Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
$150,000,000
6.50% Senior Notes due 2017
Forest City Enterprises, Inc. will pay interest
on the notes on February 1 and August 1 of each year.
The first such payment will be on August 1, 2005. The notes
will be issued only in denominations of $1,000 and integral
multiples of $1,000.
Forest City may redeem the notes, in whole or in
part, at any time on or after February 1, 2010 at the
redemption prices set forth in this prospectus supplement. In
addition, Forest City may redeem up to 35% of the notes at the
redemption price set forth in this prospectus supplement from
the proceeds of public equity offerings that Forest City may
complete prior to February 1, 2008. Forest City must offer
to repurchase the notes upon a change of control, and Forest
City may be required to offer to repurchase the notes upon the
sale of assets, in each case at the redemption prices set forth
in this prospectus supplement.
The notes will be general, unsecured obligations
of Forest City and will rank equal in right of payment with all
of Forest Citys existing and future unsecured,
unsubordinated indebtedness.
See Risk Factors beginning on
page S-5 to read about important factors you should
consider before buying the notes. Investing in the notes
involves risks.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission
nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of
these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this
prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Registration No. 333-87378
Per Note | Total | |||||||
Initial public offering
price
|
100.000 | % | $ | 150,000,000 | ||||
Underwriting discount
|
2.375 | % | $ | 3,562,500 | ||||
Proceeds, before expenses,
to Forest City
|
97.625 | % | $ | 146,437,500 |
The initial public offering price set forth above does not include accrued interest, if any. Interest on the notes will accrue from January 25, 2005 and must be paid by the purchaser if the notes are delivered after January 25, 2005.
The underwriter expects to deliver the notes through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company against payment in New York, New York on January 25, 2005.
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Prospectus Supplement dated January 20, 2005.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
We have included or incorporated by reference in
this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus
statements that constitute forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements
include, for example:
These forward-looking statements are not
historical facts but instead represent only our current views
regarding future events and are based on assumptions and
expectations that may not be realized and are inherently subject
to risks and uncertainties, many of which cannot be predicted
with accuracy and some of which may not even be anticipated.
Future events and actual results, financial or otherwise, may
differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results
indicated in these forward-looking statements.
Information regarding important factors that
could cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from
those in our forward-looking statements is contained under the
caption Risk Factors in this prospectus supplement.
We disclaim any obligation, other than as may be
imposed by law, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise.
i
economic conditions in our target markets;
statements relating to the timing of anticipated
openings of new developments;
the projected cost of real estate projects and
our share of projected cost;
our development activities;
our substantial leverage and ability to service
and secure debt;
our business strategy and prospects; and
availability and sufficiency of insurance.
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and special reports,
proxy statements and other information with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. You may read and copy any document we file
with the SEC at the SECs Public Reference Room at
450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please
call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the
Public Reference Room. Our SEC filings are also available to the
public from the SECs Internet site at
http://www.sec.gov or from our Internet site at
http://www.forestcity.net. However, the information on
our Internet site does not constitute a part of this prospectus
supplement or the accompanying prospectus.
We have filed a registration on Form S-3
with the SEC relating to the notes offered by this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus. This prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of the
registration statement and do not contain all of the information
in the registration statement. You may view a copy of the
registration statement at the SECs public reference room
in Washington, D.C., as well as through the SECs
Internet site.
In this document, we incorporate by
reference the information we file with the SEC, which
means that we can disclose important information to you by
referring to that information. The information incorporated by
reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and later
information filed with the SEC will update and supercede this
information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed
below and any future filings made with the SEC under
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 on or after the date of this prospectus
supplement and until this offering is completed:
You may request a copy of these filings, at no
cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address and
phone number:
Secretary
ii
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended January 31, 2004 filed with the SEC on
March 31, 2004;
Our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with
the SEC on February 4, 2004;
Our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with
the SEC on February 10, 2004;
Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarterly period ended April 30, 2004 filed with the SEC on
June 8, 2004;
Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarterly period ended July 31, 2004 filed with the SEC on
September 9, 2004;
Our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with
the SEC on November 12, 2004;
Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarterly period ended October 31, 2004 filed with the SEC
on December 9, 2004;
Our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with
the SEC on January 19, 2005; and
Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with
the SEC on January 20, 2005.
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY
Forest City
Founded in 1920 and publicly traded since 1960, we are principally engaged in the ownership, development, management and acquisition of commercial and residential real estate properties in 19 states and the District of Columbia. For the nine months ended October 31, 2004, we generated $79.4 million in net earnings.
At October 31, 2004, we had approximately $7.2 billion in total assets. We have a portfolio of real estate assets diversified both geographically and among property types. We operate our business through three strategic business units:
| Commercial Group, our largest business unit, owns, develops, acquires and operates regional malls, specialty/urban retail centers, office buildings, hotels and mixed use projects; | |
| Residential Group owns, develops, acquires and operates residential rental properties, including upscale and middle-market apartments, adaptive re-use developments and supported-living facilities; and | |
| Land Development Group acquires and sells both land and developed lots to residential, commercial and industrial customers. It also owns and develops land into master-planned communities and mixed-use projects. |
Recent Developments
Brooklyn Development/ New Jersey Nets
On January 22, 2004, one of our consolidated affiliates, Forest City Ratner Companies, announced plans to develop Brooklyn Atlantic Yards, a $2.5 billion mixed-use project in downtown Brooklyn. Brooklyn Atlantic Yards is expected to feature an 800,000 square foot sports and entertainment arena for the National Basketball Association, or NBA, franchise known as the New Jersey Nets. Brooklyn Atlantic Yards is also expected to include, when complete, approximately 2.1 million square feet of commercial office space, approximately 300,000 square feet of retail space, and approximately 4.4 million square feet of residential space, which are expected to be developed on properties adjacent to or nearby the arena. On August 16, 2004, Forest City purchased an ownership interest in the Nets of approximately 21%, which is reported on the equity method of accounting. As the result of this investment, Forest City has added a new reportable segment, the Nets. The Nets segment is primarily comprised of, and will report on, the sports operations of the basketball team.
Sale of Lumber Trading Group
On November 12, 2004, we sold our Lumber Trading Group strategic business unit for approximately $39.1 million, $35 million of which was paid in cash at closing. The remainder of the purchase price will be paid over the next five years by the purchaser. As a result of this sale, Lumber Trading Group is no longer a reportable segment and was reported as a discontinued operation for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2004. Our financial statements for the three years ended January 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002 have been reclassified to give effect to this sale, as well as the disposition in 2004 of three commercial and seven residential rental properties.
East Baltimore Development
On December 21, 2004, we announced that, in conjunction with a team of local developers, we had been chosen to develop the first phase of an 80-acre mixed-use community adjacent to the Johns Hopkins University medical campus in East Baltimore, Maryland. We plan to develop the first phase, a 30-acre project, with up to 1.1 million square feet of life sciences and office space, 850 mixed-income residential units, and 41,000 square feet of retail space, parking, parks, and open space. Johns Hopkins Medicine has indicated an interest in occupying at least 100,000 square feet of the 270,000-square-foot life sciences building.
S-1
Waterfront Site in the Washington, D.C. Area
On January 19, 2005, we were informed that Fannie Mae has withdrawn its letter of intent to lease up to 1.5 million square feet of office space at Waterfront, a project located in the Washington, D.C. area jointly owned by Forest City and Washington-area real estate developers Kaempfer Co. and Bresler & Reiner, Inc. The letter of intent was previously announced in a press release dated May 5, 2004.
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The Offering
Issuer | Forest City Enterprises, Inc. | |
Notes Offered | $150,000,000 aggregate amount of 6.50% Senior Notes due 2017. | |
Maturity Date | February 1, 2017. | |
Interest | 6.50% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on February 1 and August 1, commencing on August 1, 2005. | |
Optional Redemption | Forest City may redeem the notes, in whole or in part, at any time on or after February 1, 2010 at the applicable redemption price listed under Description of Notes Optional Redemption. | |
In addition, if Forest City completes one or more public equity offerings before February 1, 2008, Forest City may redeem up to 35% of the original aggregate principal amount of the notes from the proceeds of that public equity offering at the redemption price listed under Description of Notes Optional Redemption. | ||
Offer to Repurchase | If Forest City sells assets under certain circumstances or if Forest City undergoes a change of control, Forest City must offer to repurchase the notes at prices set forth in Description of Notes Repurchase at the Option of Holders. | |
Ranking | The notes will be general unsecured debt of Forest City. The notes will rank: | |
equally with any of Forest Citys existing and future unsecured debt (including its outstanding 7.625% senior notes due 2015 and 7.375% senior notes due 2034); | ||
effectively junior to all of Forest Citys existing and future secured debt (to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such debt); and | ||
effectively junior to all of the existing and future debt and other liabilities of Forest Citys subsidiaries (including the credit agreement). | ||
The Forest City Rental Properties Corporation, or FCRPC, credit agreement is the principal credit agreement of Forest City and its subsidiaries and is held at the subsidiary level. At October 31, 2004, Forest Citys subsidiaries had an aggregate of approximately $6.3 billion of outstanding debt and other liabilities, of which approximately $4.6 billion was non-recourse. | ||
Restrictions on Repayment | Forest Citys guarantee of the FCRPC credit agreement would prohibit Forest City from: | |
making any payment on the notes if a payment default existed under the guaranty or the credit agreement; |
S-3
redeeming and repurchasing the notes, or repaying any principal thereof, if a non-payment default existed under the guaranty or the credit agreement; and | ||
exercising its right to redeem the notes at its option under certain circumstances. | ||
Restrictive Covenants | The indenture governing the notes will limit Forest Citys ability to: | |
incur additional debt; | ||
issue or sell capital stock of its subsidiaries; | ||
pay dividends, redeem stock or make other restricted payments; | ||
create liens; | ||
enter into sale and leaseback transactions; | ||
enter into transactions with affiliates and related persons; | ||
dispose of assets; and | ||
consolidate or merge with, or sell assets to, another person. | ||
These covenants are set forth in detail on pages S24 through S33 of this prospectus supplement. | ||
Condition to Offering | Under the FCRPC credit agreement and the related guaranty of debt, we are required to obtain the approval of our bank group to permit us to issue the notes being offered hereby. Although we have obtained this approval, its effectiveness will be subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent, which will be satisfied prior to or concurrently with the issuance of the notes offered hereby. | |
Use of Proceeds | We expect to receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $145.7 million after payment of all anticipated issuance costs. We intend to use these proceeds to pay off the outstanding balance under the line of credit of the FCRPC credit agreement, which balance was approximately $9.0 million as of January 14, 2005. The revolving line of credit matures in March 2007 and currently bears interest at 4.5625% per annum. We expect to use the remaining net proceeds for general corporate and working capital purposes. Immediately after this offering and until we use the proceeds as described, we intend to invest the net proceeds in short-term investments. | |
Risk Factors | You should carefully consider the information set forth under Risk Factors beginning on page S-5 of this prospectus supplement before investing in the notes. |
S-4
RISK FACTORS
An investment in the notes involves a number of
risks. You should carefully consider these risks, together with
all of the other information included or incorporated by
reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus, before you decide to purchase our notes. This
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
For a discussion of these forward-looking statements, see
Forward-Looking Statements.
Our High Debt Leverage May Prevent Us from
Responding to Changing Business and Economic
Conditions
We have a relatively high ratio of debt,
consisting primarily of non-recourse mortgage debt, to total
market capitalization, which was approximately 64.94% at
October 31, 2004 based on our long-term debt and mortgage
debt outstanding at that date and the market value of our
outstanding Class A common stock and Class B common
stock. Our high leverage may adversely affect our ability to
obtain additional financing for working capital, capital
expenditures, acquisitions, development or other general
corporate purposes and may make us more vulnerable to a downturn
in the economy.
We do not expect to repay a substantial amount of
the principal of our outstanding debt prior to maturity or to
have available funds sufficient to repay this debt at maturity.
As a result, it will be necessary for us to refinance our debt
through new debt financings or through equity offerings. If
interest rates are higher at the time of refinancing, our
interest expense would increase, which would adversely affect
our results of operations and cash flows. In addition, in the
event we were unable to secure refinancing on acceptable terms,
we might be forced to sell properties on unfavorable terms,
which could result in the recognition of losses and could
adversely affect our financial position, results of operations
and cash flows. If we are unable to make the required payments
on any debt secured by a mortgage on one of our properties or to
refinance that debt when it comes due, the mortgage lender could
take that property through foreclosure and, as a result, we
could lose income and asset value.
Of our outstanding debt at October 31, 2004,
approximately $516 million becomes due in fiscal 2005 and
approximately $809 million becomes due in fiscal 2006.
Additionally, we have obtained credit enhanced mortgage debt for
a number of our properties. Generally, the credit enhancement,
such as a letter of credit, expires prior to the term of the
underlying mortgage debt and must be renewed or replaced to
prevent acceleration of the underlying mortgage debt. We treat
credit enhanced debt as maturing in the year the credit
enhancement expires.
We cannot assure you that we will be able to
refinance our debt, obtain renewals or replacement of credit
enhancement devices, such as a letter of credit, or otherwise
obtain funds by selling assets or by raising equity. Our
inability to repay or refinance our debt when it becomes due
could result in foreclosure on the properties pledged as
collateral thereof.
From time to time, a non-recourse mortgage may
become past due and if we are unsuccessful in negotiating an
extension or refinancing, the lender could commence foreclosure
proceedings.
We have guaranteed the obligations of FCRPC under
the FCRPC credit agreement, dated as of March 22, 2004, as
amended, among FCRPC, the banks named therein, KeyBank National
Association, as administrative agent, and National City Bank, as
syndication agent. This guaranty imposes a number of restrictive
covenants on Forest City, including a prohibition on certain
consolidations and mergers and limitations on the amount of
debt, guarantees and property liens
S-5
Our high degree of debt leverage could
limit our ability to obtain additional financing or adversely
affect our liquidity and financial condition.
Our credit facility covenants could
adversely affect our financial condition.
A failure to comply with any of the covenants
under the guaranty or failure by FCRPC to comply with any of the
covenants under the FCRPC credit agreement could result in an
event of default, which would trigger Forest Citys
obligation to repay all amounts outstanding under the FCRPC
credit agreement. Forest Citys ability and FCRPCs
ability to comply with these covenants will depend upon the
future economic performance of Forest City and FCRPC. These
covenants may adversely affect our ability to finance our future
operations or capital needs or to engage in other business
activities that may be desirable or advantageous to us.
The FCRPC Credit Agreement and Forest
Citys Guaranty May Prevent Payment on the Notes
In the event of a continuing default on the
payment of principal, interest or other charges due under the
FCRPC credit agreement or under Forest Citys guaranty of
payment of the FCRPC credit agreement, Forest City will be
prohibited from making payments of principal and interest on the
notes. In the event of a continuing non-payment default, the
guaranty prohibits FCRPC from making any distribution to Forest
City except as is necessary to pay interest (but not principal)
on the notes.
The Notes Will Be Junior to All of the
Existing and Future Debt of Forest Citys Subsidiaries and
to All of Forest Citys Existing and Future Senior Secured
Debt
Forest City holds substantially all of its assets
and conducts substantially all of its operations through its
subsidiaries. Forest City derives substantially all of its
operating income and cash flow from its subsidiaries and must
rely substantially upon distributions from its subsidiaries to
generate the funds necessary to meet its obligations, including
the payment of principal and interest on the notes. The notes
will be effectively junior to all debt and other liabilities of
Forest Citys subsidiaries, including the borrowings under
the FCRPC credit agreement. Forest Citys subsidiaries had
approximately $3.7 billion and $4.7 billion of debt
outstanding at January 31, 2004 and October 31, 2004,
respectively. The aggregate revenues derived from Forest
Citys subsidiaries for fiscal 2003 and the nine months
ended October 31, 2004 was $848.1 million and
$754.7 million, respectively, or substantially all of our
consolidated revenues. Similarly, the aggregate net earnings
derived from Forest Citys subsidiaries for fiscal 2003 and
the nine months ended October 31, 2004 was
$64.3 million and $93.8 million, respectively, or
substantially all of our consolidated net earnings. Forest
Citys subsidiaries had an aggregate shareholders
equity of $696.8 million and $776.0 million, or
approximately 93% and 96% of consolidated shareholders
equity, at January 31, 2004 and October 31, 2004,
respectively.
Substantially all of Forest Citys secured
debt consists of non-recourse mortgage debt incurred by its
subsidiaries. As of October 31, 2004, Forest City had
$4.6 billion of secured debt outstanding. The notes will be
effectively junior in right of payment to all of Forest
Citys existing and future senior secured debt, to the
extent of the value of the collateral securing such debt.
Forest City May Be Unable to Repurchase the
Notes upon a Change of Control or Certain Asset
Dispositions
In the event of a change of control, Forest City
will be required to make an offer to purchase the notes. In the
event of certain asset sales, Forest City may also be required
to repurchase the notes with excess proceeds from the asset
sales. The FCRPC guaranty prohibits the repayment of the notes
if FCRPC is in default on payment of principal, interest or
other charges due under the FCRPC credit agreement and prohibits
distributions by FCRPC to Forest City to pay the principal of
the notes if, at the time it is required to repurchase the
notes, there is a continuing non-payment default. As a result of
these provisions, Forest City will be unable to purchase the
notes as required if, at the time it is required to repurchase
the notes, there is a continuing default on payment of
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Any Rise in Interest Rates Will Increase Our
Interest Costs
An increase in interest rates will increase our
interest expense associated with our floating-rate debt and the
refinancing of any fixed-rate debt originally financed at a
lower rate. At October 31, 2004, including properties
accounted for on the equity method, a 100 basis point
increase in taxable variable interest rates would have increased
our interest expense, and conversely reduced our pre-tax
earnings, by approximately $3.9 million (including both
mortgage debt and corporate borrowings). This calculation
reflects the interest rate swaps and long-term LIBOR contracts
in effect as of October 31, 2004. We are exposed to the
risk that our counterparties will fail to perform their
obligations to us, thus increasing our exposure to increases in
interest rates. Although tax-exempt interest rates generally
increase in an amount that is smaller than corresponding changes
in taxable interest rates, a 100 basis point increase in
tax-exempt variable interest rates would have increased the
interest expense, and conversely reduced our pre-tax earnings,
by approximately $7.0 million.
If We Are Unable to Obtain Tax-Exempt
Financings, Our Interest Costs Will Rise
We regularly utilize tax-exempt financings and
tax increment financings, which generally bear interest at rates
below prevailing rates available for conventional taxable
financing. We cannot assure you that tax-exempt bonds or similar
government subsidized financing will continue to be available to
us in the future, either for new development or acquisitions, or
for the refinancing of outstanding debt. Our ability to obtain
these financings or to refinance outstanding debt on favorable
terms could significantly affect our ability to develop or
acquire properties and could have a material adverse effect on
our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
We Are Subject to Real Estate Development
Risks
Our development projects are subject to
significant risks relating to our ability to complete our
projects on time and on budget. Factors that may result in a
development project exceeding budget or being prevented from
completion include:
If any of these occur, we may not achieve our
projected returns on properties under development and we could
lose some or all of our investments in those properties.
S-7
an inability to secure sufficient financing on
favorable terms, including an inability to refinance
construction loans;
construction delays or cost overruns, either of
which may increase project development costs;
an inability to obtain zoning, occupancy and
other required governmental permits and authorizations;
an inability to secure tenants or anchors
necessary to support the project; and
failure to achieve or sustain anticipated
occupancy or sales levels.
Examples of projects that face these and other
development risks include the following:
In the past, we have elected not to proceed, or
have been prevented from proceeding, with specific development
projects, and we anticipate that this may occur again from time
to time in the future. A development project may be delayed or
terminated because a project partner or prospective anchor
tenant withdraws or a third party challenges our entitlements or
public financings.
We periodically serve as either the construction
manager or the general contractor for our development projects.
The construction of real estate projects entails unique risks,
including risks that the project will fail to conform to
building plans, specifications and timetables. These failures
could be caused by strikes, weather, government regulations and
other conditions beyond our control. In addition, we may become
liable for injuries and accidents occurring during the
construction process that are not insured.
In the construction of new projects, we generally
guarantee the lender under the construction loan the lien-free
completion of the project. This guaranty is recourse to us and
places the risk of construction delays and cost overruns on us.
In addition, from time to time we guarantee the
S-8
New York Times
Building. Our New York Times building
in Manhattan is expected to open in the second quarter of fiscal
2007 with 734,000 square feet of office space. To date, we
have not been able to secure any tenants to lease space in this
property. If we are not able to lease space in this building or
if we lease space at rates below expected levels, the
profitability of this property will be adversely affected.
Brooklyn Atlantic
Yards. We are in the process of
developing Brooklyn Atlantic Yards, a $2.5 billion
mixed-use project in downtown Brooklyn expected to feature an
800,000 square foot sports and entertainment arena for the
Nets. The acquisition and development of Brooklyn Atlantic Yards
is subject to the completion of negotiations with local and
state governmental authorities, including negotiation of the
applicable development rights, the satisfactory completion of
due diligence, the receipt of governmental and non-governmental
approvals and the possible condemnation of the land needed for
the development. The negotiations relating to the acquisition
and development rights for Brooklyn Atlantic Yards may not be
successfully completed, the acquisition and development rights
may not be obtained or completed on the terms described above
and the Brooklyn Atlantic Yards may not be developed with the
features we anticipate. The development of Brooklyn Atlantic
Yards is being done in connection with the proposed move of the
Nets to the planned arena. While we are part of an ownership
group that acquired the Nets on August 16, 2004, any
movement of the team is subject to approval by the NBA
commissioner and the owners of the other NBA franchises. If we
do not receive this approval, we may not be able to develop
Brooklyn Atlantic Yards to the same extent or at all. Even if we
are able to continue with the development, we would likely not
be able to do so as quickly as originally planned.
Ohana Military
Communities. Hawaii Military
Communities, LLC, a partnership between Forest City and C.F.
Jordan, L.P., a privately-held construction services company,
has been selected to own, redevelop and operate military family
housing at five United States Navy housing communities in
Hawaii. We have not engaged in a project of this type before,
and we cannot assure you we will be able to complete it
successfully.
For-Sale
Condominiums. We are pursuing the
development of condominiums in selected markets. Current
condominium projects under development include 1100 Wilshire
Building, a previously unfinished office building in downtown
Los Angeles, and Beekman, a site adjacent to a hospital in
Manhattan. While we have previously developed for-sale
condominium projects with partners, we are developing these
projects without the development assistance of one or more
partners. We may not be able to sell the units at the projected
sales prices for a number of reasons, including, without
limitation, a rise in interest rates.
We Are Subject To Risks Associated with
Investments in Real Estate
The value of, and our income from, our properties
may decline due to developments that adversely affect real
estate generally and those that are specific to our properties.
General factors that may adversely affect our real estate
portfolios include:
In addition, there are factors that may adversely
affect the value of, and our income from, specific properties,
including:
The occurrence of one or more of the above risks
could result in significant delays or unexpected expenses. If
any of these occur, we may not achieve our projected returns on
properties under development and we could lose some or all of
our investments in those properties.
S-9
increases in interest rates;
a general tightening of the availability of
credit;
a decline in the economic conditions in one or
more of our primary markets;
an increase in competition for tenants and
customers or a decrease in demand by tenants and customers;
an increase in supply of our property types in
our primary markets;
a continuation of terrorist activities or other
acts of violence or war in the United States or abroad or the
occurrence of such activities or acts that impact properties in
our real estate portfolios or that may impact the general
economy;
continuation or escalation of tensions in the
Middle East;
declines in consumer spending during an economic
recession that adversely affect our revenue from our retail
centers; and
the adoption on the national, state or local
level of more restrictive laws and governmental regulations,
including more restrictive zoning, land use or environmental
regulations and increased real estate taxes.
adverse changes in the perceptions of prospective
tenants or purchasers of the attractiveness of the property;
opposition from local community or political
groups with respect to development or construction at a
particular site;
our inability to provide adequate management and
maintenance or to obtain adequate insurance;
our inability to collect rent or other
receivables;
an increase in operating costs;
introduction of a competitors property in
or in close proximity to one of our current markets; and
earthquakes, floods or underinsured or uninsured
natural disasters.
An Economic Decline in One or More of Our
Primary Markets May Adversely Affect Our Operating Results and
Financial Condition
Our core markets are Boston, Denver, California,
New York City, Philadelphia and Greater Washington, D.C./
Baltimore metropolitan area. We also have a concentration of
real estate assets in Cleveland, Ohio. A downturn in any of
these markets may impair or continue to impair:
Adverse economic conditions may adversely impact
our results of operations and cash flows. In addition, local
real estate market conditions have been, and may continue to be,
significantly impacted by one or more of the following events:
Relative to historical results from operations,
we have experienced weakness across almost all of the markets in
which we hold investments in our Residential Group and in the
hotel operations of our Commercial Group. For example, our
Residential Group has been experiencing weakness in rental rates
and occupancy rates in its portfolio in almost all of its
markets. We do not expect these situations to change in the near
to medium-term. With respect to particular markets, the Denver
and Cleveland real estate markets have been significantly
impacted by a continuing local economic downturn, which has made
it more difficult to maintain occupancy levels at certain of our
properties. In the Cleveland market, we have a concentration of
significant office space with significant office vacancies due
to weak market conditions. This situation has directly impacted
us since we had a relatively low number of long-term office
space leases in place and have had to significantly lower rental
rates to attract and retain tenants. Unless this situation
improves, our expected rate of return may be lower. We may also
have trouble refinancing our Cleveland office space or our
lenders may require significant principal reductions.
Vacancies in Our Properties May Adversely
Affect Our Results of Operations and Cash Flows
Our results of operations and cash flows may be
adversely affected if we are unable to continue leasing a
significant portion of our commercial and residential real
estate portfolio. We depend on commercial and residential
tenants in order to collect rents and other charges. Our ability
to sustain our current and historical occupancy levels depends
on many factors that are discussed elsewhere in this section.
For example, as discussed above, we have experienced decreased
occupancy levels in our residential properties in all our
markets and in our commercial office properties in our Cleveland
market. Our failure to successfully lease our property on
favorable terms would adversely affect our results of operations
and cash flows.
S-10
the ability of our tenants to make lease payments;
our ability to market new developments to
prospective purchasers and tenants;
our rental and lease rates;
hotel occupancy and room rates;
land sales; and
occupancy rates for commercial and residential
properties.
business layoffs and downsizing;
industry slowdowns;
relocations or closings of businesses;
changing demographics; and
any oversupply of or reduced demand for real
estate.
We May Be Unable to Sell Properties to Avoid
Losses or to Reposition Our Portfolio
Because real estate investments are relatively
illiquid, we may be unable to dispose of underperforming
properties and may be unable to reposition our portfolio in
response to changes in regional or local real estate markets. As
a result, we may incur operating losses from some of our
properties and may have to write down the value of some
properties due to impairment.
Our Results of Operations and Cash Flows May
Be Adversely Affected by Tenant Defaults or the Closing or
Bankruptcy of Non-Tenant Anchors
Our results of operations and cash flows may be
adversely affected if a significant number of our tenants are
unable to meet their obligations or renew their leases, or if we
are unable to lease a significant amount of space on
economically favorable terms. In the event of a default by a
tenant, we may experience delays in payments and incur
substantial costs in recovering our losses. Our ability to
collect rents and other charges will be even more difficult if
the tenant is bankrupt or insolvent. Our tenants have from time
to time filed for bankruptcy or been involved in insolvency
proceedings and others may in the future, which could make it
more difficult to enforce our rights as lessor and protect our
investment.
Based on net base rent as of October 31,
2004, our five largest office tenants were City of New York,
Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc., U.S. Government, Keyspan
Energy and Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated, and our
five largest retail tenants were Regal Entertainment Group, The
Gap, The Home Depot, AMC Entertainment Inc. and TJX Companies.
Current bankruptcies of some of our tenants and
the potential bankruptcies of other tenants in the future could
make it difficult for us to enforce our rights as lessor and
protect our investment. With respect to our retail centers, we
also could be adversely affected if one or more non-tenant
anchors were to close or enter into bankruptcy. Although
non-tenant anchors generally do not pay us rent, they typically
contribute towards common area maintenance and other charges
payable by us. The loss of these revenues could adversely affect
our results of operations and cash flows. Further, the temporary
or permanent loss of an anchor likely would reduce customer
traffic in the retail center, which could reduce the percentage
of rent paid by retail center tenants or cause retail center
tenants to close or enter into bankruptcy. One or more of these
factors could cause the retail center to fail to meet its debt
service requirements.
Failure to Achieve and Maintain Effective
Internal Controls in Accordance with Section 404 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on Our
Ability to Ensure Timely and Reliable Financial
Reporting
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
requires our management to report on, and our independent
auditors to attest to, our internal control over financial
reporting as of January 31, 2005. We are actively
continuing our ongoing process of documenting, testing and
evaluating the effectiveness of, and remediating any issues
identified related to, our internal control over financial
reporting. The process of documenting, testing and evaluating
our internal control over financial reporting is complex and
time consuming. Due to this complexity and the time-consuming
nature of the process and because currently unforeseen events or
circumstances beyond our control could arise, we cannot assure
you that we ultimately will be able to comply fully with
Section 404 in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended January 31, 2005 or that we will be able to
conclude our internal control over financial reporting is
effective as of January 31, 2005. We may not be able to
conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal
control over financial reporting in accordance with
Section 404, which could adversely affect public confidence
in our ability to record, process, summarize and report
financial data to ensure timely and reliable external financial
reporting.
