Seritage Growth Properties
For the period ended Dec 31, 2025. Filed Mar 31, 2026.
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FY2025 · Filed Mar 31, 2026
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Item 1. Business
The Company
Seritage Growth Properties (“Seritage”) (NYSE: SRG), was formed as a Maryland real estate investment trust on June 3, 2015, operated as a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”) as defined under Section 856(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) from formation through December 31, 2021. On March 31, 2022, Seritage revoked its REIT election and became a taxable C Corporation effective January 1, 2022. Seritage’s assets are held by and its operations are primarily conducted, directly or indirectly, through Seritage Growth Properties, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”). Under the partnership agreement of the Operating Partnership, Seritage, as the sole general partner, has exclusive responsibility and discretion in the management and control of the Operating Partnership. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, the “Company” and “Seritage” refer to Seritage, the Operating Partnership and its owned and controlled subsidiaries.
Prior to the adoption of the Company’s Plan of Sale (defined below), Seritage was principally engaged in the ownership, development, redevelopment, management, sale and leasing of diversified retail and mixed-use properties throughout the United States. As of December 31, 2025, the Company’s portfolio consisted of interests in 10 properties comprised of approximately 0.8 million square feet of gross leasable area (“GLA”) or build-to-suit leased area and 156 acres of land. The portfolio encompasses five consolidated properties consisting of approximately 0.3 million square feet of GLA and 71 acres (such properties, the “Consolidated Properties”) and five unconsolidated entities consisting of approximately 0.5 million square feet of GLA and 85 acres (such properties, the “Unconsolidated Properties”).
The Company’s mission is to maximize value for our shareholders in accordance with the Plan of Sale.
Background
The Company commenced operations on July 7, 2015 following a rights offering to the shareholders of Sears Holding Corporation (“Sears Holdings” or “Sears”) to purchase common shares of Seritage in order to fund, in part, the $2.7 billion acquisition of certain of Sears Holdings’ owned properties and its 50% interests in three joint ventures which were simultaneously leased back to Sears Holdings under master lease agreements (the “Original Master Lease” and the “Original JV Master Leases”, respectively).
On October 15, 2018, Sears Holdings and certain of its affiliates filed voluntary petitions for relief under chapter 11 of title 11 of the United States Code with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Bankruptcy Court”). Subsequently, the Company and certain affiliates of Transform Holdco LLC (“Holdco”), an affiliate of ESL Investments, Inc., executed a master lease (the “Holdco Master Lease”) with respect to 51 consolidated properties, which became effective when the Bankruptcy Court issued an order approving the rejection of the Original Master Lease.
Since March 2021, the Company has not leased any properties to Sears Holdings or its successors after giving effect to the termination of the Holdco Master Lease.
Edward S. Lampert is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ESL Investments, Inc, which owns Holdco. Mr. Lampert was also the Chairman of Seritage prior to his retirement, effective March 1, 2022, and controlled each of the tenant entities that was a party to the Holdco Master Lease prior to their respective terminations.
Review of Strategic Alternatives
On March 1, 2022, the Company announced that its board of trustees (“Board of Trustees”) has commenced a process to review a broad range of strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value. The Board of Trustees created a special committee of the Board of Trustees (the “Special Committee”) to oversee the process. The Special Committee retained Barclays Capital, Inc. (“Barclays”) as its financial advisor from March 2022 to August 2023 to assist with the strategic review. The Company sought a shareholder vote to approve a proposed plan of sale of our assets and dissolution (the “Plan of Sale”) that would allow our Board of Trustees to sell all of our assets, distribute the net proceeds to shareholders and dissolve the Company, which Plan of Sale can be suspended by the Board of Trustees.
