection with any developments, redevelopments or property expansions, including the risk that developments, redevelopments or expansion opportunities explored by us may be abandoned for various reasons including, but not limited to, credit disruptions that require the Company to conserve its cash until the capital markets stabilize or alternative credit or funding arrangements can be made. Developments, redevelopments or expansions also include the risk that construction costs of a project may exceed original estimates, possibly making the project unprofitable. Other risks include the risk that we may not be able to refinance construction loans which are generally with full recourse to us, the risk that occupancy rates and rents at a completed project will not meet projections and will be insufficient to make the project profitable, and the risk that we will not be able to obtain Anchor, mortgage lender and property partner approvals for certain expansion activities.

When we elect not to proceed with a development opportunity, the development costs ordinarily are charged against income for the then-current period. Any such charge could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for the period in which the charge is taken.

Certain of our properties are subject to ownership interests held by third parties, whose interests may conflict with ours and thereby constrain us from taking actions concerning these properties which otherwise would be in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders.

We own partial interests in 4 malls, 5 outlet centers, 1 lifestyle center, 12 open-air centers, 2 office buildings, a hotel and a hotel development. Of those interests, 2 malls, 3 outlet centers, 3 open-air centers, a hotel and a hotel development are all owned by unconsolidated joint ventures and are managed by a property manager that is affiliated with the third-party partner, which receives a fee for its services. The third-party partner of each of these properties controls the cash flow distributions, although our approval is required for certain major decisions. We have interests in two outlet centers that are owned by consolidated joint ventures and managed by a property manager that is affiliated with the third-party partner, which receives a fee for its services.

Where we serve as managing general partner (or equivalent) of the entities that own our properties, we may have certain fiduciary responsibilities to the other owners of those entities. In certain cases, the approval or consent of the other owners is required before we may sell, finance, expand or make other significant changes in the operations of such properties. To the extent such approvals or consents are required, we may experience difficulty in, or may be prevented from, implementing our plans with respect to expansion, development, financing or other similar transactions with respect to such properties.

With respect to those properties for which we do not serve as managing general partner (or equivalent), we do not have day-to-day operational control or control over certain major decisions, including leasing and the timing and amount of distributions, which could result in decisions by the managing entity that do not fully reflect our interests. This includes decisions relating to the requirements that we must satisfy in order to maintain our status as a REIT for tax purposes. However, decisions relating to sales, expansion and disposition of all or substantially all of the assets and financings are subject to approval by the Operating Partnership.

Inflation has impacted and may continue to impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Inflationary pressures pose risks to the Company’s business, tenants and the U.S. economy. Inflationary price increases could have an adverse effect on consumer spending, which could impact our tenants’ sales and, in turn, our tenants’ business operations. This could affect our tenants’ ability to pay rent and, to the extent their leases provide for additional rent based on a percentage of sales, could have either positive (based on increased prices) or negative (based on decreased consumer spending) effects on such rent. Also, inflation has caused increases in operating expenses, which could increase occupancy costs for tenants and, to the extent that we are unable to recover operating expenses from tenants, could increase operating expenses for us. In addition, if the rate of inflation exceeds the scheduled rent increases included in our leases, then our net operating income and our profitability would decrease. Further, inflationary pricing may have a negative effect on the construction costs necessary to complete our development and redevelopment projects, including, but not limited to, costs of construction materials, labor and services from third-party contractors and suppliers. Inflation also has resulted in increases in market interest rates, which not only negatively impact consumer spending and tenant investment decisions, but also increases the borrowing costs associated with our existing or any future variable-rate debt, to the extent such rates are not effectively hedged or fixed, or any future debt that we incur. Inflation might also inhibit our ability to obtain new financing or refinancing.

Increased operating expenses, decreased occupancy rates, tenants converting to gross leases and requesting deferrals and rent abatements may not allow us to recover the majority of our CAM, real estate taxes and other operating expenses from our tenants, which could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations and funds available for future distributions.

Energy costs, repairs, maintenance and capital improvements to common areas of our properties, janitorial services, administrative, property and liability insurance costs and security costs are typically allocable to our properties’ tenants. Our lease agreements typically provide that the tenant is responsible for a portion of the CAM and other operating expenses. The majority of our current leases require an equal periodic tenant reimbursement amount for our cost recoveries, which serves to fix our tenants’ CAM contributions to us. In these cases, a tenant will pay a fixed amount, or a set expense reimbursement amount, subject to annual increases, regardless of the actual amount of operating expenses. The tenant’s payment remains the same regardless of whether operating expenses increase or decrease, causing us to be responsible for any excess amounts or to benefit from any declines. As a result, the CAM and tenant reimbursements that we receive may or may not allow us to recover a substantial portion of these operating costs.

There is also a trend of more tenants moving to gross leases with periodic increases, which provide that the tenant pays a single specified amount, with no additional payments for reimbursements of the tenant’s portion of operating expenses. As a result, we are responsible for any increases in operating expenses, and benefit from any decreases in operating expenses.