S-11
We Have Limited Experience Participating in
the Operation and Management of a Professional Basketball Team,
and Future Losses Are Expected for the Nets
On August 16, 2004, we purchased an
ownership interest in the Nets of approximately 21%. This
interest is reported on the equity method of accounting as a
separate segment. The purchase of the interest in the Nets is
the first step in our efforts to pursue development projects at
Brooklyn Atlantic Yards, which include a new entertainment arena
complex and adjacent developments combining housing, offices,
shops and public open space. The relocation of the Nets is
subject to approval by the NBA commissioner and the owners of
the other franchises, and we cannot assure you we will receive
these approvals on a timely basis or at all. If we are unable to
relocate the Nets to Brooklyn, we may be unable to achieve our
projected returns on the development projects, which could
result in a delay, termination or losses on our investment. The
Nets are currently operating at a loss and are projected to
continue to operate at a loss as long as they remain in New
Jersey. Even if we are able to relocate the Nets to Brooklyn,
there can be no assurance that the Nets will be profitable in
the future.
The Operation of a Professional Sports
Franchise Involves Certain Risks
Our investment in the Nets is subject to a number
of operational risks, including risks associated with operating
conditions, competitive factors, economic conditions and
industry conditions. If we are not able to successfully manage
the following operational risks, we may incur operating losses
at our proportionate share:
We Are Controlled by the Ratner, Miller and
Shafran Families, Whose Interests May Differ from Those of Other
Shareholders
Our authorized common stock consists of
Class A common stock and Class B common stock. The
economic rights of each class of common stock are identical, but
the voting rights differ. The Class A common stock, voting
as a separate class, is entitled to elect 25% of the members of
our board of directors, while the Class B common stock,
voting as a separate class, is entitled to elect the remaining
75% of our board of directors. On all other matters, the
Class A common stock and Class B common stock vote
together as a single class, with each share of Class A
common stock entitled to one vote per share and each share of
Class B common stock entitled to ten votes per share.
At March 1, 2004, members of the Ratner,
Miller and Shafran families, which include members of our
current board of directors and executive officers, owned 74.6%
of the Class B common stock. RMS, Limited Partnership,
which owned 74.3% of the Class B common stock, is a limited
S-12
competition with other major league sports,
college athletics and other sports-related entertainment;
dependence on competitive success of the Nets;
fluctuations in the amount of revenues from
advertising, sponsorships, concessions, merchandise and parking,
which are tied to the popularity and success of the Nets;
uncertainties of increases in players
salaries;
dependence on talented players;
risk of injuries to key players;
uncertainties relating to labor relations in
professional sports, including the expiration of the NBAs
current collective bargaining agreement at the end of this
season; and
dependence on television, cable network, radio
and other media contracts.
Joan K. Shafran is the sister of Joseph Shafran.
Charles A. Ratner, James A. Ratner, executive vice president of
Forest City and a director, and Ronald A. Ratner are brothers.
Albert B. Ratner, co-chairman of our board of directors, is the
father of Brian J. Ratner and Deborah Ratner Salzberg and is
first cousin to Charles A. Ratner, James A. Ratner, Ronald A.
Ratner, Joan K. Shafran and Joseph Shafran. Samuel H. Miller was
married to Ruth Ratner Miller (now deceased), a sister of Albert
B. Ratner, and is the father of Abraham Miller. General partners
holding 60% of the total voting power of RMS, Limited
Partnership determine how to vote the Class B common stock
held by RMS, Limited Partnership. No person may transfer his or
her interest in the Class B common stock held by RMS,
Limited Partnership without complying with various rights of
first refusal.
In addition, at March 1, 2004, members of
these families collectively owned 22.9% of the Class A
common stock. As a result of their ownership in Forest City,
these family members and RMS, Limited Partnership have the
ability to elect a majority of our board of directors and to
control the management and policies of Forest City. Generally,
they may also determine, without the consent of our other
shareholders, the outcome of any corporate transaction or other
matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, including
mergers, consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all
of our assets and prevent or cause a change in control of Forest
City.
Even if these families or RMS, Limited
Partnership reduce their level of ownership of Class B
common stock below the level necessary to maintain a majority of
voting power, specific provisions of Ohio law and our Restated
Articles of Incorporation may have the effect of discouraging a
third party from making a proposal to acquire us or delaying or
preventing a change in control or management of Forest City
without the approval of these families or RMS, Limited
Partnership.
Relationships Exist Between Us and Some of Our
Directors and Executive Officers That Create Conflicts of
Interest
We paid approximately $215,000 and $258,000 as
total compensation during the year ended January 31, 2004
and the nine months ended October 31, 2004, respectively,
to RMS Investment Corp. for property management and leasing
services. RMS Investment Corp. is controlled by members of the
Ratner, Miller and Shafran families, some of whom are our
directors and executive officers.
RMS Investment Corp. manages and provides leasing
services to two of our Cleveland-area specialty retail centers,
Golden Gate, which has 362,000 square feet, and Midtown
Plaza, which has 258,000 square feet. The current rate of
compensation for these management services is 4% of all rental
income, plus a leasing fee of generally 2% to 4% of rental
income. Management believes
S-13
Samuel H. Miller, treasurer of Forest City and
co-chairman of our board of directors;
Charles A. Ratner, president, chief executive
officer of Forest City and a director;
Ronald A. Ratner, executive vice president of
Forest City and a director;
Brian J. Ratner, executive vice president of
Forest City and a director;
Deborah Ratner Salzberg, president of Forest City
Washington, Inc., a subsidiary of Forest City, and a director;
Joan K. Shafran, a director;
Joseph Shafran; and
Abraham Miller.
RMS Investment Corp. provides property
management and leasing services to us and is controlled by some
of our affiliates.
Under our current policy, no director, officer or
employee, including any member of the Ratner, Miller and Shafran
families, is allowed to invest in a competing real estate
opportunity without first obtaining the approval of the audit
committee of our board. We do not have non-compete agreements
with any director, officer or employee, however, and upon
leaving Forest City any director, officer or employee could
compete with us. Notwithstanding our policy, we permit our
principal shareholders who are officers and employees to own,
alone or in conjunction with others, certain commercial,
industrial and residential properties that may be developed,
expanded, operated and sold independently of our business. As a
result of their ownership of these properties, a conflict of
interest may arise between them and Forest City. The conflict
may involve the development or expansion of properties that may
compete with our properties and the solicitation of tenants to
lease these properties.
Our Properties and Businesses Face Significant
Competition
The real estate industry is highly competitive in
many of the markets in which we operate. Competition could
over-saturate any market, as a result of which we may not have
sufficient cash to meet the debt service requirements on certain
of our properties. Although we may attempt to renegotiate a
restructuring with the mortgagee, we may not be successful,
which could cause a property to be transferred to the mortgagee.
There are numerous other developers, managers and
owners of commercial and residential real estate and undeveloped
land that compete with us nationally, regionally and/or locally,
some of whom have greater financial resources than us. They
compete with us for management and leasing revenues, land for
development, properties for acquisition and disposition and for
anchor department stores and tenants for properties. We may not
be able to successfully compete in these areas.
Tenants at our retail properties face continual
competition in attracting customers from retailers at other
shopping centers, catalogue companies, various websites,
warehouse stores, large discounters, outlet malls, wholesale
clubs and direct mail and telemarketers. Our competitors and
those of our tenants could have a material adverse effect on our
ability to lease space in our properties and on the rents we can
charge or the concessions we can grant. This in turn could
materially and adversely affect our results of operations and
cash flows, and could affect the realizable value of our assets
upon sale.
Our Business Will Be Adversely Impacted Should
an Uninsured Loss Occur or a Loss in Excess of Insurance
Limits
We carry comprehensive general liability, special
property, flood, earthquake and rental loss (and environmental
insurance on certain locations) with respect to our properties
within insured limits and policy specifications that we believe
are customary for similar properties. There are, however,
specific types of losses, generally of a catastrophic nature,
such as losses from wars, terrorism or earthquakes, for which we
cannot obtain adequate insurance coverage or, in our judgment,
for which we cannot obtain insurance at a reasonable cost. In
the event of an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of our
insurance limits, we could lose both our invested capital in,
and anticipated profits from, the affected property. Any such
loss could materially and adversely affect our results of
operations, cash flows and financial position.
Under our current policies, which expire
October 31, 2005, our properties are insured against acts
of terrorism, subject to various limits, deductibles and
exceptions for acts of war and terrorist acts involving
biological, chemical and nuclear damage.
S-14
Our directors and executive officers may
have interests in competing properties, and we do not have
non-compete agreements with our directors and executive
officers.
Once this policy expires, we may not be able to
obtain adequate terrorism coverage at a reasonable cost. In
addition, our insurers may not be able to maintain reinsurance
sufficient to cover any losses we may incur as a result of
terrorist acts. As a result, our insurers ability to pay
for any damages that we sustain as a result of a terrorist
attack may be reduced.
Additionally, most of our current project
mortgages require special all-risk property insurance, and we
cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain policies that
will satisfy lender requirements.
We are self-insured as to the first $500,000 of
liability coverage and self-insured on the first $250,000 of
property damage. Our captive insurance company, licensed and
regulated by the State of Vermont, is adequately funded per
state regulations to cover the first $250,000 of potential
property damage claims. While we believe that our self-insurance
reserves are adequate, we cannot assure you that we will not
incur losses that exceed these self-insurance reserves.
We May Incur Unanticipated Costs and
Liabilities Due to Environmental Problems
Under various federal, state and local
environmental laws, an owner or operator of real property may
become liable for the costs of the investigation, removal and
remediation of hazardous or toxic substances at that property.
These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the
owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence
of the hazardous or toxic substances. The presence of hazardous
or toxic substances, or the failure to remediate these
substances when present, may adversely affect the owners
ability to sell or rent that real property or to borrow funds
using that real property as collateral, and it also may impose
unanticipated costs and delays on projects. Persons who arrange
for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic wastes may
also be liable for the costs of the investigation, removal and
remediations of those wastes at the disposal or treatment
facility, regardless of whether that facility is owned or
operated by that person. In some instances, federal, state and
local laws require abatement or removal of specific
asbestos-containing materials in the event of demolition,
renovations, remodeling, damage or decay. These laws also impose
specific worker protection and notification requirements and
govern emissions of and exposure to asbestos fibers in the air.
We could be held liable for the environmental
response costs associated with the release of some regulated
substances or related claims, whether by us, our tenants, former
owners or tenants of the affected property or others. In
addition to remediation actions brought by federal, state and
local agencies, the presence of hazardous substances on a
property could result in personal injury, contribution or other
claims by private parties. These claims could result in costs or
liabilities that could exceed the value of the affected
property. We are not aware of any notification by any private
party or governmental authority of any claim in connection with
environmental conditions at any of our properties that we
believe will involve any material expenditure. Nor are we aware
of any environmental condition on any of our properties that we
believe will involve any material expenditure. However, we
cannot assure you that any non-compliance, liability, claim or
expenditure will not arise in the future. To the extent that we
are held liable for the release of regulated substances by
tenants or others, we cannot assure you we would be able to
recover our costs from those persons.
We Face Potential Liability from Residential
Properties Accounted For on the Equity Method and Other
Partnership Risks
As part of our financing strategy, we have
financed several real estate projects through limited
partnerships with investment partners. The investment partner,
typically a large, sophisticated institution or corporate
investor, invests cash in exchange for a limited partnership
interest and special allocations of expenses and the majority of
tax losses and credits associated with the project. These
partnerships typically require us to indemnify, on an after-tax
or grossed up basis, the investment partner against
the failure to receive or the loss of allocated tax credits and
tax losses.
S-15
We believe that all the necessary requirements
for qualification for such tax credits have been and will be met
and that our investment partners will be able to receive expense
allocations associated with these properties. However, we cannot
assure you that this will, in fact, be the case or that we will
not be required to indemnify our investment partners on an
after-tax basis for these amounts. Any indemnification payment
could have a material adverse effect on our results of
operations and cash flows.
In addition to partnerships, we also use limited
liability companies, or LLCs, to finance some of our projects
with third party lenders. Acting through our wholly-owned
subsidiaries, we typically are a general partner or managing
member in these partnerships or LLCs. There are, however,
instances in which we do not control or even participate in
management or day-to-day operations.
The use of a structure where we do not control
the management of the entity involves special risks associated
with the possibility that:
To the extent we are a general partner or
managing member, we may be exposed to unlimited liability, which
may exceed our investment or equity in the partnership or LLC,
as applicable. If one of our subsidiaries is a general partner
or managing member of a particular partnership or LLC, as
applicable, it may be exposed to the same kind of unlimited
liability.
Compliance or Failure to Comply with the
Americans with Disabilities Act and Other Similar Laws Could
Result in Substantial Costs
The Americans with Disabilities Act generally
requires that public buildings, including office buildings and
hotels, be made accessible to disabled persons. In the event
that we are not in compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act, the federal government could fine us or
private parties could be awarded damages against us. If we are
required to make substantial alterations and capital
expenditures in one or more of our properties, including the
removal of access barriers, it could adversely affect our
results of operations and cash flows.
We may also incur significant costs complying
with other regulations. Our properties are subject to various
federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state
and local fire and safety requirements. If we fail to comply
with these requirements, we could incur fines or private damage
awards. We believe that our properties are currently in material
compliance with all of these regulatory requirements. However,
existing requirements may change and compliance with future
requirements may require significant unanticipated expenditures
that could adversely affect our cash flows and results of
operations.
Terrorist Attacks and Other Acts of Violence
or War Have Impacted, and May in the Future Impact, Our
Operations and Profitability
We have a high concentration of properties in
Washington, D.C. and New York City. As a result, we face a
heightened risk of terrorism. We were directly impacted by the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at our Battery Park
City Hotel and retail properties.
Future terrorist attacks may directly impact
physical facilities in our real estate portfolio. In addition,
future terrorist attacks, related armed conflicts or prolonged
or increased tensions in the Middle East could cause consumer
confidence and spending to decrease and adversely affect mall
traffic. Additionally, future terrorist attacks could increase
volatility in the U.S. and worldwide financial
S-16
another partner or member may have interests or
goals that are inconsistent with ours;
a general partner or managing member may take
actions contrary to our instructions, requests, policies or
objectives with respect to our real estate investments; or
a partner or a member could experience financial
difficulties that prevent it from fulfilling its financial or
other responsibilities to the project or its lender or the other
partners or members.
There may be a decrease in demand for space
in large metropolitan areas that are considered at risk for
future terrorist attacks, and this decrease may reduce our
revenues from property rentals.
We have significant investments in large
metropolitan areas, including the New York, Boston, California,
Washington D.C. and Denver metropolitan areas. In the aftermath
of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and due to
the possibility of future terrorist attacks, some tenants in
these areas have chosen to relocate their business to less
populated, lower-profile areas of the U.S. that are not as
likely to be targets of future terrorist activity. This has
resulted in a decrease in the demand for space in some areas,
which could increase vacancies in our properties and force us to
lease our properties on less favorable terms. As a result, the
value of our property and the level of our revenues could
significantly decline.
An Increase in Interest Rates Could Cause a
Decrease in the Market Price of the Notes
A variety of factors may influence the price of
the notes in public trading markets. We believe that investors
generally perceive companies engaged in the ownership,
development, management and acquisition of commercial and
residential real estate properties as yield-driven investments
and compare the annual yield from distributions by such
companies with yields on various other types of financial
instruments. Thus, an increase in market interest rates
generally could adversely affect the market price of the notes.
There is Currently No Public Market For the
Notes and an Active Trading Market for the Notes May Not
Develop
The notes constitute a new issue of securities
with no established trading market. We do not intend to apply
for listing of the notes on any national securities exchange.
The underwriter has advised us that it currently intends to make
a market in the notes. However, it is not obligated to do so,
and any such market-making may be discontinued at any time
without notice. Therefore, no assurance can be given as to the
liquidity of the trading market for the notes.
S-17
USE OF PROCEEDS
We expect to receive net proceeds from this
offering of approximately $145.7 million after payment of
all anticipated issuance costs. We intend to use these proceeds
to pay off the outstanding balance under the revolving line of
credit of the FCRPC credit agreement, which balance was
approximately $9.0 million as of January 14, 2005. The
revolving line of credit matures in March 2007 and currently
bears interest at 4.5625% per annum. We expect to use the
remaining net proceeds for general corporate and working capital
purposes. Immediately after this offering and until we use the
proceeds as described, we intend to invest the net proceeds in
short-term investments.
S-18
CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our capitalization
as of October 31, 2004, and as adjusted to give effect to
this offering and the application of the net proceeds therefrom
in the manner described in Use of Proceeds. The
table should be read in conjunction with our consolidated
financial statements and our other information included in the
documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
October 31, 2004 | ||||||||||
Actual | Adjusted | |||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents
|
$ | 70,684 | $ | 101,384 | ||||||
Mortgage debt, non-recourse
|
4,559,298 | 4,559,298 | ||||||||
Long-term credit
facility(1)
|
115,000 | | ||||||||
7.625% senior notes
due 2015
|
300,000 | 300,000 | ||||||||
7.375% senior notes
due 2034
|
100,000 | 100,000 | ||||||||
6.500% senior notes due
2017
|
| 150,000 | ||||||||
Subordinated debt
|
49,400 | 49,400 | ||||||||
Shareholders equity:
|
||||||||||
Preferred
stock convertible, without par value;
5,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued
|
| | ||||||||
Common stock
$.33 1/3 par value
|
||||||||||
Class A,
96,000,000 shares authorized; 36,987,377 shares issued
and outstanding
|
12,329 | 12,329 | ||||||||
Class B, convertible,
36,000,000 shares authorized; 13,248,480 shares issued
and outstanding
|
4,416 | 4,416 | ||||||||
Additional paid-in capital
|
242,206 | 242,206 | ||||||||
Retained earnings
|
561,375 | 561,375 | ||||||||
Accumulated other
comprehensive loss
|
(10,144 | ) | (10,144 | ) | ||||||
Total shareholders
equity
|
810,182 | 810,182 | ||||||||
Total capitalization
|
$ | 5,933,880 | $ | 5,968,880 | ||||||
(1) | From October 31, 2004 through January 14, 2005, we have reduced borrowings under the FCRPC credit agreement by $106 million to $9 million. |
S-19
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The following table sets forth our consolidated
ratio of earnings to fixed charge for the periods shown.
Nine Months | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ended | Year Ended January 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||
October 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed
Charges
|
1.36 | x | 1.31 | x | 1.53 | x | 1.62 | x | 1.65 | x | 1.51x |
For purposes of determining the ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges, earnings are defined as income from continuing operations before income taxes, less interest capitalized, less undistributed earnings of non-consolidated affiliates plus fixed charges. Fixed charges consist of interest expenses on all indebtedness and that portion of operating lease rental expense that is representative of the interest factor.
S-20
DESCRIPTION OF NOTES
You should read the following information in
conjunction with the statements under Description of
Senior Debt Securities We May Offer in the accompanying
prospectus. This prospectus supplement replaces the description
of the general terms and provisions of the debt securities set
forth in the accompanying prospectus to the extent the terms of
the notes described below are inconsistent with the provisions
of the debt securities set forth in the accompanying prospectus.
We will issue the notes under an indenture, dated
as of May 19, 2003, between Forest City and The Bank of New
York, as trustee. We will issue the notes in denominations of
$1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.
The statements under this caption relating to the
notes and the indenture are summaries and do not purport to be
complete, and are subject to, and are qualified in their
entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the indenture.
The terms of the notes include those stated in the indenture and
those made part of the indenture by reference to the Trust
Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. The notes are subject to all
those terms, and prospective purchasers of the notes are
referred to the indenture and the Trust Indenture Act for a
statement thereof.
You can find the definitions of certain
capitalized terms in this section under the subheading
Certain Definitions.
All references to Forest City or
we in this description refer solely to Forest City
Enterprises, Inc., an Ohio corporation, and do not, unless
otherwise indicated, include the subsidiaries or affiliates of
Forest City Enterprises Inc. The risks relating to the status of
Forest City Enterprises, Inc. as a holding company are discussed
under Risk Factors The Notes Will Be
Junior to All of the Existing and Future Debt of Forest
Citys Subsidiaries and to All of Forest Citys
Existing and Future Senior Secured Debt.
General
The notes will mature on February 1, 2017.
Interest on the notes will accrue from January 25, 2005 at
a rate of 6.50% per annum, computed on the basis of a
360-day year of twelve 30-day months. Principal of, and premium,
if any, and interest on the notes will be payable, and the notes
may be presented for registration of transfer and exchange, at
the office or agency of Forest City maintained for that purpose
in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York. However,
Forest City may, at its option, pay interest on the notes by
check mailed to the address of the person entitled thereto as it
appears in the note register. Until otherwise designated by
Forest City, that office or agency will be the corporate trust
office of the trustee, as paying agent and registrar.
Ranking
The notes will be senior unsecured obligations of
Forest City. The notes will rank equally in right of payment
with all other existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness
of Forest City.
S-21
Title: 6.50% Senior Notes Due 2017.
Maturity date: February 1, 2017.
Interest rate: 6.50% per annum.
Interest payment dates: February 1 and
August 1, commencing August 1, 2005.
Regular record dates: January 15 and
July 15.
Overdue interest: 2% per annum (in excess of
the stated interest rate).
Aggregate principal amount: $150,000,000 plus any
additional notes that may be issued in the future.
The FCRPC credit agreement prohibits the payment
of principal and interest on the notes during the existence of a
payment default under the FCRPC credit agreement or the
guaranty. The notes will be effectively subordinated to all our
existing and future senior secured indebtedness, to the extent
of the value securing such indebtedness.
Amount Unlimited; Notes Issued as a
Series
We may issue additional notes under the
indenture. The additional notes may be in any amount and may be
treated as part of the same series as the notes offered hereby
for purposes of the indenture. If we issue additional notes as
part of the same series as the notes, the additional notes and
the notes will be treated as a single series for all purposes of
the indenture, including waivers, amendments and redemptions.
Under the terms of the indenture, we may also from time to time
issue other series of notes with interest rates, maturities and
other terms that are different than the notes. Unless the
context otherwise requires, all references in this description
to the notes include any additional notes issued as part of the
same series.
Book-Entry, Delivery and Form
The notes will be issued in the form of a global
note or notes. The Depository Trust Company, New York, New
York, will act as the depositary for the global note or notes.
Forest City will register the global note or notes in The
Depository Trust Companys name or in the name of its
nominee. Except in the circumstances described below, global
notes may be transferred only to the depositary or its nominee
or to a successor of the depositary or its nominee. The
depositary has also advised us that pursuant to procedures
established by it:
The laws of some states require that certain
persons take physical delivery in definitive form of securities
which they own. Such limits and such laws may impair the ability
of such persons to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests
in a global note.
You can find further information regarding global
notes and the depositarys procedures for global notes
under Description of Senior Debt Securities We May
Offer Global Securities in the accompanying
prospectus.
Neither Forest City nor the trustee will have any
responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records
relating to, or payments made on account of, beneficial
ownership interests in the global notes, or for maintaining,
supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial
ownership interests.
Principal, premium and interest payments on the
global notes registered in the name of the depositary or its
nominee, as the case may be, will be made by Forest City, either
directly or through a paying agent, to the depositary or its
nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the
global notes. The depositary has advised Forest City and the
trustee that its present practice is, upon receipt of any
payment of principal, premium or interest, to credit immediately
the accounts of the relevant participants with payment in
amounts proportionate to their respective holdings in principal
amount of beneficial interests in the global notes as shown on
the records of the depositary. Payments by participants and
indirect participants to owners of beneficial interests in the
global notes will be governed by standing instructions and
customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for
the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in
street name and will be the responsibility of those
participants or indirect participants.
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upon the issuance by us of the global notes, the
depositary will credit the accounts of participants designated
by the underwriter with the principal amount of the global notes
purchased by the underwriter; and
ownership of beneficial interests in the global
notes will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will
be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary,
with respect to participants interests, the participants
and the indirect participants.
As long as the notes are represented by the
global notes, the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be,
will be the holder of the notes and therefore will be the only
entity that can exercise a right to cause the repurchase of the
notes. The circumstances under which we may be required to
repurchase the notes are described below under
Repurchase at the Option of
Holders Asset Dispositions and
Change of Control. Notice by
participants or indirect participants of the depositary or by
owners of beneficial interests in global notes held through
those participants or indirect participants of the exercise of
the option to elect repayment of beneficial interests in the
notes represented by the global notes must be transmitted to the
depositary in accordance with its procedures on a form required
by the depositary and provided to participants. In order to
ensure that the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be,
will timely exercise a right to repayment with respect to a
particular note, the beneficial owner of that note must instruct
the broker or other participant or indirect participant through
which it holds an interest in that note to notify the depositary
of its desire to exercise a right to repayment. Different firms
have cut-off times for accepting instructions from their
customers and, accordingly, each beneficial owner should consult
the broker or other participant or indirect participant through
which it holds an interest in a note in order to ascertain the
cut-off time by which the instruction must be given in order for
timely notice to be delivered to the depositary. Forest City
will not be liable for any delay in delivery of notices of the
exercise of the option to elect repayment.
Forest City will issue notes in definitive form
in exchange for the global notes if:
In each such instance, an owner of a beneficial
interest in the global notes will be entitled to have notes
equal in principal amount to its beneficial interest registered
in its name and will be entitled to physical delivery of those
notes in definitive form. The definitive notes will be
registered in the names as the depositary will instruct the
trustee. Notes so issued in definitive form will be issued in
denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 and
will be issued in registered form only, without coupons.
Optional Redemption
Forest City may redeem the notes at its option,
in whole or in part, at any time on or after February 1,
2010 and prior to maturity. Forest City may redeem the notes at
the redemption prices specified below. The redemption prices are
expressed as percentages of the principal amount if redeemed
during the 12-month period beginning February 1 of each of
the years indicated:
the depositary is at any time unwilling or unable
to continue as depositary or has ceased to be a clearing agency
registered under the Exchange Act and, in each case, a successor
depositary is not appointed by Forest City within 90 days;
an Event of Default under the indenture or an
event that with notice or lapse of time, or both, would
constitute an Event of Default under the indenture will have
occurred or be continuing; or
Forest City so requests.
Year | Redemption Price | |||
2010
|
103.250 | % | ||
2011
|
102.167 | % | ||
2012
|
101.083 | % | ||
2013 and thereafter
|
100.000 | % |
Forest City may also redeem the notes at its option, in whole or in part, prior to February 1, 2008 in the event that on or before February 1, 2008 Forest City completes one or more public equity offerings. In such case, Forest City may, at its option, use all or a portion of any of the net proceeds from that offering to redeem up to 35% of the original principal amount of the notes; provided,
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To redeem the notes as described in this section,
Forest City must give at least 30 and at most 60 days
notice by mail to each holder of notes that are to be redeemed.
If Forest City redeems the notes, Forest City will pay any
accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption
date. A redemption will not affect the right of holders to
receive interest on a scheduled interest payment date that
occurs prior to the redemption date. If Forest City redeems less
than all the notes, the trustee will select the notes for
redemption in a manner the Trustee deems fair and appropriate.
Partial redemption will be made in increments of $1,000.
Mandatory Redemption
Except as described below under
Repurchase at the Option of
Holders Asset Dispositions and
Change of Control, the notes will not
have the benefit of any obligation of Forest City to repurchase
notes at the option of the holders.
The notes will not have the benefit of any
sinking fund.
Repurchase at the Option of Holders
Asset
Dispositions
Forest City may not, and may not permit any
Subsidiary to, make any Asset Disposition in one or more related
transactions unless:
The amount of Net Available Proceeds from any
Asset Disposition less any amounts used in a Permitted Business
or applied to reduce Debt during the 365-day period set forth in
the preceding sentence constitutes Excess Proceeds.
Any Asset Disposition resulting from a condemnation of a
property by a court or governmental agency having jurisdiction
over such property will not be required to comply with
clause (1) above, but will otherwise be treated as an Asset
Disposition.
When the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds
exceeds $10,000,000, Forest City will, within 30 days
thereof, apply the Excess Proceeds:
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(1) Forest City or the Subsidiary, as the
case may be, receives consideration for such disposition at
least equal to the fair market value for the assets sold or
disposed of as determined by the Board of Directors of Forest
City in good faith; and
(2) all Net Available Proceeds, less any
amounts invested within 365 days of such disposition in
assets of Forest City or any Subsidiary thereof used in a
Permitted Business, including capital stock of an entity which
is engaged in a Permitted Business, are applied within
365 days of such disposition to the permanent repayment or
reduction of outstanding Debt that ranks equally to the notes,
or any outstanding Debt of any Subsidiary of Forest City, the
terms of which would require such application or prohibit the
repurchase of the notes.
(1) first, to make an Offer to Purchase
outstanding notes at 100% of their principal amount, plus
accrued interest to the date of purchase, and, to the extent
required by the terms thereof, any other Debt of Forest City
that ranks equal to the notes at a price no greater than 100% of
the principal amount of that Debt, plus accrued interest to the
date of purchase;
(2) second, to the extent of any remaining
Excess Proceeds following the completion of the Offer to
Purchase, to the repayment of other Debt of Forest City that
ranks equal to the notes, or any Debt of any Subsidiary of
Forest City; and
(3) third, to the extent of any remaining
Excess Proceeds, to any other use as determined by Forest City
which is not otherwise prohibited by the terms of the indenture.
Upon the completion of an Offer to Purchase
pursuant to this paragraph, the amount of Excess Proceeds will
be reset to zero.
Change of
Control
Within 30 days of the occurrence of a Change
of Control, Forest City will be required to make an Offer to
Purchase all outstanding notes at a purchase price equal to 101%
of their principal amount, plus accrued interest to the date of
purchase.
