Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Liberty to exit South Jersey, Fort Washington office markets



Liberty Property Trust is looking to unload 30 properties totaling roughly 1.2 million square feet between South Jersey and Fort Washington, Pa., and depart those markets.

This is part of a larger deal in which the Malvern company is seeking to sell a total of 97 buildings consisting of 6.6 million square feet of suburban office and flex space. It has entered into an agreement that totals roughly $705 million and expects to close it in stages.

Until it is completed, Liberty (NYSE: LRY) won’t comment on the buyer. However, real estate sources have indicated that Somerset Properties of Lower Gwynedd, Pa., is the reported buyer.

In 2012, Liberty previously sold a portion of its South Jersey office properties and this will cleanse it of the remainder of its office holdings there as well as in Fort Washington. The company will continue to have a large presence in its Great Valley Corporate Center, where is it spending millions of dollars to redevelop and reposition several office properties. The company will also exit Jacksonville, Fla., and markets in Maryland.

This continues Liberty’s strategy to reduce its exposure to suburban office sector and focus on building its industrial presence.

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