Additionally, in the event that our properties are not fully occupied, we would be required to pay the portion of any operating, redevelopment or renovation expenses allocable to the vacant space(s) that would otherwise typically be paid by the residing tenant(s).

Bankruptcy of joint venture partners could impose delays and costs on us with respect to the jointly owned retail properties.

The bankruptcy of one of the other investors in any of our jointly owned shopping centers could materially and adversely affect the relevant property or properties. Under the bankruptcy laws, we would be precluded from taking some actions affecting the estate of the other investor without prior approval of the bankruptcy court, which would, in most cases, entail prior notice to other parties and a hearing in the bankruptcy court. At a minimum, the requirement to obtain court approval may delay the actions we would or might want to take. If the relevant joint venture through which we have invested in a property has incurred recourse obligations, the discharge in bankruptcy of one of the other investors might result in our ultimate liability for a greater portion of those obligations than we would otherwise bear.

We may be unable to lease space in our properties on favorable terms, or at all.

Our results of operations depend on our ability to continue to lease space in our properties, including vacant space and re-leasing space in properties where leases are expiring, optimizing our tenant mix, or leasing properties on economically favorable terms. Because we have leases expiring annually, we are continually focused on leasing our properties. Similarly, we are pursuing a strategy of replacing expiring short-term leases with long-term leases. For more information on lease expirations see Mall Lease Expirations, Outlet Center Lease Expirations, Lifestyle Center Lease Expirations and Open-Air Center Lease Expirations under Item 2 - Properties in this report.

There can be no assurance that our leases will be renewed, that bankrupt tenants will assume our leases, or that vacant space will be re-leased at rates equal to or above the current average net effective rental rates or that substantial rent abatements, tenant improvements, early termination rights or below market renewal options will not be offered to attract new tenants or retain existing tenants. If the rental rates decrease, if our existing tenants do not renew their leases, reject our leases in bankruptcy, or if we do not re-lease a significant portion of our available space and space for which leases will expire, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

We face possible risks associated with climate change.

We may become subject to laws or regulations related to climate change, which could cause our business, results of operations and financial condition to be impacted adversely. The federal government has enacted, and some of the states and localities in which we operate may enact, certain climate change laws and regulations or have begun regulating carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions. Although these laws and regulations have not had any known material adverse effects on our business to date, they could result in substantial costs, including compliance costs, increased energy costs, retrofit costs and construction costs, including monitoring and reporting costs, and capital expenditures for environmental control facilities and other new equipment. We have implemented strategies to support our continued effort to reduce energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and waste production across our portfolio. We cannot predict how future laws and regulations, or future interpretations of current laws and regulations, related to climate change will affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, the potential physical impacts of climate change on our operations are highly uncertain, and would be particular to the geographic circumstances in areas in which we operate.

These may include changes to global weather patterns, which could include local changes in rainfall and storm patterns and intensities, water shortages, changing sea levels and changing temperature averages or extremes. These impacts may adversely affect our properties, our business, financial condition and results of operations.

An increasingly complex and shifting landscape related to reporting ESG factors and metrics may impose additional costs and expose us to new risks.

Investors and other stakeholders have become more focused on understanding how companies address a variety of ESG factors. As they evaluate investment decisions, many investors look not only at company disclosures but also to ESG rating systems that have been developed by third parties to allow ESG comparisons among companies. Although we participate in a number of these ratings systems, we do not participate in all such systems. The criteria used in these ratings systems may conflict and change frequently, and we cannot predict how these third parties will score us, nor can we have any assurance that they score us accurately or other companies accurately or that other companies have provided them with accurate data. We supplement our participation in ratings systems with published disclosures of our ESG activities, but some investors may desire other disclosures that we do not provide. Failure to participate in certain of the third-party ratings systems, failure to score well in those ratings systems or failure to provide certain ESG disclosures could result in reputational harm when investors compare us to other companies, and could cause certain investors to be unwilling to invest in our stock which could adversely impact our stock price.

We may incur significant costs related to compliance with environmental laws, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and the funds available to us to pay dividends.

Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous owner or operator of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of petroleum, certain hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in such real estate. Such laws typically impose such liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such substances. The costs of remediation or removal of such substances may be substantial. The presence of such substances, or the failure to promptly remove or remediate such substances, may adversely affect the owner’s or operator’s ability to lease or sell such real estate or to borrow using such real estate as collateral. Persons who arrange for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic substances may also be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of such substances at the disposal or treatment facility, regardless of whether such facility is owned or operated by such person. Certain laws also impose requirements on conditions and activities that may affect the environment or the impact of the environment on human health. Failure to comply with such requirements could result in the imposition of monetary penalties (in addition to the costs to achieve compliance) and potential liabilities to third parties. Among other things, certain laws require abatement or removal of friable and certain non-friable asbestos-containing materials in the event of demolition or certain renovations or remodeling. Certain laws regarding asbestos-containing materials require building owners and lessees, among other things, to notify and train certain employees working in areas known or presumed to contain asbestos-containing materials. Certain laws also impose liability for release of asbestos-containing materials into the air and third parties may seek recovery from owners or operators of real properties for personal injury or property damage associated with asbestos-containing materials. In connection with the ownership and operation of properties, we may be potentially liable for all or a portion of such costs or claims.