A Change of Control will occur when
either:
In the event that Forest City makes an Offer to
Purchase the notes, Forest City intends to comply with any
applicable securities laws and regulations, including any
applicable requirements of Section 14(e) of, and
Rule 14e-1 under, the Exchange Act.
In order for Forest City to purchase the notes
upon a Change of Control, it may be necessary for us to
recapitalize and/or refinance some or all of our outstanding
indebtedness or to seek the consent of our lenders. We cannot
assure you that such recapitalization, refinancing or consent,
if required, would be accomplished or obtained on favorable
terms, in a timely manner or at all. Forest Citys failure
to make an Offer to Purchase or to purchase the notes pursuant
to an Offer to Purchase will constitute an Event of Default
under the indenture. See Events of
Default.
Covenants
The indenture contains, among others, the
following covenants:
Limitation on
Debt
Forest City may not Incur any Debt, and may not
permit any Subsidiary of Forest City to Incur any Debt, unless,
immediately after giving effect to the Incurrence of such Debt
and the receipt and application of the proceeds thereof:
This limitation does not apply to the Incurrence
by Forest City or its Subsidiaries of the following types of
Debt:
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(1) any person, other than a Permitted
Holder, or any persons acting together that would constitute a
group for purposes of Section 13(d) of the
Exchange Act other than Permitted Holders, together with any
Affiliates or related persons thereof, will beneficially own,
within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act at
least 30% of the aggregate voting power of all classes of Forest
Citys Voting Stock; or
(2) any person or group, other than
Permitted Holders, together with any Affiliates or related
persons thereof, will succeed in having a sufficient number of
its nominees elected to the Board of Directors of Forest City
such that such nominees, when added to any existing director
remaining on the Board of Directors of Forest City after such
election who was a nominee of or is an Affiliate or related
person of such person or group, will constitute a majority of
the Board of Directors of Forest City.
(1) Forest Citys Consolidated EBITDA
to Interest Ratio for the last four full fiscal quarters for
which quarterly or annual financial statements are available
would be greater than 1.3 to 1; and
(2) Forest Citys Consolidated Adjusted
Net Worth would be greater than its Minimum Adjusted Net Worth.
(1) Debt Incurred by Forest City under its
guarantee of the FCRPC credit agreement or by any Subsidiary of
Forest City under the FCRPC credit agreement in an aggregate
principal amount at any one time not to exceed
$350 million, and any renewal, extension, refinancing or
refunding thereof, including, without limitation, the
replacement of the banks under the FCRPC
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credit agreement with a new group of banks in an
amount which, together with any amount remaining outstanding or
available under the FCRPC credit agreement, does not exceed
$350 million; provided that such refinancing or refunding
Debt does not have a Weighted Average Life that is less than the
Weighted Average Life of the Debt being refinanced or refunded;
(2) performance guarantees and performance
bonds, surety bonds and appeal bonds in each case incurred in
the ordinary course of business and consistent with past
practices;
(3) Debt, other than Debt described in
another clause of this paragraph, outstanding on the date of
original issuance of the notes offered hereby after giving
effect to the application of the proceeds of the notes;
(4) Debt owed by Forest City to any Wholly
Owned Subsidiary of Forest City for which fair value has been
received or Debt owed by a Subsidiary of Forest City to Forest
City or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Forest City; provided,
however, that any such Debt owing by Forest City to a Wholly
Owned Subsidiary will be Subordinated Debt evidenced by an
intercompany promissory note and upon either the transfer or
other disposition by such Wholly Owned Subsidiary or Forest City
of any Debt so permitted to a person other than Forest City or
another Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Forest City or the issuance,
other than directors qualifying shares, sale, lease,
transfer or other disposition of shares of Capital Stock,
including by consolidation or merger, of such Wholly Owned
Subsidiary to a person other than Forest City or another such
Wholly Owned Subsidiary, the provisions of this clause (4)
will no longer be applicable to such Debt and such Debt will be
deemed to have been Incurred at the time of such transfer or
other disposition;
(5) Debt Incurred by a person prior to the
time such person became a Subsidiary of Forest City, such person
merged into or consolidated with a Subsidiary of Forest City or
another Subsidiary of Forest City merged into or consolidated
with such person, in a transaction in which such person became a
Subsidiary of Forest City, which Debt was not Incurred in
anticipation of such transaction and was outstanding prior to
such transaction, provided that after giving pro forma effect to
such transaction and treating any Debt as having been Incurred
at the time of such transaction, Forest City could Incur at
least $1.00 of additional Debt pursuant to the preceding
paragraph;
(6) Development Debt Incurred by Forest City
or any Subsidiary of Forest City; provided that the Incurrence
of all such Development Debt would have been permitted under the
limitations set forth in the preceding paragraph on the date
that the first $1.00 of such Debt was Incurred determined as if
all such Development Debt had been incurred on the initial date
of Incurrence; provided, further, that if all such Development
Debt could be Incurred by Forest City or any Subsidiary of
Forest City on such date in accordance with the immediately
preceding provision, then individual borrowings or draw downs in
an aggregate amount of such Development Debt will not be subject
to the requirements of the preceding paragraph;
(7) Debt Incurred by Forest City or any of
its Subsidiaries consisting of Permitted Interest Rate, Currency
or Commodity Price Agreements;
(8) Debt which is exchanged for or the
proceeds of which are used to refinance or refund, or any
extension or renewal of, outstanding Debt Incurred pursuant to
the preceding paragraph or clauses (3), (5) or
(6) of this paragraph (each of the foregoing, a
refinancing) in an aggregate principal amount not to
exceed the principal amount of the Debt so refinanced, plus the
amount of any premium required to be paid in connection with
such refinancing pursuant to the terms of the Debt so refinanced
or the amount of any premium reasonably determined by Forest
City or the relevant Subsidiary as necessary to accomplish such
refinancing by means of a tender offer or privately negotiated
repurchase, plus the expenses of Forest City or the
Limitation on
Preferred Stock of Subsidiaries
Forest City may not cause, and may not permit,
any Subsidiary of Forest City to issue any Preferred Stock
except:
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Subsidiary, as the case may be, incurred in
connection with such refinancing; provided, however, that:
(a) in the case of any refinancing of Debt
which is subordinated in right of payment to the notes, the
refinancing Debt is Incurred by Forest City and constitutes
Subordinated Debt;
(b) the refinancing Debt by its terms
(i) does not have a Weighted Average Life less than the
Weighted Average Life of the Debt being refinanced and does not
have a maturity earlier than the final stated maturity of the
Debt being refinanced and (ii) does not permit redemption
or other retirement, including pursuant to an offer to purchase,
of such debt at the option of the holder thereof prior to the
final stated maturity of the Debt being refinanced, other than a
redemption or other retirement at the option of the holder of
such Debt, including pursuant to an offer to purchase, which is
conditioned upon provisions substantially similar to those
described under Repurchase at the Option of
Holders Asset Dispositions and
Change of Control; and
(c) in the case of any refinancing of Debt
Incurred by Forest City, the refinancing Debt may be Incurred
only by Forest City, and in the case of any refinancing of Debt
Incurred by a Subsidiary, the refinancing Debt may be Incurred
only by such Subsidiary; provided, further, that Debt Incurred
pursuant to clause (8) above may not be Incurred more than
45 days prior to the application of the proceeds to repay
the Debt to be refinanced; and
(9) Debt Incurred by Forest City or any
Subsidiary of Forest City not otherwise permitted to be Incurred
pursuant to clauses (1) through (8) above, which,
together with any other outstanding Debt Incurred pursuant to
this clause (9), has an aggregate principal amount not in
excess of $50 million at any time outstanding.
(1) Preferred Stock held by a Wholly Owned
Subsidiary or held by Forest City;
(2) Preferred Stock of an entity when it is
acquired which is outstanding at the time of such acquisition
and not incurred in anticipation of such acquisition if Forest
City could Incur Debt in an amount equal to the liquidation
value of such Preferred Stock pursuant to the first paragraph of
Limitation on Debt; and
(3) Preferred Stock issued by a Subsidiary
of Forest City, other than Forest City Rental Properties
Corporation, if:
(a) the liquidation value of the Preferred
Stock is treated as Debt Incurred at the time the Preferred
Stock is issued for all purposes under the indenture,
(b) all dividends on the Preferred Stock,
whether or not declared or paid, are treated as Consolidated
Interest Expense, and
(c) at the time of the issuance of the
Preferred Stock and after giving effect to the issuance of the
Preferred Stock as Debt Incurred at the time of the issuance
thereof, Forest City could Incur at least $1.00 of additional
Debt pursuant to the first paragraph of
Limitation on Debt.
Limitation on
Restricted Payments
Forest City:
(each of clauses (1) through (3) set
forth above are referred to as a Restricted
Payment), if:
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(1) may not, and may not permit any
Subsidiary of Forest City, directly or indirectly, to declare or
pay any dividend or make any distribution, including any payment
in connection with any merger or consolidation derived from
assets of Forest City or any Subsidiary, in respect of its
Capital Stock or to the holders thereof, excluding:
(a) any dividends or distributions by Forest
City payable solely in shares of its Capital Stock, other than
Redeemable Stock, or in options, warrants or other rights to
acquire its Capital Stock, other than Redeemable Stock,
(b) in the case of a Subsidiary of Forest
City, dividends or distributions payable to Forest City or a
Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Forest City, pro rata dividends or
distributions payable solely in shares of its Capital Stock,
other than Redeemable Stock, or in options, warrants or other
rights to acquire its Capital Stock, other than Redeemable
Stock, and
(c) in the case of a Subsidiary of Forest
City, dividends or distributions payable pursuant to the terms
of its organizational documents;
(2) may not, and may not permit any
Subsidiary to, purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or retire
for value any Capital Stock of Forest City or any options,
warrants or other rights to acquire shares of Capital Stock of
Forest City or any securities convertible or exchangeable into
shares of Capital Stock of Forest City; and
(3) may not, and may not permit any
Subsidiary of Forest City to, redeem, repurchase, defease or
otherwise acquire or retire for value, prior to any scheduled
maturity, repayment or sinking fund payment, any Debt of Forest
City which is subordinate in right of payment to the notes.
(a) an Event of Default, or an event that
with the passing of time or the giving of notice, or both, would
constitute an Event of Default, will have occurred and is
continuing or would result from such Restricted Payment,
(b) after giving pro forma effect to such
Restricted Payment as if such Restricted Payment had been made
at the beginning of the applicable four-fiscal-quarter period,
Forest City could not Incur at least $1.00 of additional Debt
pursuant to the first paragraph of Limitation
on Debt above, or
(c) upon giving effect to such Restricted
Payment, the aggregate of all Restricted Payments from
January 31, 2003 exceeds the sum of:
(i) 25% of the sum of
(A) cumulative Consolidated Net Income, or,
if negative, less 100% of such deficit, of Forest City since
January 31, 2003 through the last day of the last full
fiscal quarter ending immediately preceding the date of such
Restricted Payment, taken as a single accounting period, plus
(B) the amount of consolidated depreciation
and amortization and deferred taxes included in such
Consolidated Net Income, less
(C) the amount of ordinary and necessary
expenditures for the purpose of maintaining the real and
personal property of Forest City and its Subsidiaries in a state
of good repair that was included in such Consolidated Net Income
or that was
The restrictions in the preceding paragraph will
not apply to the following (so long as no Event of Default, or
event that with the passing of time or the giving of notice, or
both, would constitute an Event of Default, will have occurred
and is continuing or would result therefrom):
Limitations
Concerning Distributions by and Transfers to
Subsidiaries
Forest City may not, and may not permit any
Subsidiary of Forest City, directly or indirectly, to suffer to
exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or
restriction on the ability of any Subsidiary of Forest City to:
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capitalized and included on the consolidated
balance sheet of Forest City and its Subsidiaries since
January 31, 2003; plus
(ii) 100% of the aggregate net proceeds
received by Forest City after the date of original issuance of
the notes, including the fair market value of property other
than cash (determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of
Forest City), from contributions of capital or the issuance and
sale (other than to a Subsidiary) of Capital Stock (other than
Redeemable Stock) of Forest City, options, warrants or other
rights to acquire Capital Stock (other than Redeemable Stock) of
Forest City and the principal amount (or, in the case of Debt
issued at a discount, the accreted value of such Debt) of Debt
of Forest City that has been converted into or exchanged for
Capital Stock (other than Redeemable Stock and other than by or
from a Subsidiary) of Forest City after the date of original
issuance of the notes, so long as any net proceeds received by
Forest City from an employee stock ownership plan financed by
loans from Forest City or a Subsidiary of Forest City will be
included only to the extent such loans have been repaid with
cash on or prior to the date of determination; plus
(iii) $30 million.
(1) Forest City and any Subsidiary of Forest
City may pay any dividend on Capital Stock of any class within
60 days after the declaration thereof if, on the date when
the dividend was declared, Forest City or such Subsidiary could
have paid such dividend in accordance with the prior paragraph;
(2) Forest City may refinance any Debt
otherwise permitted by clause (8) of the second paragraph
under Limitation on Debt above or solely
in exchange for or out of the net proceeds of the substantially
concurrent sale, other than from or to a Subsidiary or from or
to an employee stock ownership plan financed by loans from
Forest City or a Subsidiary of Forest City, of shares of Capital
Stock, other than Redeemable Stock, of Forest City so long as
the amount of net proceeds from such exchange or sale will be
excluded from the calculation of the amount available for
Restricted Payments pursuant to the preceding paragraph;
(3) Forest City may purchase, redeem,
acquire or retire any shares of Capital Stock of Forest City
solely in exchange for or out of the net proceeds of the
substantially concurrent sale, other than from or to a
Subsidiary or from or to an employee stock ownership plan
financed by loans from Forest City or a Subsidiary of Forest
City, of shares of Capital Stock, other than Redeemable Stock,
of Forest City;
(4) Forest City may purchase or redeem any
Debt from Net Available Proceeds to the extent permitted under
Repurchase at the Option of
Holders Asset Dispositions; and
(5) Forest City may make payments with
respect to the extinguishment of fractional or odd lot shares of
its Capital Stock in an aggregate amount not in excess of
$250,000.
(1) pay dividends, in cash or otherwise, or
make any other distributions in respect of its Capital Stock or
pay any Debt or other obligation owed to Forest City or any
other Subsidiary of Forest City;
The limitations in the preceding paragraph will
not apply to any encumbrance or restriction:
Limitation on
Sale and Leaseback Transactions
Forest City may not, and may not permit any
Subsidiary to, enter into any Sale and Leaseback Transaction
unless all of the conditions of the indenture described under
Repurchase at the Option of
Holders Asset Dispositions, including the
provisions concerning the application of Net Available Proceeds,
are satisfied with respect to such Sale and Leaseback
Transaction, treating all of the consideration received in such
Sale and Leaseback Transaction as Net Available Proceeds for
purposes of such covenant.
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(2) make loans or advances to Forest City or
any other Subsidiary; or
(3) transfer any of its property or assets
to Forest City or any other Subsidiary.
(1) pursuant to any agreement in effect on
the date of original issuance of the notes, including the FCRPC
credit agreement;
(2) pursuant to any future senior credit
facility between Forest City Rental Properties Corporation and
any financial institution or institutions or a senior credit
facility between Forest City Trading Group, Inc. and a financial
institution or institutions so long as any encumbrance or
restriction contained therein permits Forest City Rental
Properties Corporation and Forest City Trading Group, Inc. to
make dividends, loans or advances to Forest City:
(a) in amounts sufficient to pay, when due,
all interest payments in respect of Debt of Forest City,
including the notes,
(b) amounts sufficient to pay, when due, all
taxes of Forest City, and
(c) except in the case of any default by
Forest City Rental Properties Corporation under any such future
credit facility, not less than $5.0 million per fiscal year
to pay administrative and other expenses of Forest City,
provided that any future credit facility may contain
encumbrances or restrictions that restrict the applicable
Subsidiarys ability to make distributions to Forest City
in the event that Forest City Rental Properties Corporation
fails to make any payment of principal, interest or other
amounts when due in accordance with the terms of the future
credit facility, after giving effect to any applicable grace
periods;
(3) pursuant to an agreement relating to any
Debt Incurred by a person prior to the date on which such person
became a Subsidiary of Forest City and outstanding on such date
and not Incurred in anticipation of becoming a Subsidiary, which
encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any person, or
the properties or assets of any person, other than the person so
acquired;
(4) pursuant to an agreement entered into by
a Subsidiary of Forest City in connection with the acquisition,
development, construction or improvement of real property so
long as such agreement is required by a third party prior to
making capital contributions, or extending credit, to the
Subsidiary; or
(5) pursuant to an agreement effecting a
renewal, refunding or extension of Debt Incurred pursuant to an
agreement referred to in clauses (1) through
(4) above, including, solely for purposes of this
clause (5), renewals, refinancings and extensions of Debt
Incurred pursuant to an agreement referred to in clause (4)
above that are in excess of the original amount of such Debt, so
long as the provisions contained in the renewal, refunding or
extension agreement relating to such encumbrance or restriction
are no more restrictive in any material respect than the
provisions contained in the agreement the subject thereof, in
the reasonable judgment of the Chief Executive Officer of Forest
City.
Limitation on
Layered Debt of Subsidiaries
Forest City may not permit any Subsidiary to
Incur any Debt that is by its terms subordinate in right of
payment to the FCRPC credit agreement.
Limitation on
Liens
Forest City may not, and may not permit any
Subsidiary of Forest City to, Incur or suffer to exist any Lien
to secure Debt on or with respect to any property or assets now
owned or hereafter acquired if the Lien secures Debt that:
The restriction in the preceding paragraph will
not apply to:
Limitation on
Issuances and Sales of Capital Stock of
Subsidiaries
Subject to the Mergers, Consolidations and
Certain Sales of Assets covenant, if applicable, Forest
City may not permit any Subsidiary of Forest City to:
unless, in either case, if:
Transactions
with Affiliates and Related Persons
Forest City may not, and may not permit any
Subsidiary of Forest City to, enter into any transaction, or
series of related transactions, with an Affiliate or related
person of Forest City, other than Forest City or a Wholly Owned
Subsidiary of Forest City, including any Investment, either
directly or indirectly, unless such transaction is on terms no
less favorable to Forest City or such
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(1) ranks equal to the notes, unless the
notes are secured on an equal and ratable basis with the
obligations so secured until such time as such obligation is no
longer secured by a Lien; or
(2) is subordinated to the notes, unless any
such Lien will be subordinated to the Lien granted to the
holders of the notes to the same extent as such subordinated
Debt is subordinated in right of payment to the notes.
(1) Liens on property or other assets of
Forest City as described in the definition of Purchase Money
Debt to secure Purchase Money Debt otherwise permitted under the
indenture; or
(2) Liens to secure Debt Incurred to extend,
renew, refinance or refund, or successive extensions, renewals,
refinancings or refundings, in whole or in part, of, Purchase
Money Debt secured by a Lien so long as such Lien does not
extend to any other property and the principal amount, or, in
the case of Debt issued at a discount, the accreted value
thereof, of Debt so secured is not increased.
(1) transfer, convey, sell, lease or
otherwise dispose of any Capital Stock of the Subsidiary or any
other Subsidiary of Forest City to any person, other than Forest
City or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Forest City; and
(2) issue shares of Capital Stock, other
than directors qualifying shares and other than to Forest
City or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Forest City,
(a) in the case of any Subsidiary of Forest
City other than Forest City Rental Properties Corporation, the
Net Available Proceeds from the sale, assignment, transfer,
issuance or conveyance are applied in accordance with the
provisions of the indenture described under
Repurchase at the Option of
Holders Asset Dispositions, including the
provisions relating to the application of Net Available
Proceeds; or
(b) the issuance of Preferred Stock which is
permitted by the provisions described under
Limitation on Preferred Stock of
Subsidiaries.
Provision of
Financial Information
Whether or not Forest City is required to file
reports with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act, Forest City
will file with the SEC the annual reports, quarterly reports and
other documents which Forest City would have been required to
file with the SEC if Forest City were so required. Forest City
will also distribute copies of these reports to all holders of
the notes upon their written request by mail as their names and
addresses appear in the security register. These reports will be
available on the SECs website.
Mergers, Consolidations and Certain Sales of
Assets
Forest City may not, in a single transaction or a
series of related transactions,
unless, in each case:
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(1) in excess of $1 million but less
than or equal to $5 million, the Chief Executive Officer of
Forest City will determine that the transaction satisfies the
criteria;
(2) in excess of $5 million, a majority
of the disinterested members of the Board of Directors will
determine that the transaction satisfies the criteria; and
(3) in excess of $20 million, Forest
City will also obtain an opinion from a nationally recognized
expert with experience in appraising the terms and conditions of
the type of transaction, or series of related transactions, for
which the opinion is required stating that such transaction, or
series of related transactions, is on terms no less favorable to
Forest City or such Subsidiary than those that could be obtained
in a comparable arms-length transaction with an entity
that is not an Affiliate or related person of Forest City.
(1) consolidate with or merge into or
reorganize with or into any other person or permit any other
person to consolidate with or merge into or reorganize with or
into Forest City; or
(2) directly or indirectly, transfer,
convey, sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially
all of its assets to any other person,
(a) in a transaction, or series of
transactions, in which Forest City does not survive or in which
Forest City sells, leases or otherwise disposes of all or
substantially all of its assets, the successor entity to Forest
City is organized under the laws of the United States of America
or any State thereof or the District of Columbia and expressly
assumes all of Forest Citys obligations under the
indenture;
(b) immediately before and after giving
effect to such transaction, or series of transactions, and
treating any Debt which becomes an obligation of Forest City or
a Subsidiary as a result of such transaction, or series of
transactions, as having been Incurred by Forest City or such
Subsidiary at the time of the transaction, or series of
transactions, no Event of Default or event that with the passing
of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute an
Event of Default will have occurred and be continuing;
(c) immediately after giving effect to such
transaction, or series of transactions, the Consolidated Net
Worth of Forest City, or successor entity to Forest City, is
equal to or greater than 90% of Forest Citys Consolidated
Net Worth immediately prior to the transaction, or series of
transactions;
(d) immediately after giving effect to such
transaction, or series of transactions, and treating any Debt
which becomes an obligation of Forest City or a Subsidiary as a
result of such transaction, or series of transactions, as having
been Incurred by Forest City or such
GAAP
All reference to accounting terms that are not
defined below and all references to generally accepted
accounting principles with respect to any computation
required or permitted under the indenture mean the accounting
principles as are generally accepted at the date of the
indenture.
Certain Definitions
Set forth below is a summary of certain of the
defined terms used in the indenture. Reference is made to the
indenture for the full definition of all such terms, as well as
any other terms used herein for which no definition is provided.
Affiliate of any person means any
other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by
or under direct or indirect common control with that person. For
the purposes of this definition, control, when used
with respect to any person, means the power to direct the
management and policies of that person, directly or indirectly,
whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract
or otherwise; and the terms controlling and
controlled have meanings correlative to the
foregoing.
Asset Disposition by any person means
any transfer, conveyance, sale, lease or other disposition by
that person or any of its Subsidiaries (including a
consolidation or merger or other sale of any Subsidiary with,
into or to another person in a transaction in which the
Subsidiary ceases to be a Subsidiary) of:
The following dispositions are not treated as
Asset Dispositions:
Capital Lease Obligation of any
person means the obligation to pay rent or other payment amounts
under a lease of, or other Debt arrangements conveying the right
to use, real or personal
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Subsidiary at the time of the transaction, or
series of transactions, Forest City, including any successor
entity to Forest City, after giving pro forma effect thereto as
if such transaction, or series of transactions, had occurred at
the beginning of the most recently ended four full fiscal
quarter period for which financial statements are available
immediately preceding the date of such transaction, or series of
transactions, could Incur at least $1.00 of additional Debt
pursuant to the Consolidated EBITDA to Interest Ratio test and
the test of the excess of Forest Citys Consolidated
Adjusted Net Worth over Forest Citys Minimum Adjusted Net
Worth, each set forth in the first paragraph under
Covenants Limitation on
Debt; and
(e) if, as a result of any such transaction,
property and assets of Forest City or any Subsidiary would
become subject to a Lien which would not be permitted by the
limitation set forth under
Covenants Limitation on
Liens, Forest City or, if applicable, the successor
entity, as the case may be, takes such steps as are necessary to
secure the notes equally and ratably with, or prior to, the Debt
secured by such Lien.
(1) shares of Capital Stock, other than
directors qualifying shares, or other ownership interests
of a Subsidiary of that person;
(2) substantially all of the assets of that
person or any of its Subsidiaries representing a division or
line of business; or
(3) other assets or rights of that person or
any of its Subsidiaries outside of the ordinary course of
business.
(1) a disposition by a Subsidiary of that
person to that person or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of that
person or by that person to a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of that
person; and
(2) a disposition resulting from foreclosure
on the mortgage underlying a property or the transfer of the
deed or other instrument of title in lieu of foreclosure on a
property (provided that in each case the Debt underlying that
property has matured).
Capital Stock of any person means any
and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents,
however designated, of corporate stock or other equity
participations or interests, including partnership interests,
whether general or limited, and membership interests whether
managing or non-managing, of that person.
Cash Equivalents means, at any time,
Common Development of a person means
multiple parcels of real or personal property that are acquired,
developed, constructed or improved by that person in conjunction
with, and as part of a written plan or arrangement with, a
non-Affiliated person, or with a group of persons under the
common control of a non-Affiliated person.
Common Stock of any person means
Capital Stock of that person which does not rank prior, as to
the payment of dividends or as to other amounts upon any
voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up
of that person, to shares of Capital Stock of any other class of
that person.
Consolidated Adjusted Net Worth of
Forest City means, at any date, the Consolidated Net Worth of
Forest City plus:
Consolidated EBITDA of any person
means, for any period the Consolidated Net Income of that person
for the period, plus:
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(1) any Debt, other than any Debt issued at
a discount, fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the
United States of America or any agency or instrumentality
thereof, provided that the full faith and credit of the United
States is pledged in support thereof;
(2) certificates of deposit of any financial
institution that has combined capital and surplus and undivided
profits of not less than $50,000,000, or the equivalent thereof
in another currency, and has a long-term debt rating of at least
AA by Standard & Poors Ratings Group
or at least Aa3 by Moodys Investors Service,
Inc.; or
(3) commercial paper issued by a
corporation, other than Forest City or any Subsidiary thereof,
organized under the laws of any State of the United States and
rated at least A-1 by Standard & Poors Ratings
Group and at least P-1 by Moodys Investors Service, Inc.
(1) the consolidated accumulated
depreciation and amortization of Forest City as of
January 31, 2003; and
(2) the consolidated depreciation and
amortization expense of Forest City for the period from
February 1, 2003 through the date of any determination,
determined in each case on a consolidated basis in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles.
(1) Consolidated Interest Expense of that
person for the period;
(2) interest expense in respect of
Non-Recourse Debt not paid in cash, but only to the extent
deducted from interest expense in determining Consolidated
Interest Expense for the period;
(3) Consolidated Income Tax Expense of that
person for the period (after deducting the portion of that
Consolidated Income Tax Expense, if any, included in
Consolidated Net Income of that person for the period pursuant
to clause (8) of the definition of Consolidated Net
Income); and
Consolidated EBITDA to Interest Ratio
of any person means for any period (the Reference
Period) with respect to any date of calculation (the
Transaction Date) the ratio of Consolidated EBITDA
of that person for the period to Consolidated Interest Expense
of that person for that period. In making this calculation,
Consolidated Income Tax Expense of
any person for any period means the consolidated provision for
income taxes of that person for the period calculated on a
consolidated basis in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles.
Consolidated Interest Expense of any
person means for any period the consolidated interest expense as
set forth on a consolidated income statement of that person and
its subsidiaries for the period, after deducting:
in each case to the extent included in the income
statement of that person and its Subsidiaries for the period,
calculated on a consolidated basis in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles, including without limitation or
duplication (or, to the extent not so included, with the
addition of),
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(4) the consolidated depreciation and
amortization expense taken into account in determining the
Consolidated Net Income of that person for the period.
(1) pro forma effect will be given to any
Debt, other than Non-Recourse Debt, Incurred during the
Reference Period or subsequent to the end of the Reference
Period and on or prior to the Transaction Date to the extent
that Debt is outstanding at the Transaction Date, in each case
as if that Debt had been Incurred on the first day of the
Reference Period and after giving pro forma effect to the
application of the proceeds thereof as if such application had
occurred on such first day;
(2) Consolidated Interest Expense
attributable to interest on any Debt, whether existing or being
Incurred, other than Non-Recourse Debt, computed on a pro forma
basis and bearing a floating interest rate, will be computed as
if the rate in effect on the Transaction Date, taking into
account any Permitted Interest Rate, Currency or Commodity Price
Agreement applicable to that Debt if such Permitted Interest
Rate, Currency or Commodity Price Agreement has a remaining term
in excess of 12 months or at least equal to the remaining
term of that Debt, had been the applicable rate for the entire
period;
(3) there will be excluded from Consolidated
Interest Expense an amount equal to the portion of Consolidated
Interest Expense, if any, related to any amount of Debt, other
than Non-Recourse Debt, that was outstanding during the
Reference Period or thereafter, but that is not outstanding or
is to be repaid on the Transaction Date; and
(4) pro forma effect will be given to Asset
Dispositions and asset acquisitions by that person, including
giving pro forma effect to the application of proceeds of any
Asset Dispositions, that occur during the Reference Period or
thereafter and prior to the Transaction Date as if they had
occurred and the proceeds had been applied on the first day of
the Reference Period.
