• Print
  • Send to a friend
  • Comment (1)
  •  

True North REIT buys 340 Laurier

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier Building at 340 Laurier Ave. Google Street View image

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier Building at 340 Laurier Ave.

Published on January 22, 2013
Published on January 22, 2013
The Canadian Press ~ OBJ  RSS Feed

True North Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust (TSXV:TNT.UN) announced Monday that it's acquiring five office and retail properties across the country for $144.7 million.

Topics :
REIT , Sir Wilfrid Laurier Building , Correctional Service of Canada and Public Safety Canada , Ontario , Alberta , New Brunswick

The string of transactions will see the REIT buy buildings in Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick for a total of 561,882 square feet of office and retail space.

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier Building at 340 Laurier Ave. contains 270,000 square feet spread out over 13 floors. It is fully leased, with the federal government occupying roughly 98 per cent of its rentable area.

While True North said in a statement that the building is "well maintained," other sources have said in recent years that the property is in poor condition and that future owners may face challenges retaining government tenants.

The average remaining lease term, weighted by gross revenue, at 340 Laurier Ave. is 5.1 years, according to True North.

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier Building, which houses the Correctional Service of Canada and Public Safety Canada, made headlines last month when a gas leak forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 workers.

The acquisitions will be made through a combination of $50.1 million in cash and $94.6 million of new mortgage debt, including a vendor take-back mortgage of $1.7 million in the case of one of the properties, True North said.

To finance the cash component of the purchase price, True North has agreed to sell, on a bought deal basis, more than 14.5 million units at a price of $3.83 per unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $55.7 million to a syndicate of underwriters led by Raymond James Ltd.

An over allotment option, if fully exercised, could bring the gross offer to $64.1 million.

"We are very pleased with these strategic acquisitions, which fit our stated strategy of initially focusing on secondary markets," said president and CEO Daniel Drimmer.

"Furthermore, the strong tenant base of the acquired properties will contribute to the overall quality of the REIT's portfolio," added Drimmer, who is also chairman of the company's board.

-With files from Peter Kovessy

Comments

  • Username
    J
    - January 25, 2013 at 10:00:53

    You should ask some of the people who work there how "well maintained" the building is... what with the gas leaks, the mice infestations, the constant evacuations of the building for health reasons, etc.

    Submit a comment

Submit a comment

Submit a comment (we keep all emails private)
Agreement

We ask that users remain courteous. You may not post insulting, discriminatory or inappropriate content, which may be removed at our discretion. We are not responsible for user content and opinions. Use of this site as well as content submission & ownership are governed by our Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.

Member organizations should be non-profit in nature, and promote legal activities. Any organization found promoting illegal activities or commercial products or services will be deleted from the site.

I agree with these conditions.

Advertising

Expert bloggers

CASE STUDIES & VIDEOS

Rideau Hall Creates New Lighting Environment and Lowers Electricity Costs
Hydro Ottawa

Building stronger communities across Ottawa
Domicile Developments

An investment in yourself
LC Fitness Studio

No surprises, no upselling
RE/MAX Citywide Realty

Are you ready for the unexpected?
TK Financial Group

More Case Studies

Newsletter

Please enter your email to receive our free newsletter

Subscribe to news alerts

Advertising