All our properties (but not properties for which we hold an option to purchase but do not yet own) have been subject to Phase I environmental assessments or updates of existing Phase I environmental assessments. Such assessments generally consisted of a visual inspection of the properties, review of federal and state environmental databases and certain information regarding historic uses of the property and adjacent areas and the preparation and issuance of written reports. Some of our properties contain, or contained, underground storage tanks used for storing petroleum products or wastes typically associated with automobile service or other operations conducted at our properties. Certain of our properties contain, or contained, dry-cleaning establishments utilizing solvents. Where believed to be warranted, samplings of building materials or subsurface investigations were undertaken. At certain of our properties, where warranted by the conditions, we have developed and implemented an operations and maintenance program that establishes operating procedures with respect to asbestos-containing materials. The cost associated with the development and implementation of such programs was not material. We have also obtained environmental insurance coverage at certain of our properties.

We believe that our properties are in compliance in all material respects with all federal, state and local ordinances and regulations regarding the handling, discharge and emission of hazardous or toxic substances. As of December 31, 2024, we have recorded in our consolidated financial statements a liability of $2.2 million related to potential future asbestos abatement activities at our properties which are not expected to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. We have not been notified by any governmental authority, and are not otherwise aware, of any material noncompliance, liability or claim relating to hazardous or toxic substances in connection with any of our present or former properties. Therefore, we have not recorded any liability related to hazardous or toxic substances. Nevertheless, it is possible that the environmental assessments available to us do not reveal all potential environmental liabilities. It is also possible that subsequent investigations will identify material adverse environmental conditions that have arisen subsequent

to the performance of the environmental assessments, or that there are material environmental liabilities of which management is unaware. Moreover, no assurances can be given that (i) future laws, ordinances or regulations will not impose any material environmental liability or (ii) the current environmental condition of our properties has not been or will not be affected by tenants and occupants of our properties, by the condition of properties in the vicinity of our properties or by third parties unrelated to us, the Operating Partnership or the relevant property’s partnership.

Possible terrorist activity or other acts of violence could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Future terrorist attacks in the United States, and other acts of violence, including domestic or international terrorism or war, might result in declining consumer confidence and spending, which could harm the demand for goods and services offered by our tenants and the values of our properties, and might adversely affect an investment in our securities. A decrease in retail demand could make it difficult for us to renew or re-lease our properties at lease rates equal to or above historical rates and, to the extent our tenants are affected, could adversely affect their ability to continue to meet obligations under their existing leases. Terrorist activities also could directly affect the value of our properties through damage, destruction or loss. Furthermore, terrorist acts might result in increased volatility in national and international financial markets, which could limit our access to capital or increase our cost of obtaining capital.

Social unrest and acts of vandalism or violence could adversely affect our business operations.

Our business may be adversely affected by social, political, and economic instability, unrest, or disruption, including protests, demonstrations, strikes, riots, civil disturbance, disobedience, insurrection and looting in geographic regions where our properties are located. Such events may result in property damage and destruction and in restrictions, curfews, or other governmental actions that could give rise to significant changes in economic conditions and cycles, which may adversely affect our financial condition and operations.

Over the last few years, there have been demonstrations and protests, some of which involved violence, looting, arson and property destruction, in cities throughout the United States. While the majority of protests have been peaceful, looting, vandalism and fires have taken place in certain places, which led to the imposition of mandatory curfews and, in some locations, deployment of the National Guard. Governmental actions taken to protect people and property, including curfews and restrictions on business operations, may disrupt operations, harm perceptions of personal well-being and increase the need for additional expenditures on security resources. The effect and frequency of the demonstrations, protests or other factors is uncertain, and we cannot assure there will not be further political or social instability in the future or that there will not be other events that could lead to further social, political and economic instability. If such events or disruptions persist for a prolonged period of time, our overall business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Clauses in leases with certain tenants in our properties may include inducements, such as reduced rent and tenant allowance payments or other clauses such as co-tenancy or sales-based kick-out provisions, which can reduce our rents and Funds From Operations (“FFO”), and adversely impact our financial condition and results of operation and the value of our properties. This impact could be exacerbated by the loss of one or more significant tenants, due to lease rejections in bankruptcies or as a result of consolidations in the retail industry.

We could be adversely affected by the bankruptcy, early termination, sales performance, or closing of tenants and Anchors. Certain of our lease agreements include co-tenancy and/or sales-based kick-out provisions which allow a tenant to pay a reduced rent amount and, in certain instances, terminate the lease, if we fail to maintain certain occupancy levels or retain specified named Anchors, or if the tenant does not achieve certain specified sales targets. If occupancy or tenant sales do not meet or fall below certain thresholds, rents we are entitled to receive from our tenants could be reduced. Additionally, some tenants may have rent abatement clauses that delay rent commencement or reduce contractual rents for a prolonged period of time after initial occupancy. The effect of these clauses reduces our rents and FFO while they are applicable. We expect to continue to offer co-tenancy and rent abatement clauses in the future to attract tenants to our properties. As a result, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely impacted.