(1) any consolidated interest
income; and
(2) any interest expense in respect of
Non-Recourse Debt not paid in cash,
(a) the amortization of Debt discounts;
(b) any payments or fees with respect to
letters of credit, bankers acceptances or similar
facilities;
(c) fees with respect to Interest Rate,
Currency or Commodity Price Agreements;
(d) Preferred Stock dividends of Forest City
and its Subsidiaries (other than with respect to Redeemable
Stock) declared, whether paid or payable, in the period;
Consolidated Net Income of any person
means for any period the consolidated net income (or loss) of
that person and its Subsidiaries for the period determined in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles,
excluding:
Consolidated Net Worth of any person
means, at any date, the consolidated stockholders equity
of that person, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles, less amounts
attributable to Redeemable Stock of that person.
consolidation means, with respect to
any person, the consolidation of the accounts of that person
with the accounts of each person in which that person, directly
or indirectly, owns an interest, if and to the extent the
accounts of that person would be consolidated with the accounts
of that person in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles.
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(e) accrued Redeemable Stock dividends of
Forest City and its Subsidiaries, whether or not declared or
paid;
(f) interest on Debt guaranteed by that
person or any of its Subsidiaries;
(g) the portion of any rental obligation or
Capital Lease Obligation allocable to interest expense but only
to the extent that amount exceeds $750,000 on a consolidated
basis; and
(h) the portion of the rental obligation in
respect of any Sale and Leaseback Transaction allocable to
interest expense, determined as if such obligation were a
Capital Lease Obligation, but only to the extent that amount
exceeds $750,000 on a consolidated basis.
(1) the net income (but not the net loss) of
any Subsidiary of that person which is subject to restrictions
which prevent the payment of dividends and the making of
distributions (by loans, advances, intercompany transfers or
otherwise) to that person to the extent of such restrictions;
(2) the equity in earnings of unconsolidated
entities of that person except to the extent of the aggregate
amount of dividends or other distributions actually paid to that
person by that other person during the period (in no event,
however, in an amount greater than the equity in earnings of
unconsolidated entities of that person);
(3) gains or losses on disposition of
properties by that person and its Subsidiaries as set forth on
an income statement of that person prepared in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles;
(4) the cumulative effect of changes in
accounting principles in the year of adoption of the changes;
(5) all extraordinary items of that person
and its Subsidiaries as set forth on an income statement of that
person prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles;
(6) gains and losses from the early
retirement or extinguishment of Debt;
(7) all gains or losses of that person and
its Subsidiaries resulting from the disposal of a segment of a
business of that person determined in each case in accordance
with Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 30 as set
forth on an income statement of that person prepared in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
provided, however, that the gains and losses will be excluded
only to the extent the items are not included within
extraordinary gains or extraordinary losses of that person, and
provided further, however, that in no event will the amounts be
excluded beyond the fiscal year in which the disposal occurred;
(8) the provision for decline in real estate
as set forth on an income statement of that person prepared in
accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles; and
(9) the tax effect of any of the items
described in clauses (1) through (8) above.
Debt means, without duplication, with
respect to any person, whether recourse is to all or a portion
of the assets of that person and whether or not contingent:
The amount or principal
amount of Debt is determined as follows:
Development Debt of any person means
Debt of that person or any mortgages, indentures, instruments or
agreements under which there may be issued or existing or by
which there may be secured or evidenced any Debt of that person
Incurred for the purpose of financing all or any part of
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(1) every obligation of that person for
money borrowed;
(2) every obligation of that person
evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar
instruments, including obligations Incurred in connection with
the acquisition of property, assets or businesses;
(3) every reimbursement obligation of that
person with respect to letters of credit, bankers
acceptances or similar facilities issued for the account of that
person;
(4) every obligation of that person issued
or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or
services, including securities repurchase agreements, but
excluding trade accounts payable or accrued liabilities arising
in the ordinary course of business which are not overdue or
which are being contested in good faith;
(5) every Capital Lease Obligation of that
person;
(6) all Receivables Sales of that person,
together with any obligation of that person to pay any discount,
interest, fees, indemnities, penalties, recourse, expenses or
other amounts in connection therewith;
(7) all Redeemable Stock issued by that
person;
(8) every obligation to pay rent or other
payment amounts of that person with respect to any Sale and
Leaseback Transaction to which that person is a party
(including, if applicable, the full payment obligation of that
person at expiry of the lease arrangement assuming no
refinancing or third-party sale);
(9) every obligation under Interest Rate,
Currency or Commodity Price Agreements of that person; and
(10) every obligation of the type referred
to in clauses (1) through (9) above of another person
and all dividends or other distributions of another person the
payment of which, in either case, that person has guaranteed or
for which that person is responsible or liable, directly or
indirectly, as obligor, guarantor or otherwise.
(1) any contingent Debt, will be the maximum
liability upon the occurrence of the contingency giving rise to
the obligation, unless the underlying contingency has not
occurred and the occurrence of the underlying contingency is
entirely within the control of Forest City;
(2) any Debt issued at a price that is less
than the principal amount at maturity thereof, will be the
amount of the liability in respect thereof determined in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
(3) any Receivables Sale, will be the amount
of the unrecovered capital or principal investment of the
purchaser, other than Forest City or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary
of Forest City, as of the time of determination, excluding
amounts representative of yield or interest earned on the
investment; and
(4) any Redeemable Stock, will be the
maximum fixed redemption or repurchase price in respect thereof.
Exchange Act refers to the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 as it may be amended from time to time and
any successor act thereto.
fair market value means the price
that would be paid in an arms-length transaction between
an informed and willing seller under no compulsion to sell and
an informed and willing buyer under no compulsion to buy.
FCRPC credit agreement means the
credit agreement, dated as of March 5, 2002, as amended as
of May 9, 2003, among Forest City Rental Properties
Corporation, an Ohio corporation, as borrower, various lending
institutions named therein, Keybank National Association,
individually and as administrative agent, and National City
Bank, individually and as syndication agent, and any Debt the
proceeds of which are used to renew, extend, refinance or
replace the FCRPC credit agreement and any Debt Incurred in
connection with any subsequent or successive renewal, extension
or refinancing of that Debt.
FCRPC guaranty means the Guaranty of
Payment of Debt, dated as of March 5, 2002, as amended as
of May 9, 2003, by Forest City of the obligations under the
FCRPC credit agreement and any guarantee by Forest City, of any
renewal, extension, refinancing or replacement of the FCRPC
credit agreement.
guarantee by any person means any
obligation, contingent or otherwise, of that person
guaranteeing, or having the economic effect of guaranteeing, any
Debt of any other person (the primary obligor) in
any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including,
without limitation, any obligation of that person,
provided, however, that the guaranty by any
person will not include endorsements by that person for
collection or deposit, in either case, in the ordinary course of
business.
Incur means, with respect to any Debt
or other obligation of any person, to create, issue, incur (by
conversion, exchange or otherwise) assume, guarantee or
otherwise become liable in respect of the Debt or other
obligation, including by acquisition of Subsidiaries, or the
recording, as
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(1) the principal amount of any the Debt
does not exceed 100% of the cost of such acquisition,
development, construction or improvement, plus expenses incurred
in connection with the Incurrence of the Debt;
(2) such cost will be included in
Total Real Estate on the consolidated balance sheet
of that person; and
(3) if such Debt is secured by a Lien, then
(a) the Lien attached to the real or personal property
prior to, at the time of, or within 180 days after the
acquisition of or the completion of developing, constructing or
improving of the property and (b) the Lien does not extend
to or cover any property other than the specific item of such
property, or portion thereof, acquired, developed, constructed,
or constituting the improvements made with the proceeds of the
Debt, except in the case of Common Development, in which case
such Lien may extend to any other property included within the
Common Development.
(1) to purchase or pay, or advance or supply
funds for the purchase or payment of, the Debt or to purchase,
or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of, any security
for the payment of the Debt;
(2) to purchase property, securities or
services for the purpose of assuring the holder of the Debt of
the payment of the Debt; or
(3) to maintain working capital, equity
capital or other financial statement condition or liquidity of
the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay
the Debt,
Interest Rate, Currency or Commodity Price
Agreement of any person means any forward contract,
futures contract, swap, option or other financial agreement or
arrangement, including, without limitation, caps, floors,
collars and similar agreements, relating to, or the value of
which is dependent upon, interest rates, currency exchange rates
or commodity prices or indices, excluding contracts for the
purchase or sale of goods in the ordinary course of business.
Investment by any person in any other
person means:
Lien means, with respect to any
property or assets, any mortgage or deed of trust, pledge,
hypothecation, assignment, Receivables Sale, deposit
arrangement, security interest, lien, charge, easement (other
than any easement not materially impairing usefulness or
marketability), encumbrance, preference, priority or other
security agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind or
nature whatsoever on or with respect to the property or assets,
including, without limitation, any conditional sale or other
title retention agreement having substantially the same economic
effect as any of the foregoing or any agreement to give any
security interest.
Material Subsidiary means any
Subsidiary of Forest City deemed a significant
subsidiary for purposes of Rule 1-02(w) of
Regulation S-X under the Securities Act.
Minimum Adjusted Net Worth of Forest
City means, as of any date, the sum of:
Net Available Proceeds from any Asset
Disposition by any person means cash or readily marketable Cash
Equivalents received, including by way of sale or discounting of
a note, installment receivable or other receivable, but
excluding any other consideration received in the form of
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(1) any direct or indirect loan, advance or
other extension of credit or capital contribution to or for the
account of the other person, by means of any transfer of cash or
other property to any person or any payment for property or
services for the account or use of any person, or otherwise;
(2) any direct or indirect purchase or other
acquisition, including by way of merger or consolidation, of any
Capital Stock, bond, note, debenture, or other debt or equity
security or evidence of Debt, or any other ownership interest,
issued by the other person, whether or not the acquisition is
from that or any other person;
(3) any direct or indirect payment by the
person on a guarantee of any obligation of or for the account of
the other person or any direct or indirect issuance by the
person of a guarantee; or
(4) any other investment of cash or other
property by the person in or for the account of the other
person, but will not include trade accounts receivable in the
ordinary course of business on credit terms made generally
available to the customers of the person.
(1) $900 million;
(2) the amount of Recourse Debt Incurred
after the date of original issuance of the notes that is
outstanding on any date of determination, but only to the extent
the amount of that Debt then outstanding exceeds
$675 million; and
(3) 25% of Forest Citys consolidated
net income (or zero in the case of a consolidated net loss)
determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles for the period from February 1, 2003 through the
date of any determination, determined on a consolidated basis in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Non-Recourse as applied to any Debt
means Debt of a person, or any portion thereof, to the extent
that, under the terms thereof, no personal recourse may be had
against that person or any affiliate of that person for the
payment of all or a portion of the principal of or interest or
premium on the Debt, and enforcement of obligations on the Debt,
except with respect to fraud, willful misconduct, intentional
misrepresentation, misapplication of funds, waste and
undertakings with respect to environmental matters, is limited
only to recourse against interests in specified assets and
properties owned by that person, accounts and proceeds arising
therefrom, and rights under purchase agreements or other
agreements relating to such assets.
Offer to Purchase means a written
offer sent by Forest City to each holder of the notes offering
to purchase up to the principal amount of notes specified in the
offer at the purchase price specified in the offer. The offer
will, unless otherwise required by applicable law, specify an
expiration date of the Offer to Purchase which will be not less
than 30 days or more than 60 days after the date of
the offer and a settlement date (the Purchase Date)
for purchase of notes within three Business Days after the
expiration date. Forest City will notify the Trustee at least 15
Business Days (or such shorter period as is acceptable to the
Trustee) prior to the mailing of the offer of Forest Citys
obligation to make an Offer to Purchase, and the offer will be
mailed by Forest City or by the Trustee, at the request of
Forest City, in the name and at the expense of Forest City. The
offer will contain information concerning the business of Forest
City and its Subsidiaries which Forest City in good faith
believes will enable such holders to make an informed decision
with respect to the Offer to Purchase, which at a minimum will
include:
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(1) all legal, title and recording tax
expenses, commissions and other fees and expenses Incurred and
all federal, state, provincial, foreign and local taxes required
to be accrued as a liability as a consequence of the Asset
Disposition;
(2) all payments made by the person or its
Subsidiaries on any Debt which is secured by the assets in
accordance with the terms of any Lien upon or with respect to
the assets or which must by the terms of the Lien, or in order
to obtain a necessary consent to the Asset Disposition or by
applicable law, be repaid out of the proceeds from the Asset
Disposition;
(3) all distributions and other payments
made to minority interest holders in Subsidiaries of the person
or joint ventures as a result of the Asset Disposition; and
(4) appropriate amounts to be provided by
the person or any Subsidiary thereof, as the case may be, as a
reserve in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles against any liabilities associated with the assets
and retained by the person or any Subsidiary thereof, as the
case may be, after the Asset Disposition, including, without
limitation, liabilities under any indemnification obligations
and severance and other employee termination costs associated
with the Asset Disposition, in each case as determined by the
Board of Directors, in its reasonable good faith judgment;
provided, however, that any reduction in the reserve within
twelve months following the consummation of such Asset
Disposition will be treated as a new Asset Disposition at the
time of the reduction with Net Available Proceeds equal to the
amount of the reduction.
(1) the most recent annual and quarterly
financial statements and Managements Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
contained in the documents required to be filed with the trustee
pursuant to the provisions described under
Covenants Provision of Financial
Information which requirements may be satisfied by
delivery of such documents together with the offer;
(2) a description of material developments
in Forest Citys business subsequent to the date of the
latest of such financial statements referred to in
clause (1) above, including a description of the events
requiring Forest City to make the Offer to Purchase;
The offer will also state:
Any Offer to Purchase will be governed by and
effected in accordance with the offer for the Offer to Purchase.
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(3) if applicable, appropriate pro forma
financial information concerning the Offer to Purchase and the
events requiring Forest City to make the Offer to
Purchase; and
(4) any other information required by
applicable law to be included therein.
(1) the section of the indenture pursuant to
which the Offer to Purchase is being made, including that a
Change of Control or Asset Disposition, as applicable, has
occurred;
(2) the expiration date and the Purchase
Date;
(3) the aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding notes offered to be purchased by Forest City
pursuant to the Offer to Purchase (the Purchase
Amount);
(4) the purchase price to be paid by Forest
City for each $1,000 aggregate principal amount of notes
accepted for payment;
(5) that the holder may tender all or any
portion of the notes registered in the name of the holder and
that any portion of a note tendered must be tendered in an
integral multiple of $1,000 principal amount;
(6) the place or places where notes are to
be surrendered for tender pursuant to the Offer to Purchase;
(7) that interest on any note not tendered
or tendered but not purchased by Forest City pursuant to the
Offer to Purchase will continue to accrue;
(8) that on the Purchase Date the purchase
price will become due and payable upon each note being accepted
for payment pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and that interest
thereon will cease to accrue on and after the Purchase Date;
(9) that each holder electing to tender a
note pursuant to the Offer to Purchase will be required to
surrender the note at the place or places specified in the offer
prior to the close of business on the expiration date (such note
being, if Forest City or the trustee so requires, duly endorsed
by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form
satisfactory to Forest City and the trustee duly executed by,
the holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing);
(10) that holders will be entitled to
withdraw all or any portion of notes tendered if Forest City, or
its paying agent, receives, not later than the close of business
on the expiration date, a facsimile transmission or letter
setting forth the name of the holder, the principal amount of
the note the holder tendered, the certificate number of the note
the holder tendered and a statement that such holder is
withdrawing all or a portion of his tender;
(11) that (a) if notes in an aggregate
principal amount less than or equal to the Purchase Amount are
duly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the Offer to
Purchase, Forest City will purchase all such notes and
(b) if notes in an aggregate principal amount in excess of
the Purchase Amount are tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to
the Offer to Purchase, Forest City will purchase notes having an
aggregate principal amount equal to the Purchase Amount on a pro
rata basis; and
(12) that in the case of any holder whose
note is purchased only in part, Forest City will execute, and
the Trustee will authenticate and deliver to the holder of the
note without service charge, a new note or notes, of any
authorized denomination as requested by that holder, in an
aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the
unpurchased portion of the note so tendered.
Permitted Business means:
Permitted Holder means:
Permitted Interest Rate, Currency or
Commodity Price Agreement of any person means any Interest
Rate, Currency or Commodity Price Agreement entered into with
one or more financial institutions in the ordinary course of
business that is designed:
Preferred Stock of any person means
Capital Stock of that person of any class or classes, however
designated, that ranks prior, as to the payment of dividends or
as to amounts upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation,
dissolution or winding-up of that person, to shares of Capital
Stock of any other class of that person.
public equity offering means an
underwritten primary public offering of Common Stock of Forest
City pursuant to an effective registration statement under the
Securities Act.
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(1) developing, acquiring, owning and
operating shopping centers, office buildings and mixed-use
projects, including entertainment complexes and hotels;
(2) developing, acquiring, owning and
operating multi-family properties;
(3) acquiring land and owning and developing
land into master planned communities and other residential
developments for resale;
(4) the lumber wholesaling business;
(5) developing, acquiring, owning and
operating any real estate not otherwise provided for in
clauses (1) through (3) above; and
(6) any business reasonably related,
ancillary or complementary to the businesses described in
clauses (1), (2), (3) and (5) above, or any
reasonable extensions of the businesses described in
clauses (1), (2), (3) and (5) above.
(1) any of Samuel H. Miller, Albert B.
Ratner, Charles A. Ratner, James A. Ratner, Ronald A. Ratner or
any spouse of any of the foregoing, and any trusts for the
benefit of any of the foregoing;
(2) RMS, Limited Partnership and any general
partner or limited partner thereof and any person, other than a
creditor, that upon the dissolution or winding-up of RMS,
Limited Partnership receives a distribution of Capital Stock of
Forest City;
(3) any group, as defined in
Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, or any successor
provision thereto, of two or more persons or entities that are
specified clauses (1) and (2) above; and
(4) any successive recombination of the
persons or groups that are specified in clauses (1) through
(3) above.
(1) in the case of an interest rate or
currency exchange agreement, to protect the person against
fluctuations in interest rates or currency exchange rates with
respect to Debt Incurred and which will have a notional amount
no greater than the payments due with respect to the Debt being
hedged thereby and, in the case of an agreement protecting that
person from fluctuations in interest rates, the profits and
losses from the agreement are included in interest expense under
generally accepted accounting principles; or
(2) in the case of currency or commodity
protection agreements, to protect the person against currency
exchange rate or commodity price fluctuations in the ordinary
course of business relating to then existing financial
obligations or then existing or sold production and not for
purposes of speculation.
Purchase Money Debt of any person
means Debt, other than Development Debt, of that person Incurred
for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase
price or cost of construction or improvement of property or
other assets of the person (other than property described in the
definition of Development Debt, that is, property the cost of
which is or will be included in Total Real Estate on
a consolidated balance sheet of the person) acquired after the
date of original issuance of the notes; provided that:
Receivables means receivables,
chattel paper, instruments, documents or intangibles evidencing
or relating to the right to payment of money.
Receivables Sale of any person means
any sale of Receivables of that person, pursuant to a purchase
facility or otherwise, other than in connection with a
disposition of the business operations of the person relating
thereto or a disposition of defaulted Receivables for purposes
of collection and not as a financing arrangement.
Recourse Debt of any person means
Debt of that person that is not Non-Recourse Debt.
Redeemable Stock of any person means
any Capital Stock of that person that by its terms, or by the
terms of any security into which it is convertible or for which
it is exchangeable, or otherwise, including upon the occurrence
of an event, matures or is required to be redeemed, pursuant to
any sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or is convertible into
or exchangeable for Debt or is redeemable at the option of the
holder thereof, in whole or in part, at any time on or prior to
the date that is 91 days after the final Stated Maturity of
the notes.
related person of any person means,
without limitation, any other person directly or indirectly
owning:
Sale and Leaseback Transaction of any
person means an arrangement with any lender or investor or to
which the lender or investor is a party providing for the
leasing by the person of any property or asset of the person
which has been or is being sold or transferred by the person
more than 270 days after the acquisition thereof or the
completion of construction or commencement of operation thereof
to the lender or investor or to any person to whom funds have
been or are to be advanced by the lender or investor on the
security of the property or asset. The stated maturity of such
arrangement will be the date of the last payment of rent or any
other amount due under such arrangement prior to the first date
on which such arrangement may be terminated by the lessee
without payment of a penalty.
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(1) the principal amount of the Debt does
not exceed 100% of the purchase price or cost;
(2) the purchase price or costs is not at
Incurrence, and will not be, included in Total Real
Estate on a consolidated balance sheet of the
person; and
(3) if the Debt is secured by a Lien, then
(a) the Lien attached to the property or assets prior to,
at the time of, or within 180 days after the acquisition,
construction or improvement of the property or assets and
(b) the Lien does not extend to or cover any property or
assets other than the specific item of the property or assets or
portion thereof acquired, constructed or improved with the
proceeds of the Debt.
(1) 5% or more of the outstanding Common
Stock of the person, or, in the case of a person that is not a
corporation, 5% or more of the equity interest in the
person; or
(2) 5% or more of the combined voting power
of the Voting Stock of the person.
Subordinated Debt means Debt of
Forest City as to which the payment of principal of, and
premium, if any, and interest and other payment obligations in
respect of that Debt will be subordinate to the prior payment in
full of the notes to at least the following extent:
Subsidiary of any person means:
U.S. Government Obligations
means securities that are (1) direct obligations of the
United States of America for the payment of which its full faith
and credit is pledged or (2) obligations of a person
controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or
instrumentality of the United States of America, the payment of
which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit
obligation by the United States of America, which, in either
case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer
thereof, and will also include a depository receipt issued by a
bank, as custodian with
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(1) no payments of principal of, or premium,
if any, or interest on or otherwise due in respect of such Debt
may be permitted for so long as any default in the payment of
principal, or premium, if any, or interest on the notes exists;
(2) in the event that any other default that
with the passing of time or the giving of notice, or both, would
constitute an Event of Default exists with respect to the notes,
upon notice by 25% or more in principal amount of the notes to
the trustee, the trustee will have the right to give notice to
Forest City and the holders of the Debt, or trustees or agents
therefor, of a payment blockage, and thereafter no payments of
principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on or otherwise
due in respect of the Debt may be made for a period of
179 days from the date of the notice; and
(3) the Debt may not (a) provide for
payments of principal at the stated maturity thereof or by way
of a sinking fund applicable thereto or by way of any mandatory
redemption, defeasance, retirement or repurchase thereof by
Forest City, including any redemption, retirement or repurchase
which is contingent upon events or circumstances, but excluding
any retirement required by virtue of acceleration of such Debt
upon an event of default thereunder, in each case prior to the
final Stated Maturity of the notes, or (b) permit
redemption or other retirement, including pursuant to an offer
to purchase made by Forest City, of such other Debt at the
option of the holder thereof prior to the final Stated Maturity
of the notes, other than a redemption or other retirement at the
option of the holder of such Debt, including pursuant to an
offer to purchase made by Forest City, which is conditioned upon
a change of control of Forest City pursuant to provisions
substantially similar to those described under
Repurchase at the Option of
Holders Change of Control, and which will
provide that such Debt will not be repurchased pursuant to such
provisions prior to Forest Citys repurchase of the notes
required to be repurchased by Forest City.
(1) a corporation more than 50% of the
combined voting power of the outstanding Voting Stock of which
is owned, directly or indirectly, by that person or by one or
more other Subsidiaries of that person or by that person and one
or more Subsidiaries thereof;
(2) a partnership of which that person, or
one or more other Subsidiaries of that person or that person and
one or more other Subsidiaries thereof, directly or indirectly,
is the general partner and has the power to direct the policies,
management and affairs of the partnership;
(3) a limited liability company of which
that person or one or more Subsidiaries of that person or that
person and one or more Subsidiaries of that person, directly or
indirectly, is the managing member and has the power to direct
the policies, management and affairs of the company; or
(4) any other person, other than a
corporation, partnership or limited liability company, in which
that person, or one or more other Subsidiaries of that person or
that person and one or more other Subsidiaries thereof, directly
or indirectly, has at least a majority ownership and power to
direct the policies, management and affairs thereof.
Voting Stock of any person means
Capital Stock of that person which ordinarily has voting power
for the election of directors, or persons performing similar
functions, of that person, whether at all times or only so long
as no senior class of securities has such voting power by reason
of any contingency.
Weighted Average Life means, as of
the date of determination, with respect to any Debt or Preferred
Stock, the quotient obtained by dividing:
Wholly Owned Subsidiary of any person
means a Subsidiary of that person all of the outstanding Capital
Stock or other ownership interests of which, other than
directors qualifying shares, will at the time be owned by
that person or by one or more Wholly Owned Subsidiaries of that
person or by that person and one or more Wholly Owned
Subsidiaries of that person.
Events of Default
Each of the following will be an Event of
Default under the indenture:
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(1) the sum of the products of (a) the
number of years from the date of determination to the dates of
each successive scheduled principal payment of the Debt or
mandatory redemption of the Preferred Stock, respectively and
(b) the amount of the principal payments or redemption
payments; by
(2) the sum of all such principal payments
or redemption payments.
(1) failure to pay principal of, or premium,
if any, on, any note when due;
(2) failure to pay any interest on any note
when due, continued for 30 days;
(3) default in the performance of, or a
breach of, the covenant described under
Repurchase at the Option of
Holders Asset Dispositions,
Repurchase at the Option of
Holders Change of Control and
Mergers, Consolidations and Certain Sales of
Assets;
(4) failure to perform any other covenant or
agreement of Forest City under the indenture or the notes
continued for 30 days after written notice to holders by
the trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal
amount of outstanding notes;
(5) a default or defaults under the terms of
any Debt, other than Non-Recourse Debt, by Forest City or any
Subsidiary of Forest City or under any mortgages, indentures or
instruments under which there may be issued or by which there
may be secured or evidenced any Debt, other than Non-Recourse
Debt, of Forest City or any such Subsidiary with a principal
amount then outstanding, individually or in the aggregate, in
excess of $10 million, whether such Debt now exists or is
hereafter created, which default or defaults consists of a
failure to pay any portion of the principal of such Debt when
due and payable after the expiration of any applicable grace
period with respect thereto and results in such Debt becoming or
being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it
would otherwise have become due and payable or constitutes the
failure to pay any portion of the principal of such Debt when
due and payable at maturity or by acceleration;
(6) a default or defaults under the terms of
any Non-Recourse Debt by Forest City or any Subsidiary of Forest
City or under any mortgages, indentures or instruments under
which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or
evidenced any Non-Recourse Debt of
Subject to the provisions of the indenture
relating to the duties of the trustee in case an Event of
Default will occur and be continuing, the trustee will be under
no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the
indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders,
unless those holders will have offered to the trustee reasonable
indemnity. Subject to the provisions for the indemnification of
the trustee, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the outstanding notes will have the right to direct
the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any
remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power
conferred on the trustee.
If an Event of Default, other than an Event of
Default described in clause (8) above, will occur and be
continuing, either the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in
aggregate principal amount of the outstanding notes may
accelerate the maturity of all notes; provided, however, that
after such acceleration, but before a judgment or decree based
on acceleration, the holders of a majority in aggregate
principal amount of outstanding notes may, under certain
circumstances, rescind and annul such acceleration if all events
of default, other than the non-payment of acceleration of
principal, have been cured or waived as provided in the
indenture. If an Event of Default described in clause (8)
above occurs, the outstanding notes will automatically become
immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act
on the part of the trustee or any holder. For information as to
waiver of defaults, see Modification and
Waiver.
No holder of any note will have any right to
institute any proceeding with respect to the indenture or for
any remedy thereunder, unless the holder will have previously
given to the trustee written notice of a continuing Event of
Default and unless also the holders of at least 25% in aggregate
principal amount of the outstanding notes will have made written
request, and offered reasonable indemnity, to the trustee to
institute such proceeding as trustee, and the trustee will not
have received from the holders of a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the outstanding notes a direction
inconsistent with the request and will have failed to institute
such proceeding within 60 days. However, these limitations
do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of a note for
enforcement of payment of the principal of, and premium, if any,
or interest on the note on or after the respective due dates
expressed in the note.
In the case of any Event of Default occurring by
reason of any willful action or inaction, taken or not taken by
or on behalf of Forest City with the intention of avoiding
payment of the premium that Forest City would have had to pay if
Forest City then had elected to redeem the notes pursuant to the
provisions described above in the first paragraph under
Optional Redemption, an equivalent
premium will also become and be immediately due and payable upon
the acceleration of the notes.
Forest City will be required to furnish to the
trustee quarterly a statement as to the performance by Forest
City of certain of its obligations under the indenture and as to
any default in
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Forest City or any such Subsidiary with a
principal amount then outstanding, individually or in the
aggregate, in excess of 20% of the aggregate principal or
similar amount of all the outstanding Non-Recourse Debt of
Forest City and its Subsidiaries, whether such Non-Recourse Debt
now exists or is hereafter created, which default or defaults
constitutes a failure to pay any portion of the principal of
such Non-Recourse Debt when due and payable after the expiration
of any applicable grace period with respect thereto or results
in such Non-Recourse Debt becoming or being declared due and
payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise have
become due and payable;
(7) the rendering of a final judgment or
judgments, not subject to appeal, against Forest City or any
Subsidiary of Forest City in an amount in excess of
$10 million which remains undischarged or unbonded for a
period of 45 days after the date on which the right to
appeal has expired; and
(8) certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency
or reorganization affecting Forest City or any Material
Subsidiary.