The 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders occurred on October 24, 2022, at which time the Plan of Sale was approved by the shareholders, following our filing of a final proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on September 14, 2022. See Note 1 – Organization of the Notes to the consolidated financial statements included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information about the Plan of Sale. The strategic review process remains ongoing as the Company
-1 - executes the Plan of Sale, and the Company remains open minded to pursuing value maximizing alternatives, including a potential sale of the Company. There can be no assurance that the review process will result in any transaction or that the Company will be successful in fully executing on the Plan of Sale. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Operations—There can be no assurance that our review of strategic alternatives will result in any transaction or any strategic change at this time.” The Board of Trustees is currently overseeing the Plan of Sale.
Market Update
The Company continues to face challenging market conditions, such as elevated interest rates and the availability of debt and equity capital, and it continues to assess other potential macroeconomic impacts including supply chain issues, international conflicts associated with tariffs, potential labor issues and uncertainty caused by wars. While interest rates have started to decline, they remain high relative to interest rates in 2022. Additionally, raising equity capital for land development deals remains challenging. These conditions could apply downward pricing pressures on our remaining assets. In making decisions regarding whether and when to transact on each of the Company’s remaining assets, the Company considers various factors including, but not limited to, the breadth of the buyer universe, macroeconomic conditions, the availability and cost of financing, as well as corporate, operating and other capital expenses required to carry the asset. If these challenging market conditions persist, then we expect that they will continue to adversely impact the Plan of Sale proceeds from our assets and the amounts and timing of distributions to shareholders.
Business Strategies
The Company’s primary objective is to create value for its shareholders through the monetization of the Company's assets through the Plan of Sale, which can be suspended by the Board of Trustees. We look to enhance sale value through leasing our built footprint, densification of our sites, achievement of entitlements and modification of agreements that govern our properties. We continue to position all remaining assets for sale.
Significant Tenants
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had two tenants that comprise 43.5% and 32.1%, respectively, of annualized base rent, with no other tenants exceeding 10% of annualized base rent. The Company's portfolio of five Consolidated Properties and five Unconsolidated Properties was diversified by location across six states.
Competition
We currently compete with other properties located in markets in which our assets are located both from an operations perspective and with respect to the disposition of our assets. We cannot assure you that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business.
We compete for prospective tenants with REITs, real estate partnerships and other real estate companies, private individuals, investment companies, private equity and hedge fund investors, sovereign funds, pension funds, insurance companies, lenders and other investors, including retail operators that may close stores and pursue similar real estate strategies. In addition, revenues from our properties are dependent on the ability of our tenants and operators to compete.
As a landlord, we compete in the real estate market with numerous developers and owners of properties, including the shopping centers in which our properties are located. Some of our competitors have greater economies of scale, relationships with national tenants at multiple properties which are owned or operated by such competitors, access to more resources and greater name recognition than we do. If our competitors offer space at rental rates below the current market rates or below the rentals we currently charge, or on terms and conditions which include locations at multiple properties, we may lose our existing and/or potential tenants and we may be pressured to reduce our rental rates or to offer substantial rent abatements, tenant improvement allowances, early termination rights or below-market renewal options in order to win new tenants and retain tenants when our leases expire.
With respect to the disposition of our assets, our ability to compete is also impacted by national and local economic trends, availability of investment alternatives, availability and cost of capital, construction and renovation costs, existing laws and regulations, new legislation and population trends.
Environmental Matters
Our properties are subject to environmental laws regulating, among other things, air emissions, wastewater discharges and the handling and disposal of waste. Certain properties were built during the time that asbestos-containing building materials were routinely installed in residential and commercial structures. In addition, a substantial portion of the properties we acquired from Sears Holdings currently include, or previously included, automotive care center facilities and retail fueling facilities, and are or were subject to laws and regulations governing the handling, storage and disposal of hazardous substances contained in some of the
-2 - products or materials used or sold in the automotive care center facilities (such as motor oil, fluid in hydraulic lifts, antifreeze and solvents and lubricants), the recycling/disposal of batteries and tires, air emissions, wastewater discharges and waste management. In addition to these products or materials, the equipment in use or previously used at such properties, such as service equipment, car lifts, oil/water separators, and storage tanks, has been subject to increasing environmental regulation relating to, among other things, the storage, handling, use, disposal, and transportation of hazardous materials. Our leases include, or are expected to include, provisions obligating the operator to comply with applicable environmental laws and to indemnify us if such operator’s noncompliance results in losses or claims against us with respect to environmental matters first arising during such operator’s occupancy. An operator’s failure to comply could result in fines and penalties or the requirement to undertake corrective actions which may result in significant costs to the operator and thus adversely affect their ability to meet their obligations to us.