The bankruptcy of a tenant could result in the rejection of its lease and potentially trigger co-tenancy or other clauses in other tenants’ leases, which would lower the amount of cash generated by that property. Replacing tenants with better performing, emerging retailers may take longer than our historical experience of re-tenanting due to their lack of infrastructure and limited experience in opening stores as well as the significant competition for such emerging brands. In addition, when a department store operating as an Anchor at one of our properties has ceased operating, in certain instances we have experienced difficulty and delay and incurred significant expense in replacing the Anchor, re-tenanting, or otherwise re-merchandising the use of the Anchor space. This difficulty can be, and in some instances has been, exacerbated if the Anchor space is owned by a third party and we are not able to acquire the space, if the third party’s plans to lease or redevelop the space do not align with our interests or the third party does not act in a timely manner to lease or redevelop the space. In addition, the Anchor’s closing may, and in some instances has, lead to reduced customer traffic and lower mall tenant sales. As a result, we may, and in some instances have, also experience difficulty or delay in leasing spaces in

areas adjacent to the vacant Anchor space. The early termination or closing of tenants or Anchors for reasons other than bankruptcy could have a similar impact on the operations of our properties, although in the case of early terminations we may benefit in the short-term from lease termination income.

Certain traditional department stores have experienced challenges including limited opportunities for new investment/openings and declining sales, which lead department stores to close stores or seek rent reductions. Department stores’ market share is declining, and their ability to drive traffic has substantially decreased. Despite traffic to our malls, lifestyle centers and outlet centers traditionally being driven by department store Anchors, in the event of a need for replacement, it has become necessary to consider non-department store Anchors. Certain of these non-department store Anchors may demand higher allowances or other less favorable terms than a standard mall tenant due to the nature of the services/products they provide.

We are in a competitive business.

There are numerous shopping facilities that compete with our properties in attracting retailers to lease space. Our ability to attract tenants to our properties and lease space is important to our success, and difficulties in doing so can materially impact our properties’ performance. The existence of competing shopping centers could have a material adverse impact on our ability to develop, redevelop or operate properties, lease space to desirable Anchors and tenants, and on the level of rents that can be achieved. In addition, retailers at our properties face continued competition from shopping through various means and channels, including via the internet, lifestyle centers, value and outlet centers, wholesale and discount shopping clubs, and television shopping networks. Competition of this type could adversely affect our revenues and cash available for distribution to shareholders.

As new technologies emerge, the relationship among customers, retailers, and shopping centers are evolving on a rapid basis and we may not be able to adapt to such new technologies and relationships on a timely basis. Our relative size may limit the capital and resources we are willing to allocate to invest in strategic technology to enhance the mall experience, which may make our properties relatively less desirable to anchors, mall tenants, and consumers. Additionally, a small but increasing number of tenants utilize our properties as showrooms or as part of an omni-channel strategy (allowing customers to shop seamlessly through various sales channels). As a result, customers may make purchases through other sales channels during or immediately after visiting our properties, with such sales not being captured currently in our tenant sales figures or monetized in our minimum or overage rents.

We compete with other major real estate investors with significant capital for attractive investment opportunities. These competitors include other REITs, investment banking firms, and private and institutional investors, some of whom have greater financial resources or have different investment criteria than we do. In particular, there is competition to acquire, develop, or redevelop highly productive retail properties. This could become even more severe as competitors gain size and economies of scale as a result of merger and consolidation activity. This competition may impair our ability to acquire, develop, or redevelop suitable properties, and to attract key retailers, on favorable terms in the future.

Many of our tenants are omni-channel retailers who also distribute their products through online sales and provide options to consumers like buy online pick up in store, buy online ship to store or buy online return to store. Our business currently is predominantly reliant on consumer demand for shopping at physical stores, and our business could be materially and adversely affected if we are unsuccessful in adapting our business to evolving consumer purchasing habits. The increased popularity of digital and mobile technologies has accelerated the transition of a percentage of market share from shopping at physical stores to web-based shopping, and may, particularly in certain market segments, accelerate the long-term penetration of pure online retail. Although a brick-and-mortar presence may have a positive impact on retailers’ online sales, the increased utilization of pure online shopping may lead to the closure of underperforming stores by retailers, which could impact our occupancy levels and the rates that tenants are willing to pay to lease our space. Additionally, the increase in online shopping may result in certain tenants underreporting sales at our properties which may materially and adversely impact our collection of overage rent. Examples may include, retailers and restaurants not reporting curbside pick-up sales or online sales fulfilled with store inventory, and tenants reducing store sales by including online returns processed in the store.

Our properties may be subject to impairment charges which could adversely affect our financial results.