Defeasance
The indenture will provide that, at the option of
Forest City:
in either case upon the 123rd day after
irrevocable deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or
U.S. Government Obligations which will provide money in an
amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm
of independent certified public accountants to pay the principal
of and premium, if any, and each installment of interest, if
any, on the outstanding notes. With respect to clause (2)
above, the obligations under the indenture other than with
respect to such covenants and the events of default other than
the events of default relating to such covenants above will
remain in full force and effect. Such trust may only be
established if, among other things:
In the event Forest City omits to comply with its
remaining obligations under the indenture and the notes after a
defeasance of the indenture with respect to the notes as
described in clause (2) of the first paragraph under
Defeasance above and the notes are
declared due and payable because of the occurrence of any Event
of Default, the amount of money and U.S. Government
Obligations on deposit with the trustee may be insufficient to
pay amounts due on the notes at the time of the acceleration
resulting from such Event of Default. However, Forest City will
remain liable in respect of such payments.
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(1) Forest City will be discharged from any
and all obligations in respect of the outstanding notes; or
(2) Forest City may omit to comply with the
restrictive covenants described under
Covenants and clauses (c),
(d) and (e) under Mergers,
Consolidations and Certain Sales of Assets, the violation
or non-compliance with those covenants or clauses will not be an
Event of Default under clause (4) under
Events of Defaults and the Events of
Default under clauses (5), (6) and (7) under
Events of Default will no longer apply
to the notes;
(1) with respect to clause (1) above,
Forest City has received from, or there has been published by,
the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or there has been a change
in law, which in the opinion of counsel provides that holders of
the notes will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax
purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge
and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in
the same manner and at the same times as would have been the
case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred;
or, with respect to clause (2) above, Forest City has
delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect
that the holders of the notes will not recognize gain or loss
for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and
defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same
amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would have
been the case if such deposit and defeasance had not occurred;
(2) no Event of Default or event that with
the passing of time or the giving of notice, or both, will
constitute an Event of Default will have occurred or be
continuing at any time during the 123-day period referred to
above;
(3) Forest City has delivered to the trustee
an opinion of counsel to the effect that such deposit will not
cause the trustee or the trust so created to be subject to the
Investment Company Act of 1940; and
(4) certain other customary conditions
precedent are satisfied.
Modification and Waiver
Modifications and amendments of the indenture may
be made by Forest City and the trustee with the consent of the
holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding notes; provided, however, that no modification or
amendment may, without the consent of the holder of each
outstanding note affected thereby:
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the outstanding notes, on behalf of all holders of
notes, may waive compliance by Forest City with certain
restrictive provisions of the indenture. Subject to certain
rights of the trustee, as provided in the indenture, the holders
of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding
notes, on behalf of all holders of notes, may waive any past
default under the indenture, except a default in the payment of
principal, or premium, if any, or interest or a default arising
from failure to purchase any note tendered pursuant to an Offer
to Purchase.
Governing Law
The indenture and the notes will be governed by
the laws of the State of New York.
The Trustee
The indenture provides that, except during the
continuance of an Event of Default, the trustee will perform
only such duties as are specifically set forth in the indenture.
During the existence of an Event of Default, the trustee will
exercise such rights and powers vested in it under the indenture
and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise as a
prudent person would exercise under the circumstances in the
conduct of such persons own affairs.
The indenture and provisions of the Trust
Indenture Act incorporated by reference therein contain
limitations on the rights of the trustee, should it become a
creditor of Forest City, to obtain payment of claims in certain
cases or to realize on certain property received by it in
respect of any such claim as security or otherwise. The trustee
is permitted to engage in other transactions with Forest City or
any Affiliate, provided, however, that if it acquires any
conflicting interest, as defined in the indenture or in the
Trust Indenture Act, it must eliminate such conflict or
resign.
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(1) change the stated maturity of the
principal of, or any installment of interest on, any note;
(2) reduce the principal amount of, or the
premium, or interest on, any note;
(3) change the place or currency of payment
of principal of, or premium, or interest on, any note;
(4) impair the right to institute suit for
the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to any note;
(5) reduce the above-stated percentage of
outstanding notes necessary to modify or amend the indenture;
(6) reduce the percentage of aggregate
principal amount of outstanding notes necessary for waiver of
compliance with certain provisions of the indenture or for
waiver of certain defaults;
(7) modify any provisions of the indenture
relating to the modification and amendment of the indenture or
the waiver of past defaults or covenants, except as otherwise
specified; or
(8) modify any of the provisions of the
indenture described under Repurchase at the
Option of Holders Asset Dispositions and
Change of Control in a manner adverse to
the holders thereof.
The Bank of New York is a lender to Forest
Citys Subsidiaries of nonrecourse project debt. The Bank
of New York is the institutional trustee for each of Forest City
Enterprises Capital Trust I and Forest City Enterprises
Capital Trust II. The Bank of New York (Delaware), an
affiliate of The Bank of New York, is the Delaware trustee for
each of Forest City Enterprises Capital Trust I and Forest
City Enterprises Capital Trust II.
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UNDERWRITING
Forest City and Goldman, Sachs & Co. have
entered into an underwriting agreement and a pricing agreement
with respect to the notes being offered. Subject to certain
conditions, the underwriter has agreed to purchase all of the
notes.
The underwriter is committed to take and pay for
all of the notes being offered, if any are taken.
Notes sold by the underwriter to the public will
initially be offered at the initial public offering price set
forth on the cover of this prospectus supplement. Any notes sold
by the underwriter to securities dealers may be sold at a
discount from the initial public offering price of up to 0.95%
of the principal amount of the notes. Any such securities
dealers may resell any notes purchased from the underwriter to
certain other brokers or dealers at a discount from the initial
public offering price of up to 0.25% of the principal amount of
the notes. If all the notes are not being sold at the initial
public offering price, the underwriter may change the offering
price and other selling terms.
The notes are a new issue of securities with no
established trading market. Forest City has been advised by the
underwriter that the underwriter intends to make a market in the
notes but is not obligated to do so and may discontinue market
making at any time without notice. No assurance can be given as
to the liquidity of the trading market for the notes.
In connection with the offering, the underwriter
may purchase and sell notes in the open market. These
transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions
and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short
sales involve the sale by the underwriter of a greater number of
notes than it is required to purchase in the offering.
Stabilizing transactions consist of certain bids or purchases
made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the
market price of the notes while the offering is in progress.
These activities by the underwriter may
stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the
notes. As a result, the price of the notes may be higher than
the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. If
these activities are commenced, they may be discontinued at any
time. These transactions may be effected in the over-the-counter
market or otherwise.
Forest City estimates that the total expenses of
the offering, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions,
will be approximately $700,000.
Forest City has agreed to indemnify the
underwriter against certain liabilities, including liabilities
under the Securities Act of 1933.
The underwriter and its affiliates have from time
to time in the past provided, and may from time to time in the
future provide, investment banking and general financing and
banking services to Forest City and its affiliates in the
ordinary course of business for which they have in the past
received, and may in the future receive, customary fees.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. leases space from Forest City in
the ordinary course of its business.
VALIDITY OF THE NOTES
Certain legal matters, including the validity of
our notes offered through this prospectus supplement, will be
passed upon for us by Jones Day, Cleveland, Ohio. Certain legal
matters incident to the validity of the notes offered through
this prospectus supplement will be passed upon for us by Geralyn
Presti, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant
Secretary of Forest City. As of January 14, 2005,
Ms. Presti owned 646 shares of Class B common
stock and 20,250 options to purchase shares of Class A
common stock. The validity of the notes offered through this
prospectus supplement will be passed upon for the underwriter by
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, New York,
New York. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP will rely
as to all matters of Ohio law upon the opinion of Jones Day.
S-50
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements
incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference to
Forest City Enterprises, Inc.s Current Report on
Form 8-K dated January 19, 2005 and the financial
statement schedules incorporated by reference in this prospectus
supplement by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K
of Forest City Enterprises, Inc. for the year ended
January 31, 2004 have been so incorporated in reliance on
the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered
public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as
experts in auditing and accounting.
S-51
$842,180,000
FOREST CITY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Senior Debt Securities
FOREST CITY ENTERPRISES CAPITAL TRUST I
Preferred Securities
Forest City Enterprises, Inc. intends to offer from time to time its senior debt securities, senior subordinated debt securities, junior subordinated securities, preferred stock, depositary shares, class A common stock, warrants, stock purchase contracts, stock purchase units or subscription rights. Forest City Enterprises Capital Trust I and Forest City Enterprises Capital Trust II intend to offer from time to time preferred securities that will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Forest City Enterprises, Inc. Forest City Enterprises, Inc. and the Trusts may sell any combination of these securities in one or more offerings with an aggregate initial offering price of $842,180,000 or the equivalent amount in other currencies, currency units or composite currencies.
Forest City Enterprises, Inc. and the Trusts will provide specific terms of these securities in supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement carefully before you invest. This prospectus may not be used to offer and sell any securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of those securities being offered.
Forest City Enterprises, Inc. and the Trusts may sell the securities directly or to or through underwriters or dealers, and also to other purchasers or through agents. The names of any underwriters or agents that are included in a sale of securities to you, and any applicable commissions or discounts, will be stated in the accompanying prospectus supplement. In addition, the underwriters, if any, may over-allot a portion of the securities.
Forest City Enterprises, Inc.s class A common stock, par value $.33 1/3 per share, and its class B common stock, par value $.33 1/3 per share, are listed on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbols FCEA and FCEB. The closing prices of the class A common stock and class B common stock on The New York Stock Exchange on May 30, 2002 were $38.80 and $38.70. None of the other securities that Forest City Enterprises, Inc. and the Trusts may offer under this prospectus are currently publicly traded.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is May 31, 2002.
Table of Contents
Page | ||||
Where You Can Find More Information
|
2 | |||
About This Prospectus
|
2 | |||
Incorporation of Documents by Reference
|
2 | |||
Forward-Looking Statements
|
4 | |||
Forest City Enterprises, Inc.
|
5 | |||
Forest City Enterprises Capital Trust I and
Forest City Enterprises Capital Trust II
|
5 | |||
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
|
6 | |||
Use of Proceeds
|
6 | |||
Summary Description of Securities We and the
Trusts May Offer
|
7 | |||
Description of Senior Debt Securities We
May Offer
|
7 | |||
Description of Subordinated Debt Securities We
May Offer
|
16 | |||
Description of Preferred Stock We May Offer
|
28 | |||
Description of Depositary Shares We May Offer
|
30 | |||
Description of Common Stock We May Offer
|
33 | |||
Description of Warrants We May Offer
|
35 | |||
Description of Stock Purchase Contracts and Stock
Purchase Units We May Offer
|
37 | |||
Description of Subscription Rights We
May Offer
|
37 | |||
Description of Preferred Securities the Trusts
May Offer
|
38 | |||
Description of Trust Guarantees
|
44 | |||
Plan of Distribution
|
47 | |||
Validity of the Offered Securities
|
50 | |||
Experts
|
50 |
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are subject to the informational reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We file reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You can inspect and copy the reports, proxy statements and other information at the Public Reference Room of the SEC located at Room 1024, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You can obtain copies of these materials at prescribed rates from the Public Reference Room of the SEC. The SEC maintains a web site at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information on a delayed basis regarding registrants, including us, that file electronically with the SEC. Our class A common stock, par value $.33 1/3 per share, and our class B common stock, par value $.33 1/3 per share, are listed on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbols FCEA and FCEB. You can also inspect and copy any reports, proxy statements and other information that we file with the SEC at the offices of The New York Stock Exchange located at 20 Broad Street, New York, NY 10005.
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This document is called a prospectus and is part of a registration statement that we and the Trusts filed with the SEC using a shelf registration or continuous offering process. Under this shelf process, we and/or the Trusts may from time to time sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings with an aggregate initial offering price of $842,180,000 or the equivalent amount in other currencies, currency units or composite currencies.
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we and the Trusts may offer. Each time we or the Trusts sell securities, we or the Trusts, as the case may be, will provide a prospectus supplement containing specific information about the terms of the securities being offered. That prospectus supplement may include or incorporate by reference a detailed and current discussion of any risk factors and will discuss any special considerations applicable to those securities, including the plan of distribution. For a more complete understanding of the offering of the securities, you should refer to the registration statement, including its exhibits. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in that prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the headings Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement. Neither we nor the Trusts, nor any underwriters or agents, have authorized anyone to provide you with different information. Neither we nor the Trusts are offering the securities in any state where the offering is prohibited. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, or any document incorporated by reference, is truthful or complete at any date other than the date mentioned on the cover page of those documents.
References in the prospectus to the term we, us or Forest City or other similar terms mean Forest City Enterprises, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless we state otherwise or the context indicates otherwise. References in the prospectus to the term Trusts mean Forest City Enterprises Capital Trust I and Forest City Enterprises Capital Trust II, and references in the prospectus to the term Trust mean either Forest City Enterprises Capital Trust I or Forest City Enterprises Capital Trust II, unless we state otherwise or the context indicates otherwise.
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information that we file with the SEC. This allows us to disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents rather than repeating them in full in this prospectus. The information incorporated by reference in this prospectus contains important business and financial information. In addition, information that we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus
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| our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2002; | |
| Amendment No. 1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A; | |
| our Current Report on Form 8-K, dated and filed with the SEC on March 14, 2002; | |
| our Current Report on Form 8-K, dated March 5, 2002 and filed with the SEC on March 14, 2002; and | |
| the description of our class A common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 10. |
Each document or report that we file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus and until the offering of the securities terminates will be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and will be a part of this prospectus from the date of filing of that document.
You may request a copy of any of these filings (other than an exhibit to those filings unless we have specifically incorporated that exhibit by reference into the filing), at no cost, by telephoning or writing to us at the following phone number and address:
Secretary,
We have not included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus any separate financial statements of the Trusts. We do not believe that these financial statements would provide holders of preferred securities with any important information for the following reasons:
| we will own all of the voting securities of the Trusts; | |
| the Trusts do not and will not have any independent operations other than to issue securities and to purchase and hold our subordinated debt securities; and | |
| we are fully and unconditionally guaranteeing the obligations of the Trusts as described in this prospectus. |
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
We may include or incorporate by reference in this prospectus or in an accompanying prospectus supplement statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, for example, statements relating to our development activities, business strategy and prospects.
These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent only our beliefs regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of our control. It is possible that our actual results may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results indicated in these forward-looking statements.
Information regarding important factors that could cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from those in our forward-looking statements are discussed in our reports filed with the SEC and may be contained under the caption Risk Factors in or incorporated by reference in an accompanying prospectus supplement.
We disclaim any obligation, other than as may be imposed by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
4
FOREST CITY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Founded in 1920 and publicly traded since 1960, we are principally engaged in the ownership, development, acquisition and management of commercial and residential properties in many states and the District of Columbia.
We have a portfolio of assets diversified both geographically and among property types. We operate our business through four strategic business units:
| the Commercial Group, which owns, develops, acquires and operates regional malls, specialty/urban retail centers, office buildings, hotels and mixed-use projects; | |
| the Residential Group, which owns, develops, acquires, leases and manages residential rental property, including middle-market apartments in urban and suburban locations, adaptive re-use developments in urban locations and supported-living facilities; | |
| the Land Development Group, which acquires and sells land and developed lots to residential, commercial and industrial customers and owns and develops raw land into master-planned communities and mixed-use projects; and | |
| the Lumber Trading Group, which operates our lumber wholesaling business. |
We are incorporated in the State of Ohio. Our principal executive offices are located at 50 Public Square, Terminal Tower, Suite 1100, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-2203 and our telephone number is (216) 621-6060.
FOREST CITY ENTERPRISES CAPITAL TRUST I
Each of the Trusts is a statutory business trust created under Delaware law. Each of the Trusts exists for the exclusive purposes of:
| issuing the preferred securities, which represent preferred undivided beneficial ownership interests in the Trusts assets; | |
| issuing the common securities, which represent common undivided beneficial ownership interests in the Trusts assets, to us in a total liquidation amount equal to at least 3% of the Trusts total capital; | |
| using the proceeds from the issuances to buy our subordinated debt securities; | |
| maintaining the Trusts status as a grantor trust for federal income tax purposes; and | |
| engaging in only those other activities necessary, advisable or incidental to these purposes, such as registering the transfer of preferred securities. |
Any subordinated debt securities we sell to the Trusts will be the sole assets of the Trusts, and, accordingly, payments under the subordinated debt securities will be the sole revenues of the Trusts. We will acquire and own all of the common securities of each of the Trusts, which will have an aggregate liquidation amount equal to at least 3% of the total capital of each of the Trusts. The common securities will rank on a parity with, and payments will be made on the common securities pro rata with, the preferred securities, except that upon an event of default under the amended and restated declaration of trust resulting from an event of default under the subordinated debt securities, our rights as holder of the common securities to distributions and payments upon liquidation or redemption will be subordinated to the rights of the holders of the preferred securities.
As issuer of the subordinated debt securities to be purchased by the Trusts and as sponsor of the Trusts, we will pay all fees, expenses, debts and obligations (other than the payment of distributions and other payments on the preferred securities) related to the Trusts and any offering of the Trusts preferred securities and will pay, directly or indirectly, all ongoing costs, expenses and liabilities of the Trusts. The principal executive office of each of the Trusts is c/o Forest City Enterprises, Inc., 50 Public Square, Terminal Tower, Suite 1100, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-2203 and its telephone number is (216) 621-6060.
5
Each of the Trusts has a term of 50 years, but may dissolve earlier as provided in its amended and restated declaration of trust. The Trusts business and affairs are conducted by the trustees. The trustees for each of the Trusts are The Bank of New York, as institutional trustee, The Bank of New York (Delaware), as the Delaware trustee, and two regular trustees who are officers of Forest City Enterprises, Inc.
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated.
Years Ended January 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pro-Rata | ||||||||||||||||||||
Full Consolidation(1) | Consolidation(1) | |||||||||||||||||||
2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998(2) | ||||||||||||||||
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
|
1.72 | x | 1.69 | x | 1.59 | x | 1.38 | x | |
(1) | Effective January 31, 2001, we implemented a change in the presentation of our financial results. Prior to January 31, 2001, we used the pro-rata method of consolidation to report our partnership investments proportionate to our share of ownership for each line item of our consolidated financial statements. In accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Boards Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 00-1, Investor Balance Sheet and Income Statement Display under the Equity Method for Investments in Certain Partnerships and Other Ventures, we can no longer use the pro-rata consolidation method for partnerships. Accordingly, partnership investments that were previously reported on the pro-rata method are now reported as consolidated at 100%, if deemed under our control, or otherwise on the equity method of accounting. |
(2) | Total fixed charges exceeded our adjusted earnings by $10.0 million for January 31, 1998. Our earnings, as adjusted, includes income of $15.0 million from a lawsuit settlement related to Toscana, a California apartment project, and a $39.0 million loss related to the sale of Toscana ($36.0 million) and a partnership interest ($3.0 million), but does not include an extraordinary gain of $18.0 million related to the sale of Toscana. |
To date, we have not issued any shares of preferred stock. Therefore, the ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends is the same as the ratio of earnings to fixed charges and is not separately presented. We believe that we have other earnings from operations, principally from depreciation and amortization, that are available to cover fixed charges.
USE OF PROCEEDS
Unless we inform you otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of securities for general corporate purposes. These purposes may include, but are not limited to:
| repayment of debt; | |
| additions to working capital; | |
| development of new properties; | |
| capital expenditures; and | |
| acquisitions. |
Until we use the proceeds in this manner, we may temporarily use them to make short-term investments or to reduce short-term debt.
Unless the Trusts inform you otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the Trusts will use all proceeds received from the sale of their preferred securities to purchase our subordinated debt securities.
6
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES WE AND THE TRUSTS MAY OFFER
We may use this prospectus to offer the following types of securities.
| Senior debt securities. These debt securities will be unsecured and will rank equally with all of our other unsubordinated and unsecured debt and may be convertible into, or exchangeable for, our preferred stock or class A common stock. | |
| Senior subordinated debt securities. These debt securities will be unsecured and will rank equally with all of our other senior subordinated and unsecured debt and may be convertible into, or exchangeable for, our preferred stock or class A common stock. | |
| Junior subordinated debt securities. These debt securities will be unsecured and will rank equally with all of our other junior subordinated and unsecured debt and may be convertible into, or exchangeable for, our preferred stock or class A common stock. | |
| Preferred stock, without par value. We can offer different series of preferred stock with different dividend, liquidation, redemption, conversion and voting rights. | |
| Depositary Shares. We may issue depositary shares that would each represent a fraction of a share of preferred stock. | |
| Class A common stock, par value $.33 1/3 per share. | |
| Warrants to purchase any of the foregoing securities. | |
| Stock Purchase Contracts. We may issue stock purchase contracts, which may represent the right to purchase our debt securities, preferred stock, class A common stock or other securities. | |
| Stock Purchase Units. We may issue stock purchase units, which consist of a stock purchase contract and our debt securities, preferred stock, warrants or debt obligations of third parties to secure the holders obligations to purchase the securities under the stock purchase contracts. | |
| Subscription Rights to purchase any of our debt securities, preferred stock and class A common stock. |
The Trusts may use this prospectus to offer preferred securities. These preferred securities will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by us.
A prospectus supplement will describe the specific types, amounts, prices and detailed terms of any of these securities.
DESCRIPTION OF SENIOR DEBT SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER
This section describes the general terms and provisions of the senior debt securities that we may issue separately, upon conversion of preferred stock, upon exercise of a debt warrant, in connection with a stock purchase contract, as part of a stock purchase unit or upon exercise of a subscription right from time to time in the form of one or more series of senior debt securities. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the specific terms, or modify the general terms, of the senior debt securities offered through that prospectus supplement and any special federal income tax consequences of these senior debt securities.
The senior debt securities we may offer will be issued under an indenture, between us and The Bank of New York, as trustee, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. A copy of the form of our senior debt indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You should refer to the form of our senior debt indenture for more specific information. See Where You Can Find More Information for information on how to obtain a copy of the form of our senior debt indenture. The following summaries of specific provisions of the indenture are not complete and are subject to all of the provisions of the applicable indenture.
7
The trustee under the senior debt indenture has two main roles.
| First, the trustee can enforce your rights against us if we default. There are some limitations on the extent to which the trustee acts on your behalf, which we describe later under Events of Default and Modification and Waiver. | |
| Second, the trustee performs administrative duties for us, such as sending you interest payments and notices. |
See Relationship With the Trustee below for more information about the trustee.
We currently conduct substantially all of our operations through our subsidiaries. Our ability to pay principal and interest on the senior debt securities will depend upon the ability of our subsidiaries to distribute their income to us. Some of our subsidiaries are subject to financial covenants that may limit or prohibit their ability to make loans, advances, dividends or distributions to us.
The senior debt securities we may offer will rank equally in right of payment with all our other existing and future senior unsecured debt, including our $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.5% senior notes due March 15, 2008 and our guaranty of the borrowings under the Forest City Rental Properties Corporation, or FCRPC, credit agreement. FCRPC is one of our wholly owned subsidiaries. The senior debt securities will be effectively subordinated to all our existing and future senior secured debt, to the extent of the value securing our senior secured debt.
Although the senior debt securities will be our senior obligations, they will be effectively subordinated to all existing and future debt and other liabilities, including trade payables and capital lease obligations, of our subsidiaries, including the borrowings under the FCRPC credit agreement.
The FCRPC credit agreement prohibits the payment of principal and interest on any senior debt securities during the existence and continuation of a payment default under the FCRPC credit agreement or the guaranty. In the event of a continuing non-payment default, our guaranty prohibits FCRPC from making any distribution to us except as necessary to pay interest on any senior debt securities and taxes. Our guaranty will also prohibit our redemption or defeasance of any of our senior debt securities without the consent of the lenders under the FCRPC credit agreement.
General
The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the price or prices at which the senior debt securities will be issued and will describe the following terms of the senior debt securities, if applicable:
| the title and series of the senior debt securities; | |
| any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the senior debt securities; | |
| the identity of the person to whom we will pay any interest on a senior debt security, if it is any person other than the person in whose name the senior debt security is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest payment; | |
| the date or dates on which we will pay the principal of the senior debt securities; | |
| if the senior debt securities will bear interest, the interest rate or rates, the date or dates from which the interest will accrue, the interest payment dates on which we will pay the interest and the regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date; | |
| the place or places where we will pay the principal of, and any premium and interest on, the senior debt securities; | |
| the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, and the terms and conditions on which, we may, at our option, redeem the senior debt securities, in whole or in part; | |
| our obligation, if any, to repurchase or redeem the senior debt securities upon the happening of an event or at your option; |
8
| if other than the entire principal amount, the portion of the principal amount of the senior debt securities that we will pay upon acceleration of maturity; | |
| if other than the currency of the United States, the currency, currencies or currency units in which we will pay the principal of, or any premium or interest on, the senior debt securities and the manner in which we will determine the equivalent of the principal amount of the senior debt securities in the currency of the United States for any purpose; | |
| if, at our option or your option, we may pay the principal of, or any premium or interest on, the senior debt securities in one or more currencies or currency units other than those in which the senior debt securities are stated to be payable, the currency, currencies or currency units in which we will pay, at our option or your option, these amounts, the periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which the election must be made by us or you, and the amount that we will pay or the manner in which we will determine the amount; | |
| if the principal amount payable at the stated maturity of the senior debt securities will not be determinable as of any one or more dates prior to the stated maturity, the amount that will be deemed to be the principal amount as of any date for any purpose; | |
| that the senior debt securities, in whole or in any specified part, are defeasible as described below under Defeasance and Discharge or Covenant Defeasance, or under both captions; | |
| whether the principal or interest will be indexed to, or determined by reference to, one or more securities, commodities, indices or other financial measure; | |
| whether the principal or interest may be payable, in whole or in part, in securities of another issuer; | |
| whether we may issue the senior debt securities, in whole or in part, in the form of one or more global securities, and, if so, the depositaries for the global securities, and, if different from those described below under Global Securities, any circumstances under which we may exchange or transfer any global security, in whole or in part, in the names of persons other than the depositary or its nominee; and | |
| any addition to or change in the events of default applicable to the senior debt securities and any change in the right of the trustee or your rights to declare the principal amount of the senior debt securities due and payable. |
We may sell senior debt securities at a substantial discount to their principal amount. We will describe any special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the senior debt securities sold at an original issue discount in the applicable prospectus supplement. In addition, we will describe any special United States federal income tax or other considerations applicable to any senior debt securities that are denominated in a currency or currency unit other than United States dollars in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Conversion Rights
We will set forth in an applicable prospectus supplement whether the senior debt securities will be convertible into or exchangeable for any other securities and the terms and conditions upon which a conversion or exchange may occur, including the initial conversion or exchange price or rate, the conversion or exchange period and any other additional provisions.
Form, Exchange and Transfer
We will issue the senior debt securities, if any, of each series only in fully registered form, without coupons, and, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, only in denominations and integral multiples of $1,000.
9
At your option, subject to the terms of the senior debt indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities, senior debt securities of each series will be exchangeable for other senior debt securities of the same series of any authorized denomination in the same aggregate principal amount.
Subject to the terms of the senior debt indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities, you may present senior debt securities for exchange as provided above or for registration of transfer, if properly endorsed or with the form of transfer properly endorsed and executed, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent that we designate. There will be no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange of senior debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with the transfer or exchange. The security registrar will effect a transfer or exchange only if it is satisfied with the documents of title and identity of the person making the request for the transfer or exchange. We will appoint The Bank of New York as security registrar, except as otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement.
If we redeem the senior debt securities of any series in part, we will not be required to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange, any senior debt security of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing, or register the transfer of, or exchange, any senior debt security selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any senior debt security being redeemed in part.
Global Securities
Some or all of the senior debt securities of any series may be represented, in whole or in part, by one or more global securities that will have an aggregate principal amount equal to that of the senior debt securities of the particular series represented by the global securities. Each global security will be registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement, will be deposited with that depositary or nominee or a custodian for the depositary or nominee and will bear a legend regarding the restrictions on exchanges and registration of transfer referred to below and any other matters as may be provided under the senior debt indenture.
Notwithstanding any provision of the senior debt indenture or any senior debt security, no global security may be exchanged, in whole or in part, for senior debt securities registered, and no transfer of a global security, in whole or in part, may be registered, in the name of any person other than the depositary for the global security or any nominee of the depositary unless:
| the depositary has notified us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for the global security or has ceased to be qualified to act as a depositary as required by the senior debt indenture; | |
| an event of default, or an event that with notice or lapse of time, or both, will become an event of default, with respect to the senior debt securities represented by the global security has occurred and is continuing; | |
| we so request; or | |
| other circumstances, if any, in addition to or in lieu of those described above and as may be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, exist. |
All securities issued in exchange for a global security or any portion of a global security will be registered in the names that the depositary directs.
As long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered holder of a global security, the depositary or the nominee will be considered the sole owner and holder of the global security and the series of senior debt securities represented by the global security for all purposes under that series of senior debt securities and the senior debt indenture. Except in the limited circumstances referred to above, owners of beneficial interests in a global security will not be entitled to have a global security or any series of senior debt securities represented by the global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificated senior debt securities in exchange for the global security and will not be considered to be the owners or holders of the global security or any series of senior debt securities represented by the global security
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Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be limited to institutions that have accounts with the depositary or its nominee and to persons that may hold beneficial interests through the depositarys participants. In connection with the issuance of any global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the respective principal amounts of senior debt securities represented by the global security to the accounts of its participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be shown only on, and the transfer of those ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to participants interests, or by any participant, with respect to interests of persons held by participants on their behalf. Payments, transfers, exchanges and other matters relating to beneficial interests in a global security may be subject to various policies and procedures adopted by the depositary from time to time. None of us, the senior debt trustee or any agent of ours or the senior debt trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the depositarys or any participants records relating to, or for payments made for, beneficial interests in a global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to beneficial interests.
Unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will appoint The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, as the depositary for the senior debt securities.
We understand that neither DTC nor its nominee will consent or vote with respect to the senior debt securities. We have been advised that under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns consenting or voting rights of DTCs nominee to those participants to whose accounts the senior debt securities are credited on the record date identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.
DTC has advised us that it will take any action permitted to be taken by a holder of senior debt securities (including the presentation of senior debt securities for exchange) only at the direction of one or more participants to whose account with DTC interests in the global security are credited and only in respect of such portion of the principal amount of the senior debt securities represented by the global security as to which such participant or participants has or have given such direction.
DTC has also advised us as follows:
| DTC is a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a clearing corporation within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code, as amended, and a clearing agency registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act; | |
| DTC was created to hold securities for its participants and facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between participants through electronic computerized book-entry changes in accounts of its participants; | |
| DTCs participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies and clearing corporations and may include certain other organizations; | |
| certain participants, or other representatives, together with other entities, own DTC; and | |
| indirect access to the DTC system is available to other entities such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a participant, either directly or indirectly. |
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Payment and Paying Agents
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, payment of interest on a senior debt security on any interest payment date will be made to the person in whose name the senior debt security, or one or more predecessor senior debt securities, is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest payment.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, principal of, and any premium and interest on, the senior debt securities of a particular series will be payable at the office of the paying agent or paying agents that we may designate from time to time. Any other paying agents that we initially designate for the senior debt securities of a particular series will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may at any time designate additional paying agents or rescind the designation of any paying agent or approve change in the office through which any paying agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the senior debt securities of a particular series.
All moneys that we deposit with the trustee or pay to a paying agent for the payment of the principal of, or any premium or interest on, any senior debt security that remain unclaimed at the end of two years after the principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the senior debt security may look only to us for payment of any principal, premium or interest.
Restrictive Covenants
Covenants applicable to the senior debt securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the senior debt indenture will provide that Forest City Enterprises, Inc. may not consolidate with, merge into or reorganize with or into, or transfer, convey, sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets to, any entity, unless all of the following conditions are met.
| If the successor entity is not Forest City Enterprises, Inc., the successor entity is organized under the laws of any domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes Forest City Enterprises, Inc.s obligations under the senior debt indenture. | |
| Immediately before and after giving effect to the transaction, and treating any debt that becomes an obligation of ours or the successor entity as a result of the transaction as having been incurred by us or the successor entity at the time of the transaction, no event of default, and no event that, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an event of default, has occurred and is continuing. | |
| Immediately after giving effect to the transaction, the consolidated net worth (as defined in the senior debt indenture) of Forest City Enterprises, Inc. or the successor entity is equal to or greater than 90% of Forest City Enterprises, Inc.s consolidated net worth immediately prior to the transaction. | |
| Immediately after giving effect to the transaction, and treating any debt that becomes our obligation as a result of the transaction as having been incurred by us at the time of the transaction, Forest City Enterprises, Inc. could incur at least $1.00 of additional debt under specified financial ratios contained in the senior debt indenture. | |
| If, as a result of the transaction, our properties or assets would become subject to a lien or other encumbrance that would not be permitted by the senior debt indenture, Forest City Enterprises, Inc. or the successor entity, as the case may be, takes the steps necessary to secure the senior debt securities equally and ratably with, or prior to, the indebtedness secured by the lien or other encumbrance. | |
| Forest City Enterprises, Inc. delivers to the trustee an officers certificate and an opinion of counsel, both of which state that the transaction complies with the terms of the senior debt indenture. |
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Events of Default
Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, each of the following events will constitute an event of default under the senior debt indenture, if applicable:
| failure to pay principal of, or premium, if any, on, any senior debt security when due; | |
| failure to pay any interest on any senior debt security when due that continues for 30 days; | |
| failure to perform or observe the covenants in the senior debt indenture, which may relate to dispositions of assets, mergers, consolidations and sales of all or substantially all our assets, or a change of control of the company, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement; | |
| failure to perform other covenants in the senior indenture that continues for 30 days after written notice as provided in the senior debt indenture; | |
| a default under any recourse debt by us, individually or in the aggregate, in excess of $10.0 million, which default (1) constitutes a failure to pay when due, subject to any applicable grace period, any portion of the principal of that recourse debt, and (2) results in that recourse debt becoming or being declared due and payable prior to its stated maturity; | |
| a default under any non-recourse debt by us, individually or in the aggregate, in excess of 20% of the aggregate principal amount of all of our outstanding non-recourse debt, which default (1) constitutes a failure to a pay when due, subject to any applicable grace period, any portion of the principal of that non-recourse debt, or (2) results in that non-recourse debt becoming or being declared due and payable prior to its stated maturity; | |
| the rendering of a final judgment or judgments against us or any subsidiary that is not subject to appeal in an amount in excess of $10.0 million that remains undischarged or unstayed for a period of 45 days after the date on which the right to appeal has expired; | |
| we or any of our significant subsidiaries file for bankruptcy, or other events in bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur; and | |
| any other event of default specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. |
Subject to the provisions of the senior debt indenture relating to the duties of the trustee in case an event of default occurs and is continuing, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the senior debt indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders, unless those holders have offered reasonable indemnity to the trustee. Subject to the provisions of the senior debt indenture relating to the indemnification of the trustee, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding senior debt securities will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee.
If an event of default, other than an event of default relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, occurs and is continuing, either the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of a series of outstanding senior debt securities may accelerate the maturity of all senior debt securities of that series. If an event of default relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occurs, the principal amount of all the senior debt securities, or, in the case of any original issue discount security or other senior debt security, a specified amount, will automatically, and without any action by the trustee or any holder, become immediately due and payable. However, after the acceleration, but before a judgment or decree based on acceleration, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of outstanding senior debt securities of that series may, under specific circumstances, rescind the acceleration if all events of default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal, have been cured or waived as provided in the senior debt indenture. For a more detailed discussion as to waiver of defaults, see Modification and Waiver.
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No holder of any senior debt security will have any right to institute any proceeding with respect to the senior debt indenture or for any remedy under the senior debt indenture unless:
| the holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing event of default with respect to that series of senior debt securities; | |
| the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding senior debt securities of the relevant series have made a written request, and offered reasonable indemnity, to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee; | |
| the trustee has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days; and | |
| the trustee has not received from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding senior debt securities of the relevant series a direction inconsistent with the holders request. |
However, these limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of a senior debt security for enforcement of payment of the principal of, and premium, if any, or interest on, any senior debt security on or after the respective due dates expressed in the senior debt security.
We will be required to furnish to the trustee a statement as to our performance of some of our obligations under the senior debt indenture and as to any default in our performance.
Modification and Waiver
Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, we and the trustee may modify and amend the senior debt indenture with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of any series of outstanding senior debt securities, and, in some instances, we and the trustee may modify and amend the senior debt indenture without the consent of the holders of any series of outstanding senior debt securities. However, we and the trustee may not modify or amend the senior debt indenture without the consent of the holder of each outstanding senior debt security affected by the modification or amendment if the modification or amendment:
| changes the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest on, any senior debt security; | |
| reduces the principal amount of, or the premium or interest on, any senior debt security; | |
| changes the place or currency of payment of principal of, or premium or interest on, any senior debt security; | |
| impairs the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to any senior debt security; | |
| reduces the percentage of any series of outstanding senior debt securities necessary to modify or amend the senior debt indenture; | |
| reduces the percentage of aggregate principal amount of any series of outstanding senior debt securities necessary for waiver of compliance with specified provisions of the senior debt indenture or for waiver of specified defaults; or | |
| modifies any other provisions of the senior debt indenture set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the senior debt securities, except to increase any percentages referred to above or to provide other provisions of the senior debt indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holders. |
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of any series of outstanding senior debt securities may waive our compliance with specified restrictive provisions of the senior debt indenture. The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of any series of outstanding senior debt securities may waive any past
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Defeasance and Discharge
The senior debt indenture will provide that, upon the exercise of our option, we will be discharged from all our obligations with respect to any senior debt securities of a series, except for the following obligations:
| to exchange or register the transfer of senior debt securities; | |
| to replace stolen, lost or mutilated senior debt securities; | |
| to maintain paying agencies; and | |
| to hold moneys for payment in trust, upon our deposit in trust for the benefit of the holders of the senior debt securities of money or United States government obligations, or both, in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of, and any premium and interest on, senior debt securities of that series on the stated maturity in accordance with the terms of the senior debt indenture and the senior debt securities of that series. |
We may only exercise defeasance or discharge if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that we have received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or there has been a change in tax law, in either case to the effect that holders of the senior debt securities of a relevant series will not recognize gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge were not to occur.
Covenant Defeasance
The senior debt indenture will provide that, at our option, we may omit to comply with specified restrictive covenants related to the senior debt securities of a series, including any that may be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, and the occurrence of specified events of default related to the senior debt securities of that series will be deemed not to be or result in an event of default. We may only exercise this option if we deposit, in trust for the benefit of the holders of the senior debt securities of that series, money or United States government obligations, or both, in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of, and any premium and each installment of interest on, the senior debt securities of that series on the stated maturity in accordance with the terms of the senior debt indenture and the senior debt securities of that series. We also must, among other things, deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that holders of the senior debt securities of the relevant series will not recognize gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and defeasance of specified obligations and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and defeasance were not to occur.
If we exercise this option with respect to any senior debt securities of a series and the senior debt securities of that series are declared due and payable because of the occurrence of any event of default, the amount of money and United States government obligations deposited in trust may be insufficient to pay amounts due on the senior debt securities of that series at the time of the acceleration. In such a case, we would remain liable for the deficiency.
Notices
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, notices to the holders of senior debt securities will be given by mail to the addresses of those holders as they may appear in the security register.
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Title
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we, the trustee and any agents of ours or the trustee may treat the person in whose name a senior debt security is registered as the absolute owner of the senior debt security, whether or not the senior debt security may be overdue, for the purpose of making payment and for all other purposes.
Relationship with the Trustee
The Bank of New York will be trustee under the senior debt indenture, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. The Bank of New York is the trustee under the indenture governing our $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.5% senior notes due March 15, 2008 and is also a lender to our subsidiaries of nonrecourse project debt. The Bank of New York is the institutional trustee for each of the Trusts. The Bank of New York (Delaware), an affiliate of The Bank of New York, is the Delaware trustee for each of the Trusts.
Governing Law
The senior debt indenture and the senior debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement.
DESCRIPTION OF SUBORDINATED DEBT SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER
This section describes the general terms and provisions of the subordinated debt securities that we may issue separately, upon conversion of preferred stock, upon exercise of a debt warrant, in connection with a stock purchase contract, as part of a stock purchase unit or upon exercise of a subscription right from time in the form of one or more series of subordinated debt securities. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the specific terms, or modify the general terms, of the subordinated debt securities offered through that prospectus supplement and any special federal income tax consequences of these subordinated debt securities.
The subordinated debt securities we may offer will be issued under an indenture, between us and National City Bank, as subordinated trustee, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Copies of the forms of our senior subordinated debt indenture and our junior subordinated indenture have been previously filed with the SEC, are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. The senior subordinated indenture and junior subordinated indenture are sometimes referred to collectively in this prospectus as the subordinated indentures. You should refer to the forms of our subordinated indentures for more specific information. See Where You Can Find More Information for information on how to obtain copies of the forms of our subordinated indentures. The following summaries of specific provisions of the subordinated indentures are not complete and are subject to all of the provisions of the subordinated indentures.
The subordinated trustee under each of the subordinated debt indentures has two main roles.
| First, the subordinated trustee can enforce your rights against us if we default. There are some limitations on the extent to which the subordinated trustee acts on your behalf, which we describe later under Events of Default and Modification and Waiver. | |
| Second, the subordinated trustee performs administrative duties for us, such as sending you interest payments and notices. |
See Relationship With the Subordinated Trustee below for more information about the trustee.
We currently conduct substantially all of our operations through our subsidiaries. Our ability to pay principal and interest on the subordinated debt securities will depend on the ability of our subsidiaries to distribute their income to us. Some of our subsidiaries are subject to financial covenants that may limit or prohibit their ability to make loans, advances, dividends or distributions to us.
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The junior subordinated debt securities we may offer, if any, will be subordinated in right of payment to all senior debt, and the senior subordinated debt securities will be subordinated in right of payment to all senior indebtedness. For a more detailed discussion of this subordination, see Subordination of Subordinated Debt Securities. The only senior debt or senior indebtedness outstanding as of April 30, 2002 is our $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.5% senior notes due March 15, 2008, our guaranty of borrowings under the FCRPC credit agreement and our guaranty of $20.4 million of Franklin Town Towers Associates Series 2000 Bonds that are due 2026 but subject to mandatory tender in 2010. Franklin Town Towers Associates is one of our wholly owned subsidiaries. The holders of subordinated debt securities, including senior subordinated debt securities, will also be effectively subordinated to all existing and future debt and other liabilities, including trade payables and capital lease obligations, of our subsidiaries.
General
The subordinated indentures will provide that we may issue subordinated debt securities in separate series from time to time without limitation as to aggregate principal amount. We may specify a maximum aggregate principal amount for the subordinated debt securities of any series. The subordinated debt securities will have terms and provisions that are not inconsistent with the subordinated indentures, including as to maturity, principal and interest, as we may determine.
The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth whether the subordinated debt securities will be senior subordinated debt securities or junior subordinated debt securities and the price or prices at which we will issue the subordinated debt securities. The applicable prospectus supplement will also describe the following terms of the subordinated debt securities, if applicable:
| the title and series of the subordinated debt securities; | |
| any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the subordinated debt securities or the series of which they are a part; | |
| the identity of the person to whom we will pay any interest on a subordinated debt security, if it is any person other than the person in whose name the subordinated debt security is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest payment; | |
| the date or dates on which we will pay the principal of the subordinated debt securities; | |
| if the subordinated debt securities will bear interest, the interest rate or rates, the date or dates from which the interest will accrue, the interest payment dates on which we will pay the interest and the regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date; | |
| the place or places where we will pay the principal of, and any premium and interest on, the subordinated debt securities; | |
| the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, and the terms and conditions on which, we may, at our option, redeem the subordinated debt securities, in whole or in part; | |
| our obligation, if any, to redeem or purchase the subordinated debt securities in connection with any sinking fund or similar provision or at the option of the holder, and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, and the terms and conditions on which, we will redeem or repurchase any of the subordinated debt securities, in whole or in part, in connection with this obligation; | |
| the denominations in which we will issue the subordinated debt securities, if other than denominations and integral multiples of $1,000; | |
| the index or formula, if any, that we will use to determine the amount of principal of, or any premium or interest on, the subordinated debt securities; | |
| if other than the currency of the United States, the currency, currencies or currency units in which we will pay the principal of, or any premium or interest on, the subordinated debt securities and the |
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manner in which we will determine the equivalent of the principal amount of the subordinated debt securities in the currency of the United States for any purpose; | ||
| if, at our option or your option, we may pay the principal of, or any premium or interest on, the subordinated debt securities in one or more currencies or currency units other than those in which the subordinated debt securities are stated to be payable, the currency, currencies or currency units in which we will pay, at our option or your option, these amounts, the periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which the election must be made by us or you, and the amount that we will pay or the manner in which we will determine the amount; | |
| if other than the entire principal amount, the portion of the principal amount of the subordinated debt securities that we will pay upon acceleration of maturity; | |
| if the principal amount payable at the stated maturity of the subordinated debt securities will not be determinable as of any one or more dates prior to the stated maturity, the amount that will be deemed to be the principal amount as of any date for any purpose; | |
| that the subordinated debt securities, in whole or any specified part, are defeasible under the provisions of the applicable subordinated indenture described below under Defeasance and Discharge or Covenant Defeasance, or under both captions; | |
| whether the principal or interest will be indexed to, or determined by reference to, one or more securities, commodities, indices, or other financial measure; | |
| whether the principal or interest may be payable, in whole or in part, in securities of another issuer; | |
| whether we may issue the subordinated debt securities, in whole or in part, in the form of one or more global securities, and, if so, the depositaries for the global securities, and, if different from those described below under Global Securities, any circumstances under which we may exchange or transfer any global security, in whole or in part, for securities in the names of persons other than the depositary or its nominee; and | |
| any addition to or change in the events of default applicable to the subordinated debt securities and any change in the right of the subordinated trustee or the holders of the subordinated debt securities to declare the principal amount of the subordinated debt securities due and payable. |
We may sell subordinated debt securities at a substantial discount to their principal amount. We will describe any special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to subordinated debt securities sold at an original issue discount in the applicable prospectus supplement. In addition, we will describe any special United States federal income tax or other considerations applicable to any subordinated debt securities that are denominated in a currency or currency unit other than United States dollars in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Conversion Rights
We will set forth in an applicable prospectus supplement whether the subordinated debt securities will be convertible into or exchangeable for any other securities and the terms and conditions upon which a conversion or exchange may occur, including the initial conversion or exchange price or rate, the conversion or exchange period and any other additional provisions.
Subordination of Subordinated Debt Securities
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the following provisions will apply to the subordinated debt securities.
Senior Subordinated Debt Securities
The senior subordinated debt indenture may provide that the senior subordinated debt securities are subordinate in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all senior indebtedness, which includes our
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The holders of all senior indebtedness outstanding at the time of acceleration will first be entitled to receive payment in full of all amounts due on the senior indebtedness before the holders of the senior subordinated debt securities will be entitled to receive any payment upon the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the senior subordinated debt securities in the following circumstances:
| upon any payment or distribution of assets to creditors upon any liquidation, dissolution, winding up, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors, or any bankruptcy, insolvency, debt restructuring or similar proceedings in connection with any insolvency or bankruptcy proceeding of Forest City Enterprises, Inc.; | |
| (a) in the event and during the continuation of any default in the payment of principal, premium or interest on any senior indebtedness beyond any applicable grace period or (b) in the event that any event of default with respect to any senior indebtedness has occurred and is continuing, permitting the holders of that senior indebtedness (or a trustee) to accelerate the maturity of that senior indebtedness, whether or not the maturity is in fact accelerated (unless, in the case of (a) or (b), the payment default or event of default has been cured or waived or ceased to exist and any related acceleration has been rescinded) or (c) in the event that any judicial proceeding is pending with respect to a payment default or event of default described in (a) or (b); or | |
| in the event that any senior subordinated debt securities have been declared due and payable before their stated maturity. |
By reason of this subordination, in the event of liquidation or insolvency, holders of senior subordinated debt securities may recover less than holders of senior indebtedness and may recover more than the holders of junior subordinated debt securities.
For purposes of the subordination provisions, the payment, issuance and delivery of cash, property or securities, other than stock and some of our subordinated securities, upon conversion or exchange of a senior subordinated debt security will be deemed to constitute payment upon the principal of the senior subordinated debt security.
Junior Subordinated Debt Securities
The junior subordinated debt indenture may provide that the junior subordinated debt securities are subordinate in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all senior debt, which includes any senior subordinated debt securities that we may issue under the senior subordinated debt indenture.
The holders of all senior debt outstanding at the time of acceleration will first be entitled to receive payment in full of all amounts due on the senior debt before the holders of the junior subordinated debt securities will be entitled to receive any payment upon the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the junior subordinated debt securities in the following circumstances:
| upon any payment or distribution of assets to creditors upon any liquidation, dissolution, winding up, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors, or any bankruptcy, insolvency, debt restructuring or similar proceedings in connection with any insolvency or bankruptcy proceeding of Forest City Enterprises, Inc.; | |
| (a) in the event and during the continuation of any default in the payment of principal, premium or interest on any senior debt beyond any applicable grace period or (b) in the event that any event of default with respect to any senior debt has occurred and is continuing, permitting the holders of that senior debt (or a trustee) to accelerate the maturity of that senior debt, whether or not the maturity is in fact accelerated (unless, in the case of (a) or (b), the payment default or event of been cured or waived or ceased to exist and any related acceleration has been rescinded) or (c) in the event that any |
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judicial proceeding is pending with respect to a payment default or event of default described in (a) or (b); or | ||
| in the event that any junior subordinated debt securities have been declared due and payable before their stated maturity. |
By reason of this subordination, in the event of liquidation or insolvency, holders of junior subordinated debt securities may recover less than holders of senior debt, including the holders of any senior subordinated debt securities.
For purposes of the subordination provisions, the payment, issuance and delivery of cash, property or securities, other than stock and some of our subordinated securities, upon conversion or exchange of a junior subordinated debt security will be deemed to constitute payment upon the principal of the junior subordinated debt security.
Definitions
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the following definitions are applicable to the subordinated indentures relating to the subordinated debt securities. You should refer to the applicable subordinated indenture for the full definition of each term.
Debt means, without duplication, with respect to any person or entity, whether recourse is to all or a portion of the assets of that person or entity and whether or not contingent:
| every obligation of that person or entity for money borrowed; | |
| every obligation of that person or entity evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments, including obligations incurred in connection with the acquisition of property, assets or businesses; | |
| every reimbursement obligation of that person or entity with respect to letters of credit, bankers acceptances or similar facilities issued for the account of that person or entity; | |
| every obligation of that person or entity issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or services; | |
| all indebtedness of that person or entity, whether incurred on or prior to the date of the applicable subordinated indenture or incurred later, for claims in respect of derivative products, including interest rate, foreign exchange rate and commodity forward contracts, options and swaps and similar arrangements; and | |
| every obligation of the type referred to in the foregoing clauses of another person or entity and all dividends of another person or entity the payment of which, in either case, that person or entity has guaranteed or is responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, as obligor, guarantor or otherwise; |
provided that this definition does not include trade accounts payable or accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business.
Senior debt means the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest if any, on debt (as defined above), whether incurred on or prior to the date of the junior subordinated indenture or created later, unless, in the instrument creating or evidencing the same or pursuant to which the same is outstanding, it is provided that the obligations are not superior in right of payment to the junior subordinated debt securities or to other debt that is equal with, or subordinated to, the junior subordinated debt securities. Senior debt will not include any debt (as defined above) that, when incurred and without respect to any election under Section 1111(b) of the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, was without recourse to us, debt to any of our employees, and the junior subordinated debt securities.
Senior indebtedness means the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on all indebtedness for borrowed money, whether incurred on or prior to the date of the senior subordinated indenture or incurred later, excluding (a) the subordinated debt securities, (b) obligations that by their terms are not superior in
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Neither subordinated indenture limits or prohibits the incurrence of additional senior debt or senior indebtedness, either of which may include indebtedness that is senior to the subordinated debt securities, but subordinate to other obligations of ours. In connection with the future issuances of securities, the subordinated indentures may be amended or supplemented to limit the amount of indebtedness incurred by us.
The applicable prospectus supplement may further describe the provisions, if any, applicable to the subordination of the subordinated debt securities of a particular series.
Form, Exchange and Transfer
We will issue the subordinated debt securities, if any, of each series only in fully registered form, without coupons, and, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, only in denominations and integral multiples of $1,000.
At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the applicable subordinated indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities, subordinated debt securities of each series will be exchangeable for other subordinated debt securities of the same series of any authorized denomination in the same aggregate principal amount.
Subject to the terms of the applicable subordinated indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities, you may present subordinated debt securities for exchange as provided above or for registration of transfer, if properly endorsed or with the form of transfer properly endorsed and executed, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent that we designate. There will be no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange of subordinated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with the transfer or exchange. The security registrar or transfer agent will effect a transfer or exchange only if it is satisfied with the documents of title and identity of the person making the request for the transfer or exchange. We will appoint National City Bank as security registrar, except as otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Any transfer agent that we initially designate for any subordinated debt securities will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the subordinated debt securities of each series.
If we redeem the subordinated debt securities of any series in part, we will not be required to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange, any subordinated debt security of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing, or register the transfer of, or exchange, any subordinated debt security selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any subordinated debt security being redeemed in part.
Global Securities
Some or all of the subordinated debt securities of any series may be represented, in whole or in part, by one or more global securities that will have an aggregate principal amount equal to that of the subordinated debt securities of the particular series represented by the global securities. Each global security will be registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement, will be deposited with that depositary or nominee or a custodian for the depositary or nominee and will bear a
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Notwithstanding any provision of the applicable subordinated indenture or any subordinated debt security, no global security may be exchanged, in whole or in part, for subordinated debt securities registered, and no transfer of a global security, in whole or in part, may be registered, in the name of any person other than the depositary for the global security or any nominee of the depositary unless:
| the depositary has notified us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for the global security or has ceased to be qualified to act as a depositary as required by the applicable subordinated indenture; | |
| an event of default with respect to the subordinated debt securities of a series represented by the global security has occurred and is continuing; or | |
| other circumstances, if any, in addition to or in lieu of those described above and as may be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, exist. |
All securities issued in exchange for a global security or any portion of a global security will be registered in the names that the depositary directs.
As long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered holder of a global security, the depositary or the nominee will be considered the sole owner and holder of the global security and the series of subordinated debt securities represented by the global security for all purposes under the subordinated debt securities and the applicable subordinated indenture. Except in the limited circumstances referred to above, owners of beneficial interests in a global security will not be entitled to have a global security or any subordinated debt securities represented by the global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificated subordinated debt securities in exchange for the global security and will not be considered to be the owners or holders of the global security or any subordinated debt securities represented by the global security for any purpose under the subordinated debt securities or the applicable subordinated indenture. All payments of principal of and any premium and interest on a global security will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the holder of the global security. The laws of some jurisdictions require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of the securities in definitive form. These laws may impair the ability to transfer beneficial interests in a global security.
Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be limited to institutions that have accounts with the depositary or its nominee and to persons that may hold beneficial interests through the depositarys participants. In connection with the issuance of any global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the respective principal amounts of the series of subordinated debt securities represented by the global security to the accounts of its participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be shown only on, and the transfer of those ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to participants interests, or by any participant, with respect to interests of persons held by participants on their behalf. Payments, transfers, exchanges and other matters relating to beneficial interests in a global security may be subject to various policies and procedures adopted by the depositary from time to time. None of us, the subordinated trustee or any agent of ours or the subordinated trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the depositarys or any participants records relating to, or for payments made for, beneficial interests in a global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to beneficial interests.
Unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will appoint DTC as the depositary for the subordinated debt securities.
We understand that neither DTC nor its nominee will consent or vote with respect to the subordinated debt securities. We have been advised that under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns consenting or voting rights of DTCs nominee to those participants to whose accounts the subordinated debt securities are credited on the record date identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.
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DTC has advised us that it will take any action permitted to be taken by a holder of subordinated debt securities (including the presentation of subordinated debt securities for exchange) only at the direction of one or more participants to whose account with DTC interests in the global security are credited and only in respect of such portion of the principal amount of the subordinated debt securities represented by the global security as to which such participant or participants has or have given such direction.
DTC has also advised us as follows:
| DTC is a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a clearing corporation within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code, as amended, and a clearing agency registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act; | |
| DTC was created to hold securities for its participants and facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between participants through electronic computerized book-entry changes in accounts of its participants; | |
| DTCs participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies and clearing corporations and may include certain other organizations; | |
| certain participants, or other representatives, together with other entities, own DTC; and | |
| indirect access to the DTC system is available to other entities such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a participant, either directly or indirectly. |
Payment and Paying Agents
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, payment of interest on a subordinated debt security on any interest payment date will be made to the person in whose name the subordinated debt security, or one or more predecessor debt securities, is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest payment.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, principal of, and any premium and interest on, the subordinated debt securities of a particular series will be payable at the office of the paying agent or paying agents that we may designate from time to time. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the corporate trust office of the subordinated trustee in The City of New York will be designated as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to subordinated debt securities of each series. Any other paying agents that we initially designate for the subordinated debt securities of a particular series will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may at any time designate additional paying agents or rescind the designation of any paying agent or approve change in the office through which any paying agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the subordinated debt securities of a particular series.
All moneys that we pay to a paying agent for the payment of the principal of, or any premium or interest on, any subordinated debt security that remain unclaimed at the end of two years after the principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the subordinated debt security may look only to us for payment of any principal, premium or interest.