Pursuant to U.S. federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, a current or previous owner or operator of real property may be required to investigate, remove and/or remediate a release of hazardous substances or other regulated materials at, or emanating from, such property. Further, under certain circumstances, such owners or operators of real property may be held liable for property damage, personal injury and/or natural resource damage resulting from or arising in connection with such releases. Certain of these laws have been interpreted to be joint and several unless the harm is divisible and there is a reasonable basis for allocation of responsibility. We also may be liable under certain of these laws for damage that occurred prior to our ownership of a property or at a site where we sent waste for disposal. The failure to properly remediate a property may also adversely affect our ability to lease, sell or rent the property or to borrow funds using the property as collateral.
In connection with the ownership of our current or past properties and any properties that we may acquire in the future, we could be legally responsible for environmental liabilities or costs relating to a release of hazardous substances or other regulated materials at or emanating from such property. We are not aware of any environmental issues that are expected to have a material impact on the operations of our properties. However, we can make no assurances that the discovery of previously unknown environmental conditions or future laws, ordinances or regulations will not impose material environmental liabilities on us, or the current environmental condition of our properties will not be affected by tenants, the condition of land or operations in the vicinity of our properties (such as releases from underground storage tanks), or by third parties unrelated to us.
Insurance
We have comprehensive liability, property and rental loss insurance, as applicable, with respect to our portfolio of properties. We believe that such insurance provides adequate coverage.
REIT Qualification
On March 31, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Trustees, with the recommendation of the Special Committee, approved a plan to terminate the Company's REIT status and become a taxable C Corporation effective January 1, 2022. As a result, the Company is no longer required to operate under REIT rules, including the requirement to distribute at least 90% of REIT taxable income to its shareholders, which provides the Company with greater flexibility to use its free cash flow. Effective January 1, 2022, the Company is subject to federal and state income taxes on its taxable income at applicable tax rates and is no longer entitled to a tax deduction for dividends paid. The Company operated as a REIT for the 2021 tax year and prior tax years, and existing REIT requirements and limitations, including those established by the Company’s organizational documents, remained in place through December 31, 2021. Refer to Note 7 – Income Taxes of the Notes to the consolidated financial statements included in Part IV of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Financial Information about Industry Segments
During the year ended December 31, 2025, given the continued decline in size of the portfolio and the continued progression of the Plan of Sale, the Company has concluded that they have one operating segment and one reportable segment as the Company is assessing performance and making operating decisions on an aggregated single segment basis. The Company currently operates in a single reportable segment which includes the ownership, development, redevelopment, management, sale and leasing of real estate properties.
Human Capital
As of December 31, 2025, we had five full-time employees, all of whom are located in the United States, with the majority located in New York. In conjunction with adopting the Plan of Sale, the Company provided retention agreements to its employees to ensure that it has the talent in place to execute the Plan of Sale. The number of full-time employees has decreased over time as we sell assets in connection with the Plan of Sale. As a result, we are not currently seeking to hire additional employees. We have also transitioned certain responsibilities to contractors to ensure that proper staffing is available.
As of March 31, 2026, we had five full-time employees and 14 contractors, eight of whom were female. In addition, our six member Board of Trustees has two female members.
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Available Information
Our office is located at 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10110 and our telephone number is (212) 355-7800. Our website address iswww.seritage.com. Our reports electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act can be accessed through this site, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file or furnish such reports. These filings are also available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Our website also contains copies of our corporate governance guidelines and code of business conduct and ethics as well as the charters of our audit, compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees. The information on our website is not part of this or any other report we file with or furnish to the SEC.
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