We monitor events or changes in circumstances that could indicate the carrying value of a long-lived asset may not be recoverable. We use significant judgment in assessing events or circumstances which might indicate impairment, including but not limited to, changes in our intent to hold a long-lived asset over its previously estimated useful life. Changes in our intent to hold a long-lived asset has a significant impact on the estimated undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of a long-lived asset and whether a potential impairment loss shall be measured. When indicators of potential impairment are present that suggest that the carrying amounts of a long-lived asset may not be recoverable, we assess the recoverability of the asset by determining whether the asset’s carrying value will be recovered through the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected from our use and its eventual disposition. In the event that

such undiscounted future cash flows do not exceed the carrying value, we adjust the carrying value of the long-lived asset to its estimated fair value and recognize an impairment loss. The estimated fair value is calculated based on the following information, in order of preference, depending upon availability: (Level 1) recently quoted market prices, (Level 2) market prices for comparable properties, or (Level 3) the present value of future cash flows, including estimated salvage value. Certain of our long-lived assets may be carried at more than an amount that could be realized in a current disposition transaction. Projections of expected future operating cash flows require that we estimate future market rental income amounts subsequent to expiration of current lease agreements, property operating expenses, the number of months it takes to re-lease the property, and the number of years the property is held for investment, among other factors. As these assumptions are subject to economic and market uncertainties, they are difficult to predict and are subject to future events that may alter the assumptions used or management’s estimates of future possible outcomes. Therefore, the future cash flows estimated in our impairment analyses may not be achieved.

Breaches or other adverse cybersecurity incidents on our systems or those of our service providers or business partners could expose us to liability and lead to the loss or compromise of our information, including confidential information, sensitive information and intellectual property, and could result in a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

As a regular part of our business operations, we rely on information technology systems and network infrastructure, including the internet, to process, transmit and store electronic information and to manage or support a variety of our business processes, including financial transactions and maintenance of records. We rely on our own systems and also outsource some of our business requirements through service providers and other business partners pursuant to agreements. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyberattack or cyberintrusion, including by internal actors, computer hackers, foreign governments and cyberterrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Our IT networks and related systems and infrastructure – and those of our providers/partners – are essential to the operation of our business and our ability to perform day-to-day operations (including managing our building systems) and, in some cases, may be critical to the operations of certain of our tenants.

We have experienced adverse security incidents. All incidents experienced to date have been minor in scope and impact, were resolved quickly, had no material impact on the Company’s reputation, financial performance, customer or vendor relationships, and posed no material risk of potential litigation or regulatory investigations or actions. We expect unauthorized parties to continue to attempt to gain access to our systems or information, and/or those of our business partners and service providers. Cyberattacks targeting our infrastructure could result in a full or partial disruption of our operations, as well as those of our tenants.

A security incident, breach or other significant disruption involving our information technology networks and related systems could occur due to a virus or other harmful circumstance, intentional penetration or disruption of our information technology resources by a third party, natural disaster, hardware or software corruption or failure or error or poor product or vendor/developer selection (including a failure of security controls incorporated into or applied to such hardware or software), telecommunications system failure, service provider error or failure, intentional or unintentional personnel actions (including the failure to follow our security protocols), or lost connectivity to our networked resources. Such occurrences could disrupt the proper functioning of our networks and systems; result in disruption of business operations and loss of service to our tenants and customers; result in significantly decreased revenues; result in increased costs associated in obtaining and maintaining cybersecurity investigations and testing, as well as implementing protective measures and systems; result in increased insurance premiums and operating costs; result in misstated financial reports and/or missed reporting deadlines; result in our inability to properly monitor our compliance with the rules and regulations regarding our qualification as a REIT; result in the unauthorized access to, and destruction, loss, theft, misappropriation or release of proprietary, confidential, sensitive or otherwise valuable information of ours or others, which others could use to compete against us or for disruptive, destructive or otherwise harmful purposes and outcomes; result in our inability to maintain the building systems relied upon by our tenants for the efficient use of their leased space; require significant management attention and resources to remedy any damages that result; subject us to claims for breach of contract, damages, credits, penalties or termination of leases or other agreements; subject us to regulatory investigations and actions; cause harm to our competitive position and business value; and damage our reputation among our tenants and investors generally. Moreover, cyberattacks perpetrated against our Anchors and tenants, including unauthorized access to customers’ credit card data and other confidential information, could subject us to significant litigation, liability and costs, adversely impact our reputation, or diminish consumer confidence and consumer spending and negatively impact our business.

The compromise of our or our business partners’ or service providers’ technology systems resulting in the loss, disclosure, misappropriation of, or access to, our information or that of our tenants, employees or business partners or failure to comply with ever-evolving regulatory obligations or contractual obligations with respect to such information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability or regulatory penalties under laws protecting the privacy of personal

information, disruption to our operations and damage to our reputation, any or all of which could adversely affect our business. The costs to remediate breaches and similar system compromises that do occur could be material. In addition, as cybercriminals become more sophisticated, the cost of proactive defensive measures continues to increase.

Although we and our service providers/business partners have implemented processes, procedures and controls to help mitigate these risks, there can be no assurance that these measures, as well as our increased awareness of the risk of cyberincidents, will be effective or that attempted or actual security incidents, breaches or system disruptions that could be damaging to us or others will not occur. Even the most well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because the techniques used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed not to be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is impossible for us to entirely mitigate this risk. Lastly, while we have cybersecurity insurance, damages and claims arising from such incidents may not be covered, or may exceed the amount of any insurance coverage.