Restrictive Covenants
We will include covenants specific to a particular series of subordinated debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the subordinated indentures will provide that Forest City Enterprises, Inc. may not consolidate with or merge into, or convey, transfer or lease
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| If the successor entity is not Forest City Enterprises, Inc., the successor entity is a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity organized and validly existing under the laws of any domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes Forest City Enterprises, Inc.s obligations on the subordinated debt securities and under the subordinated indentures. | |
| Immediately after giving effect to the transaction, and treating any debt that becomes our obligation as a result of the transaction as having been incurred by us at the time of the transaction, no event of default, and no event that, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an event of default, has occurred and is continuing. | |
| If, as a result of the transaction, the properties or assets of Forest City Enterprises, Inc. would become subject to a lien or other encumbrance that would not be permitted by the applicable subordinated indenture, Forest City Enterprises, Inc. or the successor entity, as the case may be, takes the steps necessary to secure the subordinated debt securities equally and ratably with, or prior to, the indebtedness secured by the lien or other encumbrance. | |
| Forest City Enterprises, Inc. delivers to the subordinated trustee an officers certificate and an opinion of counsel, both of which state that the transaction complies with the terms of the applicable subordinated indenture. |
Events of Default
Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, each of the following will constitute an event of default under the applicable subordinated indenture with respect to subordinated debt securities of any series, if applicable:
| failure to pay principal of, or premium, if any, on, any subordinated debt security of that series when due, whether or not the payment is prohibited by the subordination provisions of the applicable subordinated indenture; | |
| failure to pay any interest on any subordinated debt securities of that series when due that continues for 30 days, whether or not the payment is prohibited by the subordination provisions of the applicable subordinated indenture; | |
| failure to deposit any sinking fund payment when due on any subordinated debt security of that series, whether or not the deposit is prohibited by the subordination provisions of the applicable subordinated indenture; | |
| failure to perform any other covenant in the applicable subordinated indenture, other than a covenant included in the applicable subordinated indenture solely for the benefit of a series other than that series, that continues for 60 days after written notice has been given by the subordinated trustee or the holders of at least 10% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding subordinated debt securities of that series as provided in the applicable indenture; | |
| a default under any indebtedness for money we borrowed that (1) constitutes a failure to pay when due, subject to any applicable grace period, the principal of that indebtedness if that debt has not been discharged, or (2) results in that indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to its stated maturity if that indebtedness has not been discharged or the acceleration has not been rescinded, in each case within 10 days after written notice has been given by the subordinated trustee or the holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the outstanding subordinated debt securities of that series as provided in the applicable indenture; |
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| we or any of our significant subsidiaries file for bankruptcy, or other events in bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur; and | |
| any other event of default specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. |
If any event of default, other than an event of default relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, occurs and is continuing, either the subordinated trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding subordinated debt securities of the applicable series, by notice as provided in the applicable subordinated indenture, may declare the principal amount of the subordinated debt securities of that series to be due and payable immediately. If an event of default relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occurs, the principal amount of all the subordinated debt securities of the applicable series, or, in the case of any original issue discount security or other subordinated debt security, a specified amount, will automatically, and without any action by the subordinated trustee or any holder, become immediately due and payable. However, after the acceleration, but before a judgment or decree based on acceleration, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding subordinated debt securities of that series may, under specified circumstances, rescind the acceleration if all events of default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal, or other specified amount, have been cured or waived as provided in the applicable subordinated indenture. For a more detailed discussion as to waiver of defaults, see Modification and Waiver.
Subject to the provisions of the applicable subordinated indenture relating to the duties of the subordinated trustee in case an event of default occurs and is continuing, the subordinated trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the applicable subordinated indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders, unless the holders have offered to the subordinated trustee reasonable indemnity. Subject to the provisions of the applicable subordinated indenture relating to the indemnification of the subordinated trustee, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding subordinated debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the subordinated trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the subordinated trustee with respect to the subordinated debt securities of that series.
No holder of a subordinated debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding with respect to the applicable subordinated indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or a trustee, or for any other remedy thereunder, unless:
| the holder has previously given to the subordinated trustee written notice of a continuing event of default with respect to the subordinated debt securities of that series; | |
| the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding subordinated debt securities of that series have made a written request and offered reasonable indemnity to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee; | |
| the subordinated trustee has failed to institute the proceeding; and | |
| the subordinated trustee has not received from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding subordinated debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with the request within 60 days after the notice, request and offer. |
However, these limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of a subordinated debt security for the enforcement of payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on such subordinated debt security on or after the applicable due date specified in the debt security.
We will be required to furnish to the subordinated trustee annually a statement as to whether or not we, to our knowledge, are in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of each subordinated indenture and, if so, specifying all known defaults.
Modification and Waiver
Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, we and the subordinated trustee may modify and amend the applicable subordinated indenture with the consent of holders of not less than a
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| changes the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any subordinated debt security; | |
| reduces the principal amount of, or any premium or interest on, any subordinated debt security; | |
| reduces the amount of principal of an original issue discount security or any other subordinated debt security payable upon acceleration of maturity; | |
| changes the place or currency of payment of principal of, or any premium or interest on, any subordinated debt security; | |
| impairs the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to any subordinated debt security; | |
| reduces the percentage of outstanding subordinated debt securities of any series, the consent of whose holders is required for modification or amendment of the applicable subordinated indenture; | |
| reduces the percentage of outstanding subordinated debt securities of any series necessary for waiver of compliance with specified provisions of the applicable subordinated indenture or for waiver of specified defaults; | |
| modifies the provisions relating to modification and waiver in any other respect except to increase any required percentage referred to above or to add to the provisions that cannot be changed or modified without the consent of the holders; or | |
| in the case of convertible subordinated debt securities, makes any change that adversely affects the right to convert any subordinated debt security, except as permitted by the applicable subordinated indenture, or decreases the conversion rate or increases the conversion price of any subordinated debt security. |
Each subordinated indenture will provide that the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding subordinated debt securities of any series may waive our compliance with specified restrictive provisions of the applicable subordinated indenture. The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding subordinated debt securities of any series may waive any past default with respect to that series under the applicable subordinated indenture, except a default in the payment of principal, premium or interest and specified covenants and provisions of the applicable subordinated indenture that cannot be amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding subordinated debt security of the affected series.
Defeasance and Discharge
The applicable subordinated indenture will provide that, upon the exercise of our option, we will be discharged from all our obligations with respect to any subordinated debt securities of a series, including the provisions relating to subordination, except for the following obligations:
| to exchange or register the transfer of subordinated debt securities; | |
| to replace stolen, lost or mutilated subordinated debt securities; | |
| to maintain paying agencies; and | |
| to hold moneys for payment in trust, upon the deposit in trust for the benefit of the holders of the subordinated debt securities of money or United States government obligations, or both, in an amount |
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sufficient to pay the principal of, and any premium and interest on, the subordinated debt securities of that series on the stated maturity in accordance with the terms of the applicable subordinated indenture and the subordinated debt securities of that series. |
We may only exercise defeasance or discharge if, among other things, we have delivered to the subordinated trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that we have received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or there has been a change in tax law, in either case to the effect that holders of the subordinated debt securities of a relevant series will not recognize gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge were not to occur.
Covenant Defeasance
The applicable subordinated indenture will provide that, at our option, we may omit to comply with specified restrictive covenants related to the subordinated debt securities of a series, including any that may be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, and the occurrence of specific events of default that are described above under Events of Default and any that may be described in the applicable prospectus supplement that are related to the subordinated debt securities, will be deemed not to be or result in an event of default. If this occurs, the provisions relating to subordination will cease to be effective with respect to any subordinated debt securities. We may only exercise this option if we deposit, in trust for the benefit of the holders of the subordinated debt securities of that series, money or United States government obligations, or both, in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of, and any premium and interest on, the subordinated debt securities on the stated maturity in accordance with the terms of the applicable subordinated indenture and the subordinated debt securities of that series. We also must, among other things, deliver to the subordinated trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that holders of the subordinated debt securities of the relevant series will not recognize gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and defeasance of specified obligations and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and defeasance were not to occur.
If we exercise this option with respect to any subordinated debt securities of a series and the subordinated debt securities are declared due and payable because of the occurrence of any event of default, the amount of money and United States government obligations so deposited in trust may be insufficient to pay amounts due on the subordinated debt securities at the time of their respective stated maturities but is not sufficient to pay amounts due on the subordinated debt securities of that series at the time of the acceleration. In such a case, we would remain liable for the deficiency.
Notices
Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, notices to the holders of subordinated debt securities will be given by mail to the addresses of those holders as they may appear in the security register.
Title
Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, we, the subordinated trustee and any agents of ours or the subordinated trustee may treat the person in whose name a subordinated debt security is registered as the absolute owner of the subordinated debt security, whether or not the subordinated debt security may be overdue, for the purpose of making payment and for all other purposes.
Relationships with the Subordinated Trustee
National City Bank will be the subordinated trustee under the senior subordinated indenture and the junior subordinated indenture, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. National City Bank is also a lender under the FCRPC credit agreement and is, and likely will be in the future, a lender with respect to individual projects of our subsidiaries.
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Governing Law
The subordinated indentures and the subordinated debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK WE MAY OFFER
This section describes the general terms and provisions of the preferred stock that we may issue separately, upon conversion of a senior debt security, upon conversion of a subordinated debt security, upon exercise of an equity warrant, in connection with a stock purchase contract, as part of a stock purchase unit or upon exercise of a subscription right. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the specific terms, or modify the general terms, of any shares of preferred stock offered through that prospectus supplement and any special federal income tax consequences of those shares of preferred stock. We will file an amendment to our amended articles of incorporation that contains the terms of each series of preferred stock each time we issue a new series of preferred stock. This amendment will establish the number of shares included in a designated series and fix the designation, powers, privileges, preferences and rights of the shares of each series as well as any applicable qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including any dividend, redemption, liquidation, sinking fund and conversion rights. The description set forth below is not complete and is subject to the amendments to our amended articles of incorporation fixing the preferences, limitations and relative rights of a particular series of preferred stock. You should refer to these amendments for specific information on the preferred stock. See Where You Can Find More Information for information on how to obtain copies of amendments to our amended articles of incorporation.
General
Under our amended articles of incorporation, our board of directors is authorized to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, without par value, in multiple series without the approval of shareholders with any designation, powers, privileges, preferences and rights, as well as any applicable qualifications, limitations or restrictions, as may be fixed by the board of directors.
The preferred stock we may offer, if any, will have the dividend, redemption, liquidation, sinking fund and conversion rights set forth below unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. You should refer to the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of preferred stock offered by that prospectus supplement for specific terms, which may include:
| the designation and authorized number of shares of each series; | |
| the title and liquidation preference per share; | |
| the number of shares offered; | |
| the price at which the shares of each series will be issued; | |
| the dividend rate, if any, the dates on which we will pay dividends and the dates from which dividends will commence to accumulate; | |
| any redemption or sinking fund provisions of each series; | |
| any conversion or exchange rights; and | |
| any additional dividend, liquidation, redemption, sinking fund and other rights, preferences, privileges, limitations and restrictions of each series. |
The shares of preferred stock will be, when issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, each series will rank on a parity as to dividends and distributions in the event of a liquidation with each other series of preferred stock and, in all cases, will be senior to our class A common stock and our class B common stock.
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Dividend Rights
Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of preferred stock of each series will be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by our board of directors, out of our assets legally available for the payment of dividends, cash dividends at the rates and on the dates as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Holders of preferred stock will be entitled to receive dividends in preference to and in priority over dividends on common stock and may be cumulative or non-cumulative as determined by our board of directors. We will generally be able to pay dividends and distribute assets to holders of our preferred stock only if we have satisfied our obligations on our debt that is then due and payable.
If the applicable prospectus supplement so provides, as long as any shares of preferred stock are outstanding, no dividends will be declared or paid or any distributions be made on our class A or class B common stock unless the accrued dividends on each series of preferred stock have been declared and paid.
Each series of preferred stock will be entitled to dividends as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Different series of preferred stock may be entitled to dividends at different dividend rates or based upon different methods of determination. Except as provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, no series of preferred stock will be entitled to participate in our earnings or assets.
Rights Upon Liquidation
Upon any dissolution, liquidation or winding up of Forest City Enterprises, Inc., the holders of each series of preferred stock will be entitled to receive out of its assets, whether from capital, surplus or earnings, and before any distribution of any assets is made on class A common stock or class B common stock, the amount per share fixed by the board of directors for that series of preferred stock, as reflected in the applicable prospectus supplement, plus unpaid dividends, if any, to the date fixed for distribution. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of preferred stock will be entitled to no further participation in any distribution made in conjunction with any dissolution, liquidation or winding up.
Redemption
A series of preferred stock may be redeemable, in whole or in part, at our option, and may be subject to mandatory redemption in connection with a sinking fund. The terms, times, redemption prices and types of consideration of the redemption will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will also specify the number of shares of the series that we will redeem in each year commencing after a specified date, at a specified redemption price per share, together with an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends to the date of redemption.
If, after giving notice of redemption to the holders of a series of preferred stock, we deposit with a designated bank funds sufficient to redeem the series of preferred stock, then from and after the deposit, all shares called for redemption will no longer be outstanding for any purpose, other than the right to receive the redemption price and the right, if applicable, to convert the shares of preferred stock into our class A common stock or other securities prior to the date fixed for redemption.
Except as indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the preferred stock is not subject to any mandatory redemption at the option of the holder.
Sinking Fund
The applicable prospectus supplement for any series of preferred stock will state the terms, if any, of a sinking fund for the purchase or redemption of that series.
Conversion Rights
The applicable prospectus supplement for any series of preferred stock will state the terms, if any, on which shares of that series are convertible into shares of class A common stock or, if applicable, other
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Voting Rights
Under ordinary circumstances, the holders of preferred stock have no voting rights except as required by law. However, if dividends on the preferred stock are in arrears for an aggregate of six quarterly dividends, the holders of the preferred stock, voting as a class, will become entitled to elect two directors until the time as the arrearages are paid and current dividends paid or declared and funded. The applicable prospectus supplement may provide additional voting rights for holders of preferred stock.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
We will select the transfer agent, registrar and dividend disbursement agent for a series of preferred stock, and each one will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. The registrar for shares of preferred stock will send notices to shareholders of any meetings at which holders of preferred stock have the right to vote on any matter.
DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES WE MAY OFFER
We may, at our option, elect to offer fractional shares of preferred stock rather than full shares of preferred stock. If we do elect to offer fractional shares of preferred stock, we will issue depositary shares that each represent a fraction of a share of a particular series of preferred stock. This section describes the general terms and provisions of the depositary shares that we may issue. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the specific terms, or modify the general terms, of any depositary shares offered through that prospectus supplement and any special federal income tax consequences of those depositary shares. A copy of the form of a deposit agreement between us and a depositary has been previously filed with the SEC, is incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and is incorporated by reference into the prospectus. See Where You Can Find More Information for information on how to obtain a copy of the form of deposit agreement. The following summaries of specific provisions of the deposit agreement are not complete and are subject to all of the provisions of the deposit agreement, including the definitions in the deposit agreement of specified terms, and, with respect to any particular depositary shares, to the description of the terms included in the applicable prospectus supplement.
General
The shares of any series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares will be deposited under a deposit agreement between us and a depositary named in the applicable prospectus supplement. Subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, each owner of a depositary share will be entitled, in proportion to the applicable fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by the depositary share, to all the rights and preferences of the preferred stock represented by the depositary shares, including dividend, voting, redemption, subscription and liquidation rights.
The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued under the deposit agreement. Depositary receipts will be distributed to those persons purchasing the fractional shares of preferred stock in accordance with the terms of the offering. Pending the preparation of definitive depositary receipts, the depositary may, upon our written order, issue temporary depositary receipts substantially identical to, and entitling the holders to all the rights pertaining to, definitive depositary receipts but not in definitive form. Definitive depositary receipts will be prepared thereafter without unreasonable delay, and temporary depositary receipts will be exchangeable for definitive depositary receipts at our expense.
Dividends and Other Distributions
The depositary will distribute all cash dividends or other cash distributions received on the preferred stock to the record holders of depositary shares relating to the preferred stock in proportion to the number of the
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In the event of a distribution other than in cash, the depositary will distribute property received by it to the record holders of depositary shares entitled to the distribution, in amounts as are, as nearly as practicable, in proportion to the number of depositary shares owned by each holder, unless the depositary determines that it is not feasible to make the distribution. In that case, the depositary may, with our approval, adopt any method that it deems equitable and practical, including the sale of the property and the distribution of the net proceeds from the sale to the holders of depositary shares.
The deposit agreement will also contain provisions relating to the manner in which any subscription or similar rights we offer to holders of the preferred stock will be made available to the holders of depositary shares.
Withdrawal of Preferred Stock
Unless the related depositary shares have previously been called for redemption, the holder of the depositary shares may receive the number of whole shares of the related series of preferred stock and any money or other property represented by the depositary shares after surrendering the depositary receipts at the corporate trust office of the depositary, paying taxes, charges and fees provided for in the deposit agreement and complying with any other requirements of the deposit agreement. Holders of depositary shares making these withdrawals will be entitled to receive whole shares of the related series of preferred stock on the basis set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement for the series of preferred stock, but holders of whole shares of the preferred stock will not be entitled to receive depositary shares at a later time in exchange for whole shares of preferred stock. If the depositary receipts delivered by the holder evidence a number of depositary shares in excess of the number of depositary shares representing the number of whole shares of the related series of preferred stock to be withdrawn, the depositary will deliver to the holder at the same time a new depositary receipt evidencing the excess number of depositary shares.
Redemption of Depositary Shares
If we redeem a series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares, the depositary will redeem the depositary shares from the proceeds it receives from the redemption, in whole or in part, of the series of preferred stock held by the depositary in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement. Whenever we redeem shares of preferred stock held by the depositary, the depositary will redeem, as of the same redemption date, the number of depositary shares representing shares of preferred stock so redeemed. If fewer than all the depositary shares are to be redeemed, the depositary shares to be redeemed will be selected by lot or pro rata as may be determined by the depositary or by any other method that may be determined by the depositary to be equitable.
After the date fixed for redemption, the depositary shares called for redemption will no longer be outstanding, and all rights of the holders of the depositary shares will cease, except the right to receive the money, securities or other property payable upon redemption and any money, securities, or other property to which the holders of the depositary shares were entitled upon redemption. To receive this money, securities or property, the holder must surrender the depositary receipts evidencing the depositary shares to the depositary.
Voting Deposited Preferred Stock
Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of any series of preferred stock are entitled to vote, the depositary will mail the information contained in the notice of meeting to the record holders of the depositary shares relating to the applicable series of preferred stock. Each record holder of the depositary shares on the record date for that series of preferred stock will be entitled to instruct the depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights pertaining to the amount of whole shares of that series of preferred stock
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Amendment and Termination of the Deposit Agreement
We and the depositary may amend the form of depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares and any provision of the deposit agreement at any time. However, any amendment that materially and adversely alters the rights of the holders of depositary shares will not be effective unless the amendment has been approved by the holders of at least a majority of the affected depositary shares then outstanding under the deposit agreement. We or the depositary may terminate the deposit agreement only if:
| all outstanding depositary shares under the deposit agreement have been redeemed; or | |
| there has been a final distribution on the preferred stock in connection with any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Forest City Enterprises, Inc. and the distribution has been distributed to the holders of depositary receipts. |
Charges and Expenses of Depositary
We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of the depositary arrangements. We will pay charges of the depositary in connection with the initial deposit of the preferred stock, any redemption of the preferred stock at our option and any withdrawals of preferred stock by the holders of depositary shares. Holders of depositary receipts will pay all other transfer and other taxes and governmental charges and any other charges as may be expressly provided in the deposit agreement to be for their accounts.
Resignation and Removal of Depositary
The depositary may resign at any time by delivering to us notice of its election to do so, and we may at any time remove the depositary. Any resignation or removal of the depositary will take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of the appointment as provided in the deposit agreement. The successor depositary must be appointed within 60 days after delivery of the notice of resignation or removal and must be a bank or trust company having its principal office in the United States and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50.0 million.
Miscellaneous
We will deliver, at our expense, all notices and reports required by law, by the rules of any national securities exchange upon which the preferred stock, the depositary shares or the depositary receipts are listed or by our amended articles of incorporation to be furnished to the record holders of preferred stock.
As provided in the deposit agreement, neither we nor the depositary will be liable if prevented or delayed by law or any other circumstance beyond our or its control in performing obligations under the deposit agreement. Our obligations and those of the depositary under the deposit agreement will be limited to performance in good faith of the duties thereunder. The depositary will not be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding on any depositary shares or preferred stock unless satisfactory indemnity is furnished. We and the depositary may rely upon written advice of counsel or accountants, or upon information provided by persons presenting preferred stock for deposit, holders of depositary receipts or other persons believed to be competent and on documents believed to be genuine.
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DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK WE MAY OFFER
This section describes the general terms and provisions of the shares of class A common stock that we may issue separately, upon conversion of a senior debt security, upon conversion of a subordinated debt security, upon conversion of preferred stock, upon exercise of an equity warrant, in connection with a stock purchase contract, as part of a stock purchase unit or upon exercise of a subscription right. The description set forth below of the class A common stock and class B common stock is not complete and is subject to our amended articles of incorporation. You should refer to our amended articles of incorporation for specific information on our class A common stock. See Where You Can Find More Information for information on how to obtain a copy of our amended articles of incorporation.
Our amended articles of incorporation authorize the issuance of 96,000,000 shares of class A common stock, of which, at March 1, 2002, 35,469,771 shares were issued, 322,694 shares were held in treasury and 35,147,077 shares were outstanding and were held of record by 753 shareholders, and 36,000,000 shares of class B common stock, convertible on a share-for-share basis into class A common stock, of which, at March 1, 2002, 14,756,057 shares were issued, 417,150 shares were held in treasury and 14,338,907 shares were outstanding and were held of record by 572 shareholders.
General
Except as described below, the shares of class A common stock and the shares of class B common stock are in all respects identical. The holders of class A common stock and class B common stock are entitled to participate in any dividend, reclassification, merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the company, share-for-share, without priority or other distinction between classes.
Both the class A and class B common stock are listed on The New York Stock Exchange. As of March 1, 2002, class A common stock accounted for approximately 71% of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding.
Dividends
Our board of directors is not required to declare a regular cash dividend in any fiscal year. The class A common stock and class B common stock will participate equally on a share-for-share basis in any and all cash and non-cash dividends paid. No cash dividend can be paid on a class of common stock until provision is made for payment of a dividend of at least an equal amount on a share-for-share basis on the other class of common stock. If our board of directors determines to declare any stock dividend with respect to either class of common stock, it must at the same time declare a proportionate stock dividend with respect to the other class of common stock. If the shares of either class of common stock are combined or subdivided, the shares of the other class of common stock must be combined or subdivided in an equivalent manner. In the discretion of our board of directors, dividends payable in class A common stock may be paid with respect to shares of either class of common stock, but dividends payable in class B common stock may be paid only with respect to shares of class B common stock.
Voting Rights
The holders of the class A common stock, voting as a separate class, are entitled to elect 25% of the directors rounded up to the nearest whole number. All other directors are elected by the holders of the class B common stock voting as a separate class. Cumulative voting for the election of directors is provided by Ohio law if notice in writing is given by any shareholder to the president, a vice president or the secretary not less than 48 hours before the time fixed for the holding of the meeting that the shareholder desires cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors by a class of shareholders to which he belongs, and if an announcement of the giving of the notice is made upon the convening of the meeting by the chairman or secretary or by or on behalf of the shareholder giving the notice, each holder of shares of that class will have the right to accumulate the voting power as he possesses at the election with respect to shares of that class. If this occurs, each holder of shares of class A common stock or class B common stock, as the case may be, will
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In the event that the number of outstanding shares of class A common stock is, as of the record date for any shareholder meeting at which directors will be elected, less than 10% of the combined outstanding shares of class A and class B common stock, then the holders of class A common stock will not have the right to elect 25% of the directors. If this occurs, the holders of the class A common stock and the holders of the class B common stock would vote together as a single class in the election of all directors, with each class A share having one vote and each class B share having ten votes.
Further, in the event that the number of outstanding shares of class B common stock as of the above-mentioned record date is less than 500,000 shares, the holders of class B common stock will lose their rights to elect 75% of the directors. If this occurs, the holders of the class A common stock would continue to vote as a separate class to elect 25% of the directors rounded up to the nearest whole number, and the holders of the class A and class B common stock would vote together as a single class in the election of the remaining directors, with each class A share having one vote and each class B share having ten votes.
The holders of class A common stock and the holders of class B common stock are entitled to vote as separate classes:
| for the election of directors; | |
| to amend our amended articles of incorporation or our code of regulations or approve a merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation if the amendment, merger or consolidation would adversely affect the rights of the particular class; and | |
| on all matters as to which class voting may be required by applicable Ohio law. |
The holders of the class A common stock vote together with the holders of the class B common stock as a single class on all matters which are submitted to shareholder vote, except as discussed above. When all holders of our shares vote as a single class, each class A share has one vote and each class B share has ten votes.
Conversion
Holders of shares of class B common stock are entitled to convert, at any time and at their election, each share of class B common stock into one share of class A common stock. Shares of class A common stock are not convertible into any security of ours.
Other Terms
Our shareholders have no preemptive or other rights to subscribe for additional shares of our voting securities, except for the conversion rights of class B common stock described above and conversion rights of subordinated debt securities and preferred stock, if any. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Forest City, the assets legally available for distribution to holders of all classes of common stock are distributable ratably among the holders of the shares of all classes of common stock outstanding at the time. No class of common stock is subject to redemption.
Transfer Agent
National City Bank, Cleveland, Ohio, currently serves as transfer agent for our common stock.
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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS WE MAY OFFER
General Description of Warrants
This section describes the general terms and provisions of the warrants we may issue for the purchase of senior debt securities, subordinated debt securities, class A common stock or preferred stock. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities offered by any prospectus supplement and may attach warrants to those securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the particular issue of the warrants. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with warrant certificates evidencing the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of certificates evidencing warrants or beneficial owners of warrants. A copy of the form of a warrant agreement has been filed with the SEC as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. See Where You Can Find More Information for information on how to obtain a copy of the form of warrant agreement.
Debt Warrants
The applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants to issue debt securities will describe the terms of those warrants, including the following, if applicable:
| the title of the warrants; | |
| the offering price for the warrants, if any; | |
| the aggregate number of the warrants; | |
| the designation and terms of the debt securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants; | |
| the designation and terms of the debt securities that the warrants are issued with and the number of warrants issued with each debt security; | |
| the date from and after which the warrants and any debt securities issued with them will be separately transferable; | |
| the principal amount of debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of a warrant and the price at which the debt securities may be purchased upon exercise; | |
| the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire; | |
| the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time; | |
| whether the warrants represented by the warrant certificates or debt securities that may be issued upon exercise of the warrants will be issued in registered or bearer form; | |
| information relating to book-entry procedures, if any; | |
| the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable; | |
| a discussion of material United States federal income tax considerations; | |
| anti-dilution provisions of the warrants, if any; | |
| redemption or call provisions, if any, applicable to the warrants; | |
| any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants; and | |
| any other information we think is important about the warrants. |
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Equity Warrants
The applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants to issue shares of preferred stock, shares of class A common stock, or other securities will describe the terms of those warrants, including the following, if applicable:
| the title of the warrants; | |
| the offering price for the warrants, if any; | |
| the aggregate number of the warrants; | |
| the designation and terms of the securities that may be purchased upon exercise of the warrants; | |
| the designation and terms of the securities that the warrants are issued with and the number of warrants issued with each security; | |
| the date from and after which the warrants and any securities issued with the warrants will be separately transferable; | |
| the number of securities that may be purchased upon exercise of a warrant and the price at which the securities may be purchased upon exercise; | |
| the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire; | |
| the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time; | |
| the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable; | |
| a discussion of material United States federal income tax considerations; | |
| anti-dilution provisions of the warrants, if any; | |
| redemption or call provisions, if any, applicable to the warrants; | |
| any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants; and | |
| any other information we think is important about the warrants. |
Exercise of Warrants
Each warrant will entitle the holder of the warrant to purchase at the exercise price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the principal amount of debt securities or applicable number of securities being offered. Holders may exercise warrants at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants are void. Holders may exercise warrants as set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants being offered.
Until a holder exercises the warrants to purchase our securities, the holder will not have any rights as a holder of the securities by virtue of ownership of warrants.
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DESCRIPTION OF STOCK PURCHASE CONTRACTS AND
We may issue stock purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and obligating us to sell to the holders, a specified number of shares of our class A common stock or other securities at a future date or dates, which we refer to in this prospectus as stock purchase contracts. The price per share of the securities and the number of shares of the securities may be fixed at the time the stock purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by a specific reference to a formula set forth in the stock purchase contracts. The stock purchase contracts may be issued separately or as part of stock purchase units consisting of (1) a stock purchase contract and (2) debt securities, preferred stock, warrants or debt obligations of third parties, including United States Treasury securities, to secure the holders obligations to purchase our securities under the stock purchase contracts, which we refer to in this prospectus as stock purchase units. The stock purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations under the stock purchase contracts in a specified manner. The stock purchase contracts also may require us to make periodic payments to the holders of the stock purchase units or vice versa, and these payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any stock purchase contracts or stock purchase units. Any special federal income tax considerations applicable to the stock purchase contracts and the stock purchase units may also be discussed in the applicable prospectus supplement. A copy of the form of a stock purchase contract has been filed with the SEC as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. See Where You Can Find More Information for information on how to obtain a copy of the form of stock purchase contract.
DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS WE MAY OFFER
We may issue to our shareholders subscription rights to purchase our senior debt securities, subordinated debt securities, preferred stock, depositary shares or class A common stock. These subscription rights may be issued independently or together with any other security offered by this prospectus and may or may not be transferable by the shareholder receiving the rights in the rights offering. In connection with any rights offering, we may enter into a standby underwriting agreement with one or more underwriters pursuant to which the underwriter will purchase any securities that remain unsubscribed for upon completion of the rights offering.
The applicable prospectus supplement relating to any subscription rights will describe the terms of the offered subscription rights, including, where applicable, the following:
| the exercise price for the subscription rights; | |
| the number of subscription rights issued to each shareholder; | |
| the extent to which the subscription rights are transferable; | |
| any other terms of the subscription rights, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the subscription rights; | |
| the date on which the right to exercise the subscription rights will commence, and the date on which the right will expire; | |
| the extent to which the subscription rights include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities; and | |
| the material terms of any standby underwriting arrangement entered into by us in connection with the subscription rights offering. |
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED SECURITIES THE TRUSTS MAY OFFER
This section describes the general terms and provisions of the preferred securities that the Trusts may offer. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the specific terms of any preferred securities the Trusts may offer and the extent, if any, to which these general terms and provisions may or may not apply to the preferred securities.