Use of social media may adversely impact our reputation and business.

There has been a significant increase in the use of social media platforms, including blogs, social media websites and other forms of internet-based communications, which allow individuals access to a broad audience, including our significant business constituents. The availability of information through these platforms is virtually immediate as is its impact and such information may be posted at any time without affording us an opportunity to redress or correct it in a timely manner. This information may be adverse to our interests, may be inaccurate and may harm our reputation, brand image, goodwill, performance, prospects, or business. Furthermore, these platforms may increase the risk of unauthorized disclosure of material non-public Company information.

If a third-party vendor fails to provide agreed upon services, we may suffer losses.

We are dependent and rely on third-party vendors, including cloud providers, for redundancy of our network, system data, security and data integrity. If a vendor fails to provide services as agreed, suffers outages, business interruptions, financial difficulties or bankruptcy, we may experience service interruption, delays, or loss of information. Cloud computing is dependent upon having access to an internet connection in order to retrieve data. If a natural disaster, blackout or other unforeseen event were to occur that disrupted the ability to obtain an internet connection, we may experience a slowdown or delay in our operations. We conduct appropriate due diligence on all services providers and restrict access, use and disclosure of personal information. We engage vendors with formal written agreements clearly defining the roles of the parties and specifying privacy and data security responsibilities.

Declines in economic conditions, including increased volatility in the capital and credit markets, could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

An economic recession can result in extreme volatility and disruption of our capital and credit markets. The resulting economic environment may be affected by dramatic declines in the stock and housing markets, increases in foreclosures, unemployment and costs of living, as well as limited access to credit. This economic situation can, and most often will, impact consumer spending levels, which can result in decreased revenues for our tenants and related decreases in the values of our properties. A sustained economic downward trend could impact our tenants’ ability to meet their lease obligations due to poor operating results, lack of liquidity, bankruptcy or other reasons. Our ability to lease space and negotiate rents at advantageous rates could also be affected in this type of economic environment. Additionally, access to capital and credit markets could be disrupted over an extended period, which may make it difficult to obtain the financing we may need for future growth and/or to meet our debt service obligations as they mature. Any of these events could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Future litigation could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation.

We may from time to time be a defendant in lawsuits and regulatory proceedings relating to our business. Such litigation and proceedings may result in defense costs, settlements, fines or judgments against us, some of which may not be covered by insurance. Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation and regulatory proceedings, we cannot accurately predict the ultimate outcome of any such litigation or proceedings. An unfavorable outcome may result in our having to pay significant fines, judgments or settlements, which, if uninsured, or if exceeding insurance coverage, could adversely impact our financial condition, cash flows, results of operations and the trading price of our common stock. Additionally, certain proceedings or the resolution of certain proceedings may affect the availability or cost of some of our insurance coverage and expose us to increased risks that would be uninsured.

Our success depends, in part, on our ability to attract and retain talented employees, and the loss of any one of our key personnel could adversely impact our business.

The success of our business depends, in part, on the leadership and performance of our executive management team and key employees, and our ability to attract, retain and motivate talented employees could significantly impact our future performance. Competition for these individuals is intense, and we cannot assure you that we will retain our executive management team and key employees or that we will be able to attract and retain other highly qualified individuals for these positions in the future. Losing any one or more of these persons could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and fire, safety and other regulations may require us to make expenditures that could adversely affect our cash flows.

All the properties in our portfolio are required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”). Compliance with the ADA requirements could require removal of access barriers, and non-compliance could result in the imposition of fines by the United States government, awards of damages to private litigants, or both. While the tenants to whom our portfolio is leased are obligated to comply with ADA provisions, within their leased premises, if required changes within their leased premises involve greater expenditures than anticipated, or if the changes must be made on a more accelerated basis than anticipated, the ability of tenants to cover costs could be adversely affected. Furthermore, we are required to comply with ADA requirements within the common areas of the properties in our portfolio and we may not be able to pass on to our tenants any costs necessary to remediate any common area ADA issues. In addition, we are required to operate the properties in compliance with fire and safety regulations, building codes and other land use regulations, as they may be adopted by governmental agencies and bodies and become applicable to our portfolio. We may be required to make substantial capital expenditures to comply with, and we may be restricted in our ability to renovate or redevelop the properties subject to, those requirements and to comply with the provisions of the ADA. The resulting expenditures and restrictions could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and operating results.

Uninsured losses could adversely affect our financial condition, and in the future our insurance may not include coverage for acts of terrorism.

We carry a comprehensive blanket policy for general liability, property casualty (including fire, earthquake, flood and wind) and rental loss covering our properties, with specifications and insured limits customarily carried for similar properties. However, even insured losses could result in a serious disruption to our business and delay our receipt of revenue. Furthermore, there are some types of losses, including lease and other contract claims, as well as some types of environmental losses, that generally are not insured or are not economically insurable. If an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occurs, we could lose all or a portion of the capital we have invested in a property, as well as the anticipated future revenues from the property. If this happens, we, or the applicable property’s partnership, may still remain obligated under guarantees provided to the lender for any mortgage debt, secured debt or other financial obligations related to the property.

We believe that the general liability and property casualty insurance policies on our properties currently include adequate coverage for losses resulting from acts of terrorism, as defined by TRIPRA. The cost of coverage for acts of terrorism is currently mitigated by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (“TRIA”). In January 2015, Congress reinstated TRIA under the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2015 (“TRIPRA”) and extended the program through December 31, 2020. Under TRIPRA, the amount of terrorism-related insurance losses triggering the federal insurance threshold was raised from $180 million in 2019 to $200 million in 2020. Additionally, the bill increased insurers’ co-payments for losses exceeding their deductibles, in annual steps, from 19% in 2019 to 20% in 2020. Each of these changes may have the effect of increasing the cost to insure against acts of terrorism for property owners, such as the Company, notwithstanding the other provisions of TRIPRA. In December 2019, Congress further extended TRIPRA through December 31, 2027. If TRIPRA is not continued beyond 2027 or is significantly modified, we may incur higher insurance costs and experience greater difficulty in obtaining insurance that covers terrorist-related damages. Our tenants may also have similar difficulties.

Our historical financial information may not be indicative of our future financial performance.

Our capital structure was significantly altered by CBL and the Operating Partnership's, together with certain of its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “Debtors”) Third Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. and its Affiliated Debtors (With Technical Modifications) (as modified at Docket No. 1521, the “Plan”). Under fresh-start reporting rules, our assets and liabilities were adjusted to fair values and our accumulated deficit was restated to zero. Accordingly, under fresh-start reporting rules, our financial condition and results of operations following our emergence from bankruptcy will not be comparable to the financial condition and results of operations reflected in our historical financial statements for periods prior to November 1, 2021, the date on which we emerged from bankruptcy.

Any future pandemic or a similar threat, and governmental responses thereto, could once again materially and adversely impact or disrupt our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and performance.

Any future public health emergency could result in governments and other authorities instituting measures intended to control its spread, including restrictions on freedom of movement, group gatherings and business operations such as travel bans, border closings, business closures, quarantines, stay-at-home orders, shelter-in-place orders, density limitations and social distancing measures, or imposing more restrictive measures, in response to our tenants’ and consumers’ perception of the related risks.

Demand for retail space and the profitability of our properties depends, in part, on the ability and willingness of tenants to enter into and perform obligations under leases. Any future public health emergency could reduce the willingness of customers to visit our properties and adversely impact our tenants’ businesses based on many factors, including local transmission rates, the emergence of new variants, the development, availability, distribution, effectiveness and acceptance of existing and new vaccines, and the effectiveness and availability of cures or treatments.

The impact of a future public health emergency on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity and ability to satisfy our debt service obligations and make distributions to our shareholders could depend on additional factors, including:

To the extent any of these risks and uncertainties adversely impact us in the ways described above or otherwise, they may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described herein.

RISKS RELATED TO DEBT AND FINANCIAL MARKETS

A deterioration of the capital and credit markets could adversely affect our ability to access funds and the capital needed to refinance debt or obtain new debt.

We are significantly dependent upon external financing to fund the growth of our business and ensure that we meet our debt servicing requirements. Our access to financing depends on the willingness of lending institutions to grant credit to us and conditions in the capital markets in general. An economic recession may cause extreme volatility and disruption in the capital and credit markets. This may make it difficult to obtain the financing we may need for future growth and/or to meet our debt service obligations as they mature. Although, we successfully obtained debt for refinancings and retirement of our maturing debt, acquisitions and the construction of new developments and redevelopments in the past, we cannot make any assurances as to whether we will be able to obtain debt in the future, or that the financing options available to us will be on favorable or acceptable terms.

Our indebtedness is substantial and could impair our ability to obtain additional financing.

At December 31, 2024, our pro-rata share of consolidated and unconsolidated debt outstanding, excluding debt discounts and deferred financing costs, was approximately $2,737.2 million. At December 31, 2024, our total share of consolidated and unconsolidated debt, excluding debt discounts and deferred financing costs, maturing in 2025, 2026 and 2027 giving effect to all maturity extensions, is approximately $132.2 million, $727.3 million and $729.9 million, respectively. Additionally, we have $90.5 million of debt, at our share, which matured prior to December 31, 2024, which includes two loans totaling $49.4 million for which we are in discussions with the lender regarding a modification/extension and a $41.1 million loan secured by a property that was placed into receivership in connection with the foreclosure process. See Note 7 and Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.

Our leverage and the limitations imposed on us by our financing arrangements and debt service obligations could have important consequences. For example, it could:

If any of the foregoing occurs, our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected, and the trading price of our common stock or other securities could decline significantly.

Rising interest rates could both increase our borrowing costs, thereby adversely affecting our cash flows and the amounts available for distributions to our stockholders, and decrease our stock price, if investors seek higher yields through other investments.