The preferred securities that each of the Trusts may offer will be issued under an amended and restated declaration of trust, which we will enter into at the time of any offering of preferred securities by a Trust. The amended and restated declaration of trust for each Trust is subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. The Bank of New York (Delaware) will act as Delaware trustee and The Bank of New York will act as institutional trustee under each amended and restated declaration of trust for the purposes of compliance with the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act. A copy of the form of the amended and restated declaration of trust has been filed with the SEC as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You should refer to the form of the amended and restated declaration of trust for more specific information. See Where You Can Find More Information on how to obtain copies of the form of the amended and restated declaration of trust. The following summaries of specific provisions of the form of the amended and restated declaration of trust are not complete and are subject to all the provisions of the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust, the Trust Indenture Act and the Delaware Business Trust Act.
General
The amended and restated declaration of trust for each Trust will provide that the Trust may issue, from time to time, only one series of preferred securities and one series of common securities. The preferred securities will be offered to investors and the common securities will be held by Forest City Enterprises, Inc. The terms of the preferred securities, as a general matter, will mirror the terms of the related series of subordinated debt securities that we will issue to the applicable Trust in exchange for the proceeds of the sales of the preferred and common securities. If we fail to make a payment on the related series of subordinated debt securities, the Trust holding that series of the subordinated debt securities will not have sufficient funds to make related payments, including distributions, on its preferred securities.
You should refer to the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the preferred securities for specific terms of the preferred securities, including, but not limited to:
| the distinctive designation of the preferred securities and common securities; | |
| the total and per-security liquidation amount of the preferred securities; | |
| the annual distribution rate, or method of determining the rate at which the applicable Trust will pay distributions, on the preferred securities and the date or dates from which distributions will accrue; | |
| the date or dates on which the distributions will be payable and any corresponding record dates; | |
| whether distributions on preferred securities will be cumulative, and, in the case of preferred securities having cumulative distribution rights, the date or dates or method of determining the date or dates from which distributions on preferred securities will be cumulative; | |
| the right, if any, to defer distributions on the preferred securities upon extension of the interest payment period of the related series of subordinated debt securities; | |
| whether the preferred securities are to be issued in book-entry form and represented by one or more global certificates and, if so, the depositary for the global certificates and the specific terms of the depositary arrangement; | |
| the amount or amounts which will be paid out of the assets of the applicable Trust to the holders of preferred securities upon voluntary or involuntary dissolution, winding up or termination of that Trust; |
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| any obligation of the applicable Trust to purchase or redeem preferred securities issued by it and the terms and conditions relating to any redemption obligation; | |
| any voting rights of the preferred securities; | |
| any terms and conditions upon which the related series of subordinated debt securities held by the applicable Trust may be distributed to holders of preferred securities; | |
| any securities exchange on which the preferred securities will be listed; and | |
| any other relevant rights, preferences, privileges, limitations or restrictions of the preferred securities not inconsistent with the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust or with applicable law. |
We will guarantee the preferred securities to the extent described below under Description of Trust Guarantee. Our guarantee, when taken together with our obligations under the related series of subordinated debt securities and the related indenture, and our obligations under the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust, would provide a full, irrevocable and unconditional guarantee of amounts due on any preferred securities issued by a Trust. Any United States federal income tax considerations applicable to any offering of preferred securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Liquidation Distribution Upon Dissolution
Unless otherwise specified in an applicable prospectus supplement, the amended and restated declaration of trust for each Trust will state that the Trust will be dissolved:
| on the expiration of the term of the applicable Trust; | |
| upon bankruptcy or dissolution of Forest City Enterprises, Inc. or any holder of the common securities of the applicable Trust, if different than Forest City Enterprises, Inc.; | |
| upon our written direction to the institutional trustee to dissolve the applicable Trust and distribute the related subordinated debt securities directly to the holders of the preferred securities and common securities; | |
| upon the redemption by the applicable Trust of all of the preferred and common securities in accordance with their terms; or | |
| upon entry of a court order for the dissolution of the applicable Trust. |
Unless otherwise specified in an applicable prospectus supplement, in the event of a dissolution as described above other than in connection with redemption, after the applicable Trust satisfies all liabilities to its creditors as provided by applicable law, each holder of the preferred or common securities issued by that Trust will be entitled to receive:
| the related series of subordinated debt securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate liquidation amount of the preferred or common securities held by the holder; or | |
| if any distribution of the related series of subordinated debt securities is determined by the institutional trustee not to be practical, cash equal to the aggregate liquidation amount of the preferred or common securities held by the holder, plus accumulated and unpaid distributions to the date of payment. |
If the applicable Trust cannot pay the full amount due on its preferred and common securities because it has insufficient assets available for payment, then the amounts payable by that Trust on its preferred and common securities will be paid on a pro rata basis. However, if an event of default under the applicable subordinated debt indenture has occurred and is continuing with respect to any series of subordinated debt securities, the total amounts due on the related preferred securities will be paid before any distribution on the common securities.
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Events of Default
The following will be events of default under the amended and restated declaration of trust for each Trust:
| an event of default under the applicable subordinated debt indenture occurs with respect to any related series of subordinated debt securities; or | |
| any other event of default specified in the applicable prospectus supplement occurs. |
If an event of default with respect to a related series of subordinated debt securities occurs and is continuing under the applicable subordinated debt indenture, and the subordinated trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the related subordinated debt securities outstanding fail to declare the principal amount of all of such subordinated debt securities to be immediately due and payable, then the holders of at least 25% in aggregate liquidation amount of the outstanding preferred securities of the applicable Trust holding the subordinated debt securities will have the right to declare such principal amount immediately due and payable by providing written notice to us, the institutional trustee and the subordinated trustee.
At any time after a declaration of acceleration has been made with respect to a related series of subordinated debt securities and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained, the holders of a majority in liquidation amount of the affected preferred securities may rescind any declaration of acceleration with respect to the related subordinated debt securities and its consequences:
| if we deposit with the subordinated trustee funds sufficient to pay all overdue principal of and premium and interest on the related series of subordinated debt securities and other amounts due to the subordinated trustee and the institutional trustee; and | |
| if all existing events of default with respect to the related series of subordinated debt securities have been cured or waived except non-payment of principal on the related series of subordinated debt securities that has become due solely because of the acceleration. |
The holders of a majority in liquidation amount of the affected preferred securities may waive any past default under the applicable subordinated debt indenture with respect to related series of subordinated debt securities, other than a default in the payment of principal of, or any premium or interest on, any related subordinated debt security or a default with respect to a covenant or provision that cannot be amended or modified without the consent of the holder of each affected outstanding related subordinated debt security. In addition, the holders of at least a majority in liquidation amount of the affected preferred securities may waive any past default under the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust.
A holder of preferred securities may institute a legal proceeding directly against us, without first instituting a legal proceeding against the institutional trustee or anyone else, for enforcement of payment to the holder of principal and any premium or interest on the related series of subordinated debt securities having a principal amount equal to the aggregate liquidation amount of the preferred securities of the holder if we fail to pay principal and any premium or interest on the related series of subordinated debt securities when payable.
We will be required to furnish annually, to the institutional trustee for each Trust, officers certificates to the effect that, to the best knowledge of the individuals providing the certificates, we and the Trust are not in default under the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust or, if there has been a default, specifying the default and its status.
Consolidation, Merger or Amalgamation of a Trust
A Trust may not consolidate or merge with or into, or be replaced by, or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to, any entity, except as described below or as described in Liquidation Distribution Upon Dissolution. A Trust may, with the consent of the regular trustees but without the consent of the holders of the outstanding preferred securities or the other trustees of the applicable
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| the successor entity either: |
| expressly assumes all of the obligations of the applicable Trust relating to its preferred and common securities; or | |
| substitutes for the applicable Trusts preferred securities other securities having substantially the same terms as the preferred securities, so long as the substituted successor securities rank the same as the preferred securities for distributions and payments upon liquidation, redemption and otherwise; |
| we appoint a trustee of the successor entity who has substantially the same powers and duties as the institutional trustee of the applicable Trust; | |
| the successor securities are listed or traded, or any substituted successor securities will be listed upon notice of issuance, on the same national securities exchange or other organization on which the applicable series of preferred securities are then listed or traded, if any; | |
| the merger event does not cause the applicable series of preferred securities or any substituted successor securities to be downgraded by any national rating agency; | |
| the merger event does not adversely affect the rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of the applicable series of preferred or common securities or any substituted successor securities in any material respect; | |
| the successor entity has a purpose substantially identical to that of the applicable Trust; | |
| prior to the merger event, we have provided to the applicable Trust an opinion of counsel from a nationally recognized law firm stating that: |
| the merger event does not adversely affect the rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of the applicable Trusts preferred or common securities in any material respect; | |
| following the merger event, neither the applicable Trust nor the successor entity will be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940; and | |
| following the merger event, the applicable Trust or the successor entity will continue to be classified as a grantor trust for United States federal tax purposes; and |
| we own, or our permitted transferee owns, all of the common securities of the successor entity and we guarantee, or our permitted transferee guarantees, the obligations of the successor entity under the substituted successor securities at least to the extent provided under the applicable preferred securities guarantee. |
In addition, unless all of the holders of its preferred securities approve otherwise, the applicable Trust may not consolidate, amalgamate or merge with or into, or be replaced by, or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to, any other entity, or permit any other entity to consolidate, amalgamate, merge with or into or replace it if the transaction would cause that Trust or the successor entity to be taxable as a corporation or classified other than as a grantor trust for United States federal income tax purposes.
Voting Rights
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holders of the preferred securities will have no voting rights except as discussed below and under Amendment to the Trust Agreement and Description of Trust Guarantee Modification of the Trust Guarantee; Assignment and as otherwise required by law.
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The holders of a majority in aggregate liquidation amount of the preferred securities issued by the applicable Trust have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the institutional trustee, or direct the exercise of any trust or power conferred upon the institutional trustee under the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust, including the right to direct the institutional trustee, as holder of the related series of subordinated debt securities to:
| direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the subordinated trustee for any related series of subordinated debt securities or execute any trust or power conferred on the subordinated trustee with respect to the related series of subordinated debt securities; | |
| waive certain past defaults under the applicable subordinated debt indenture with respect to any related series of subordinated debt securities; | |
| cancel an acceleration of the maturity of the principal of any related series of subordinated debt securities; or | |
| consent to any amendment, modification or termination of the applicable subordinated debt indenture or any related series of subordinated debt securities where consent is required. |
In addition, before taking any of the foregoing actions, we will provide to the institutional trustee an opinion of counsel experienced in such matters to the effect that, as a result of such actions, the applicable Trust will not be taxable as a corporation or classified as other than a grantor trust for United States federal income tax purposes.
The institutional trustee will notify all preferred securities holders of the applicable Trust of any notice of default received from the subordinated trustee with respect to the series of subordinated debt securities held by that Trust.
Any required approval of the holders of preferred securities may be given at a meeting of the holders of the preferred securities convened for the purpose or pursuant to written consent. The regular trustees will cause a notice of any meeting at which holders of securities are entitled to vote to be given to each holder of record of the preferred securities at the holders registered address at least seven days and not more than 60 days before the meeting.
No vote or consent of the holders of the preferred securities will be required for a Trust to redeem and cancel its preferred securities in accordance with its amended and restated declaration of trust.
Notwithstanding that holders of the preferred securities are entitled to vote or consent under any of the circumstances described above, any of the preferred securities that are owned by Forest City Enterprises, Inc. or any of its affiliates will, for purposes of any vote or consent, be treated as if they were not outstanding.
Amendment to the Amended and Restated Declarations of Trust
The amended and restated declaration of trust for each Trust may be amended from time to time by us and the institutional trustee and the regular trustees of the Trust, without the consent of the holders of the preferred securities, to:
| cure any ambiguity or correct or supplement any provision which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision; | |
| add to the covenants, restrictions or obligations applicable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc., as sponsor; or | |
| modify, eliminate or add to any provisions to the extent necessary to ensure that the applicable Trust will not be taxable as a corporation or classified as other than a grantor trust for United States federal income tax purposes, to ensure that the related series of subordinated debt securities held by that Trust are treated as indebtedness for United States federal income tax purposes or to ensure that Trust will not be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. |
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However, in each case, the amendment may not adversely affect in any material respect the interests of the holders of the preferred securities or the related series of subordinated debt securities.
If any proposed amendment to the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust provides for, or the trustee of the applicable Trust otherwise proposes to effect:
| any action that would adversely affect the powers, preferences or special rights of the preferred securities in any material respect; or | |
| the dissolution, winding-up or termination of the applicable Trust other than pursuant to the terms of the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust, |
then the holders of the affected preferred securities as a class will be entitled to vote on the amendment or proposal. In that case, the amendment or proposal will be effective only if approved by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate liquidation amount of the affected preferred securities.
Other amendments to the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust may be made by us and the trustees of the applicable Trust upon approval of the holders of a majority in aggregate liquidation amount of the outstanding preferred securities of that Trust and receipt by the trustees of an opinion of counsel to the effect that the amendment will not cause that Trust to be taxable as a corporation or classified as other than a grantor trust for United States federal income tax purposes.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, without the consent of each affected holder of common or preferred securities of the applicable Trust, an amended and restated declaration of trust may not be amended to:
| change the amount or timing of any distribution on the common or preferred securities of the applicable Trust or otherwise adversely affect the amount of any distribution required to be made in respect of the securities as of a specified date; | |
| change any of the redemption provisions; or | |
| restrict the right of a holder of any securities to institute suit for the enforcement of any distribution on or after the distribution date. |
Removal and Replacement of Trustees
Unless an event of default exists under the related series of subordinated debt securities, we may remove the institutional trustee and the Delaware trustee at any time. If an event of default exists, the institutional trustee and the Delaware trustee may be removed only by the holders of a majority in liquidation amount of the relevant series of the outstanding preferred securities. In no event will the holders of the preferred securities have the right to vote to appoint, remove or replace the regular trustees, because these voting rights are vested exclusively in us as the holder of all the applicable Trusts common securities. No resignation or removal of the institutional trustee or the Delaware trustee and no appointment of a successor trustee will be effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee in accordance with the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust.
Merger or Consolidation of Trustees
Any entity into which the institutional trustee or the Delaware trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any entity resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the institutional trustee or Delaware trustee shall be a party, or any entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the institutional trustee or Delaware trustee will be the successor of the institutional trustee or Delaware trustee, as the case may be, under the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust. However, the successor entity must be otherwise qualified and eligible to serve as trustee.
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Information Concerning the Institutional Trustee
For matters relating to compliance with the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the institutional trustee for the applicable Trust will have all of the duties and responsibilities of an indenture trustee under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. Except if an event of default exists under the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust, the institutional trustee will undertake to perform only the duties specifically set forth in the amended and restated declaration of trust. While such an event of default exists, the applicable institutional trustee must exercise the same degree of care and skill as a prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this provision, the applicable institutional trustee is not obligated to exercise any of the powers vested in it by the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust at the request of any holder of preferred securities, unless the institutional trustee is offered reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur. But the holders of preferred securities will not be required to offer indemnity to the institutional trustee if the holders, by exercising their voting rights, direct the institutional trustee to take any action following a declaration event of default.
The Bank of New York, which is the institutional trustee for the Trusts, serves as the guarantee trustee under the trust guarantee described below. The Bank of New York is also the trustee under the indenture governing our $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.5% senior notes due 2008 and is also a lender to our subsidiary of nonrecourse project debt. In addition, the Bank of New York will be the trustee under the senior debt indenture, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Miscellaneous
The regular trustees of each Trust are authorized and directed to conduct the affairs of and to operate the applicable Trust in such a way that:
| that Trust will not be taxable as a corporation or classified as other than a grantor trust for United States federal income tax purposes; | |
| the related series of subordinated debt securities held by that Trust will be treated as our indebtedness for United States federal income tax purposes; and | |
| that Trust will not be deemed to be an investment company required to be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. |
We and the trustees are authorized to take any action, so long as it is consistent with applicable law, the certificate of trust and the amended and restated declaration of trust, that we and the trustees determine to be necessary or desirable for the above purposes, as long as it does not materially and adversely affect the holders of the preferred securities.
Registered holders of the preferred securities have no preemptive or similar rights.
Neither Trust may, among other things, incur indebtedness, other than loans represented by the related series of subordinated debt securities, or place a lien on any of its assets.
Governing Law
The amended and restated declaration of trust for each Trust and the preferred securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the conflict of laws provisions.
DESCRIPTION OF TRUST GUARANTEES
This section describes the general terms and provisions of the trust guarantees that we will execute and deliver for the benefit of the holders from time to time of the preferred securities that the Trusts may offer. Each trust guarantee will be separately qualified as an indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, and The Bank of New York will act as indenture trustee under each trust guarantee for the purposes of compliance with the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. A copy of the form of trust guarantee has been filed
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General
We will irrevocably and unconditionally agree to pay the following payments or distributions with respect to preferred securities, in full, to the holders of the preferred securities, as and when they become due regardless of any defense, right of set-off or counterclaim that a Trust may have except for the defense of payment:
| any accrued and unpaid distributions which are required to be paid on the preferred securities, to the extent the applicable Trust has sufficient funds available to do so; | |
| the redemption price and all accrued and unpaid distributions to the date of redemption with respect to any preferred securities called for redemption, to the extent the applicable Trust has sufficient funds available to do so; and | |
| upon a voluntary or involuntary dissolution, winding up or termination of the applicable Trust (other than in connection with the distribution of related series of subordinated debt securities to the holders of preferred securities or the redemption of all of the preferred securities), the lesser of: |
| the total liquidation amount and all accrued and unpaid distributions on the relevant series of preferred securities to the date of payment; and | |
| the amount of assets of the applicable Trust remaining available for distribution to holders of such preferred securities in liquidation of that Trust. |
Our obligation to make a payment under the applicable trust guarantee may be satisfied by our direct payment of the required amounts to the holders of preferred securities to which the trust guarantee relates or by causing the applicable Trust to pay the amounts to the holders.
Each trust guarantee will constitute a guarantee of payment and not of collection. The holders of a majority in liquidation amount of the preferred securities to which the trust guarantee relates have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the guarantee trustee in respect of the applicable trust guarantee or to direct the exercise of any trust or power conferred upon the guarantee trustee under the applicable trust guarantee. If the guarantee trustee fails to enforce the applicable trust guarantee, any holder of preferred securities to which the trust guarantee relates may institute a legal proceeding directly against us to enforce the holders rights under the applicable trust guarantee, without first instituting a legal proceeding against the trust, the guarantee trustee or any one else. If we do not make a guarantee payment, a holder of preferred securities may directly institute a proceeding against us for enforcement of the trust guarantee for the payment.
Modification of the Trust Guarantees; Assignment
Except with respect to any changes which do not adversely affect the rights of holders of preferred securities in any material respect (in which case no vote will be required), each trust guarantee may be amended only with the prior approval of the holders of not less than a majority in liquidation amount of the outstanding preferred securities to which the trust guarantee relates. The manner of obtaining the approval of holders of the preferred securities will be described in an accompanying prospectus supplement. All guarantees and agreements contained in each trust guarantee will bind our successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and representatives and will be for the benefit of the holders of the outstanding preferred securities to which the trust guarantee relates.
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Termination
Each trust guarantee will terminate when any of the following has occurred:
| all preferred securities to which the trust guarantee relates have been paid in full or redeemed in full by us, the applicable Trust or both; | |
| the related series of subordinated debt securities held by the applicable Trust have been distributed to the holders of the relevant series of preferred securities; or | |
| the amounts payable in accordance with the amended and restated declaration of trust upon liquidation of the applicable Trust have been paid in full. |
Each trust guarantee will continue to be effective or will be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any holder of preferred securities to which the trust guarantee relates must restore payment of any amounts paid on the preferred securities or under the trust guarantee.
Events of Default
There will be an event of default under a trust guarantee if we fail to make any of our payment obligations or perform other obligations under the applicable trust guarantee. However, other than with respect to a default in payment of any guarantee payment, an event of default is not deemed to exist unless we have received notice of default and not have cured the default within 90 days after receipt of the notice. We, as guarantor, will be required to file annually with the guarantee trustee a certificate regarding our compliance with the applicable conditions and covenants under our trust guarantee.
Status of the Trust Guarantees
Each trust guarantee will be our general unsecured obligation and will rank as follows:
| subordinate and junior in right of payment to all of our senior indebtedness, as defined in the applicable senior subordinated debt indenture, if we issue senior subordinated debt securities to the Trust; | |
| subordinate and junior in right of payment to all of our senior debt, as defined in the applicable junior subordinated debt indenture, if we issue junior subordinated debt securities to the Trust; | |
| equal to our most senior preferred stock currently outstanding or issued in the future, to any guarantees of other preferred securities we or our affiliates may issue and to other issues of senior or junior subordinated debt securities, as applicable; and | |
| senior to our common stock. |
The terms of the preferred securities will provide that each holder of preferred securities by acceptance of the preferred securities agrees to the subordination provisions and other terms of the trust guarantee relating to the subordination.
Information Concerning the Guarantee Trustee
The guarantee trustee, except if we default under the applicable trust guarantee, will undertake to perform only such duties as are specifically set forth in each trust guarantee. In case a default with respect to the trust guarantee has occurred, the applicable guarantee trustee must exercise the same degree of care and skill as a prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this provision, the guarantee trustee will not be obligated to exercise any of the powers vested in it by the applicable trust guarantee at the request of any holder of the preferred securities unless the guarantee trustee is offered reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it may incur.
Governing Law
Each trust guarantee will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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Effect of Obligations Under the Subordinated Debt Securities and the Trust Guarantees
As long as we make payments of interest and any other payments when they are due on the related series of subordinated debt securities held by the applicable Trust, those payments will be sufficient to cover distributions and any other payments due on the preferred securities issued by that Trust because of the following factors:
| the total principal amount of the related series of subordinated debt securities held by the applicable Trust will be equal to the total stated liquidation amount of the preferred securities and common securities issued by that Trust; | |
| the interest rate and the interest payment dates and other payment dates on the related series of subordinated debt securities held by the applicable Trust will match the distribution rate and distribution payment dates and other payment dates for the preferred securities and common securities issued by that Trust; | |
| we will pay, and the applicable Trust will not be obligated to pay, directly or indirectly, all costs, expenses, debt, and obligations of that Trust (other than obligations under the trust securities); and | |
| the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust will further provide that the applicable Trust is not authorized to engage in any activity that is not consistent with its limited purposes. |
Taken together, our obligations under the related series of subordinated debt securities, the applicable subordinated debt indenture, the applicable amended and restated declaration of trust and the applicable trust guarantee will provide a full, irrevocable and unconditional guarantee of that Trusts payments of distributions and other amounts due on the applicable series of preferred securities.
If and to the extent that we do not make the required payments on the related series of subordinated debt securities, the applicable Trust will not have sufficient funds to make its related payments, including distributions on the preferred securities. Our trust guarantee will not cover any payments when the applicable Trust does not have sufficient funds available to make those payments. Therefore, if we default on the payment obligations of the related series of subordinated debt securities, your remedy, as a holder of preferred securities, is to institute a direct action against us.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We and the Trusts may sell the offered securities in and outside the United States:
| through underwriters or dealers; | |
| directly to purchasers, including our affiliates and shareholders, in a rights offering; | |
| through agents; | |
| through brokers or dealers as part of, or in connection with, derivative transactions; or | |
| through a combination of any of these methods. |
The applicable prospectus supplement will include the following information:
| the terms of the offering; | |
| the names of any underwriters, brokers, dealers or agents participating in the offering; | |
| the name or names of any managing underwriter or underwriters; | |
| the purchase price or initial public offering price of the securities; | |
| the net proceeds from the sale of the securities; | |
| any delayed delivery arrangements; | |
| any underwriting discounts, commissions and other items constituting underwriters compensation; |
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| any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and | |
| any commissions paid to agents. |
Sale through Underwriters or Dealers
If underwriters are used in the sale, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own account for resale to the public, either on a firm-commitment or best-efforts basis. The underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Underwriters may offer securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. Unless we or the Trusts inform you otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to specified conditions, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the offered securities if they purchase any of them. The underwriters may change from time to time any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.
If we offer securities in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders, we may enter into a standby underwriting agreement with dealers, acting as standby underwriters. We may pay the standby underwriters a commitment fee for the securities they commit to purchase on a standby basis. If we do not enter into a standby underwriting arrangement, we may retain a dealer-manager to manage a subscription rights offering for us.
During and after an offering through underwriters, the underwriters may purchase and sell the securities in the open market. These transactions may include over-allotment and stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover syndicate short positions created in connection with the offering. The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid, which means that selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other broker-dealers for the offered securities sold for their account may be reclaimed by the syndicate if the offered securities are repurchased by the syndicate in stabilizing or covering transactions. These activities may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the offered securities, which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail in the open market. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinue these activities at any time.
Some or all of the securities that we and the Trusts offer though this prospectus may be new issues of securities with no established trading market. Any underwriters to whom we and the Trusts sell our securities for public offering and sale may make a market in those securities, but they will not be obligated to do so and they may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. Accordingly, we and the Trusts cannot assure you of the liquidity of, or continued trading markets for, any securities that we and the Trusts offer.
If dealers are used in the sale of securities, we and the Trusts will sell the securities to them as principals. They may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices determined by the dealers at the time of resale. We and the Trusts will include in the applicable prospectus supplement the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction.
Direct Sales and Sales through Agents
We and the Trusts may sell the securities directly. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. We and the Trusts may also sell the securities through agents designated from time to time. In the applicable prospectus supplement, we and the Trusts will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the offered securities, and we and the Trusts will describe any commissions payable to the agent. Unless we or the Trusts inform you otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, any agent will agree to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit purchases for the period of its appointment.
We and the Trusts may sell the securities directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of those securities. We and the Trusts will describe the terms of any sales of these securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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Remarketing Arrangements
Offered securities may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us and the Trusts. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreements, if any, with us and the Trusts, and its compensation will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Delayed Delivery Contracts
If we so indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from specified types of institutions to purchase securities from us at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. These contracts would provide for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts would be subject only to those conditions described in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the commission payable for solicitation of those contracts.
Derivative Transactions
We may sell securities as part of, or in connection with, our entering into a derivative transaction with a financial institution. The financial institution may hedge its position by making sales of securities covered by this prospectus.
General Information
We and the Trusts may have agreements with the agents, dealers, underwriters and remarketing firms to indemnify them against specified civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, or to contribute with respect to payments that the agents, dealers, underwriters or remarketing firms may be required to make. Agents, dealers, underwriters and remarketing firms may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us or the Trusts in the ordinary course of their businesses.
At-the-Market Offerings
We may offer our securities into an existing trading market on the terms described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Underwriters and dealers who may participate in any at-the-market offerings include Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and McDonald Investments Inc.
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VALIDITY OF THE OFFERED SECURITIES
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, various matters of Delaware law relating to the Trusts and their preferred securities are subject to the opinions of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., Wilmington, Delaware. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, various legal matters incident to the validity of the securities offered by the applicable prospectus supplement are subject to the opinions of William M. Warren, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Forest City, and Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, Cleveland, Ohio. As of March 1, 2002, Mr. Warren owns, together with his spouse, 2,926 shares of class A common stock and has been granted options to purchase 48,600 shares of class A common stock. Mr. Warren also owns approximately $20,000 of our 8.5% senior notes due 2008. In addition, counsel that will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement will pass upon the validity of any securities offered under the applicable prospectus supplement for any underwriters or agents. Counsel to the underwriters or agents may, in some instances, rely as to specific matters of Ohio law upon the opinion of Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2002 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
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No
dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any
information or to represent anything not contained in this
prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information or
representations. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the
Notes offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in
jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information
contained in this prospectus is current only as of its
date.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||||
Forward-Looking Statements
|
i | |||
Available Information
|
ii | |||
Prospectus Supplement
Summary
|
S-1 | |||
Risk Factors
|
S-5 | |||
Use of Proceeds
|
S-18 | |||
Capitalization
|
S-19 | |||
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed
Charges
|
S-20 | |||
Description of Notes
|
S-21 | |||
Underwriting
|
S-50 | |||
Validity of the Notes
|
S-50 | |||
Experts
|
S-51 | |||
Prospectus | ||||
Where You Can Find More
Information
|
2 | |||
About this Prospectus
|
2 | |||
Incorporation of Documents
by Reference
|
2 | |||
Forward-Looking Statements
|
4 | |||
Forest City Enterprises,
Inc.
|
5 | |||
Forest City Enterprises
Capital Trust I and Forest City Enterprises Capital
Trust II
|
5 | |||
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed
Charges
|
6 | |||
Use of Proceeds
|
6 | |||
Summary Description of
Securities We and the Trusts May Offer
|
7 | |||
Description of Senior Debt
Securities We May Offer
|
7 | |||
Description of
Subordinated Debt Securities We May Offer
|
16 | |||
Description of Preferred
Stock We May Offer
|
28 | |||
Description of Depositary
Shares We May Offer
|
30 | |||
Description of Common
Stock We May Offer
|
33 | |||
Description of Warrants We
May Offer
|
35 | |||
Description of Stock
Purchase Contracts and Stock Purchase Units We May Offer
|
37 | |||
Description of
Subscription Rights We May Offer
|
37 | |||
Description of Preferred
Securities the Trusts May Offer
|
38 | |||
Description of
Trust Guarantees
|
44 | |||
Plan of Distribution
|
47 | |||
Validity of the Offered
Securities
|
50 | |||
Experts
|
50 |
$150,000,000
6.50% Senior Notes due 2017
Goldman, Sachs & Co.