An environment of rising interest rates could lead holders of our securities to seek higher yields through other investments, which could adversely affect the market price of our stock. One of the factors that has likely influenced the price of our stock in public markets is the annual distribution rate we pay as compared with the yields on alternative investments. In addition, increases in market interest rates could result in increased borrowing costs for us, which could be expected to adversely affect our cash flow and the amounts available for distributions to our stockholders and the Operating Partnership’s unitholders. Further, numerous other factors, such as governmental regulatory action and tax laws, could have a significant impact on the future market price of our stock.

As of December 31, 2024, our total share of consolidated and unconsolidated variable-rate debt, excluding debt discounts and deferred financing costs, was $943.7 million. Increases in interest rates will increase our cash interest payments on any variable-rate debt we have outstanding. If we do not have sufficient cash flow from operations, we might not be able to make all required payments of principal and interest on our debt, which could result in a default or have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations, and which might have further adverse effects on our cash flow and our ability to make distributions to shareholders. These significant debt payment obligations might also require us to use a significant portion of our cash flow from operations to make interest and principal payments on our debt rather than for other purposes such as working capital, capital expenditures or distributions to holders of our equity securities.

We may not be able to raise capital through financing activities.

Many of our assets are encumbered by property-level indebtedness; therefore, we may be limited in our ability to raise additional capital through property-level or other financings. In addition, our ability to raise additional capital could be limited to refinancing existing secured mortgages before their maturity date which may result in yield maintenance or other prepayment penalties to the extent that the mortgage is not open for prepayment at par.

The agreements governing our debt contain various covenants that impose restrictions on us that may affect our ability to operate our business.

Other agreements that we enter into governing our debt have or will contain covenants that impose restrictions on us. These restrictions on our ability to operate our business could harm our business by, among other things, limiting our ability to take advantage of corporate opportunities. Various risks, uncertainties and events beyond our control could affect our ability to comply with these covenants. Failure to comply with any of the covenants in our existing or future financing agreements could result in a default under those agreements and under other agreements containing cross-default provisions.

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our debt service obligations.

Our ability to meet our debt service obligations on, and to refinance, our indebtedness, and to fund our operations, working capital, acquisitions, capital expenditures and other important business uses, depends on our ability to generate sufficient cash flow in the future. To a certain extent, our cash flow is subject to general economic, industry, financial, competitive, operating, legislative, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.

We cannot be certain that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future sources of cash will be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to meet our debt service obligations on our indebtedness, or to fund our other important business uses. Additionally, if we incur additional indebtedness in connection with future acquisitions or development projects or for any other purpose, our debt service obligations could increase significantly and our ability to meet those obligations could depend, in large part, on the returns from such acquisitions or projects, as to which no assurance can be given.

We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness, at or prior to maturity. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness or obtain additional financing will depend on, among other things:

As a result, we may not be able to refinance any of our indebtedness, on favorable terms, or at all.

If we do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations, and additional borrowings or refinancings are not available to us, we may be unable to meet all our debt service obligations. As a result, we would be forced to take other actions to meet those obligations, such as selling properties, raising equity or delaying capital expenditures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on us. Furthermore, we cannot be certain that we will be able to affect any of these actions on favorable terms, or at all.

Despite our substantial outstanding indebtedness, we may still incur significantly more indebtedness in the future, which would exacerbate any or all the risks described above.

We may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. To the extent that we incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future, the risks associated with our substantial leverage described above, including our inability to meet our debt service obligations, would be exacerbated.

Federal and state statutes allow courts, under specific circumstances, to void guarantees and require holders of indebtedness and lenders to return payments received from guarantors.

Under the federal bankruptcy law and comparable provisions of state fraudulent transfer laws, a guarantee or payments made pursuant to a guarantee could be voided and required to be returned to the guarantor, or to a fund for the benefit of the creditors of the guarantor, if, among other things, the guarantor, at the time it incurred the indebtedness evidenced by its guarantee (i) received less than reasonably equivalent value or fair consideration for the incurrence of the guarantee and (ii) one of the following was true with respect to the guarantor:

In addition, any claims in respect of a guarantee could be subordinated to all other debts of that guarantor under principles of “equitable subordination,” which generally require that the claimant must have engaged in some type of inequitable conduct, the misconduct must have resulted in injury to the creditors of the debtor or conferred an unfair advantage on the claimant, and equitable subordination must not be inconsistent with other provisions of the U.S. bankruptcy code.

The measures of insolvency for purposes of these fraudulent transfer laws will vary depending upon the law applied in any proceeding to determine whether a fraudulent transfer has occurred. Generally, however, a guarantor would be considered insolvent if:

The court might also void such guarantee, without regard to the above factors, if it found that a guarantor entered into its guarantee with actual or deemed intent to hinder, delay, or defraud its creditors.

A court would likely find that a guarantor did not receive reasonably equivalent value or fair consideration for its guarantee unless it benefited directly or indirectly from the issuance or incurrence of such indebtedness. If a court voided such guarantee, holders of the indebtedness and lenders would no longer have a claim against such guarantor or the benefit of the assets of such guarantor constituting collateral that purportedly secured such guarantee. In addition, the court might direct holders of the indebtedness and lenders to repay any amounts already received from a guarantor.

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