Whitestone REIT Launches Value-Add Repositioning Program for Four Houston Community Centered Propert

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Whitestone REIT Launches Value-Add Repositioning Program for Four Houston Community Centered Properties

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Whitestone REIT (NYSE: WSR - "Whitestone" or the "Company"), a real estate investment trust which operates Community Centered PropertiesTM, today announced that it launched four property redevelopment and repositioning programs in its Houston, Texas, region.

Whitestone intends to reposition existing properties and capitalize on market demand resulting in increased rental rates from new tenants and adding value for existing tenants. At a $60 per square foot cost basis (undepreciated), and a strong local economy our Houston portfolio is well-positioned for significant redevelopment opportunities. The Company's value-add business model and its rebranding strategies primarily target tenants which provide needed services to the surrounding communities. We believe these efforts will result in strengthened overall property revenues, increasing net operating income, return on investment, and funds from operations per share.


The Houston properties being repositioned, redeveloped, and rebranded are:

  • Woodlake Plaza, a 106,000 square foot community office building located near the Westchase District;

  • Main Park, a 113,000 square foot community center located near Reliant Stadium and the Texas Medical Center, targeting medical labs,

  • Lion Square, a 118,000 square foot retail community center located in the Asian district in southwest Houston; and,

  • Torrey Square, a 106,000 square foot retail center located in one of the predominately Latino districts in north Houston.

"The four properties selected for redevelopment have the potential to produce exceptional returns on our modest capital investment in the near term," said James C. Mastandrea, Whitestone's Chairman and CEO. Mastandrea continued: "Considering their low cost basis and advantageous locations, these properties have significant intrinsic value, and should benefit from Houston's vibrant economy." Mastandrea added: "We intend to grow our enterprise value and leverage our team's unique skills by timing our value-add activities with the opportunities resulting from the real estate cycles in our markets." Mastandrea concluded, "To further drive value, over the coming quarters, we expect to balance additional redevelopment efforts to extract intrinsic value in our properties with acquisitions of off-market properties to enhance returns to our shareholders."

About Whitestone REIT

Whitestone REIT (NYS: WSR) is a fully integrated real estate investment trust ("REIT") that owns, operates and redevelops Community Centered PropertiesTM. Whitestone focuses on value creation in its community centers, concentrating on local service-oriented, smaller space tenants (less than 3,000 square feet). Whitestone has a diversified tenant base concentrated on service offerings including medical, education, casual dining, and convenience services. The largest of its approximately 1,200 tenants comprised less than 1.6% of its annualized base rental revenues as of June 30, 2013. Founded in 1998, the Company is internally managed with a portfolio of commercial properties in Texas, Arizona, and Illinois. For additional information about the Company, please visit www.whitestonereit.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included herein that state the Company's or management's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which by their nature, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. Reference is made to the Company's regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information or factors that may impact the Company's performance.



Whitestone REIT:
Suzy Taylor, 713-435-2219
Director of Investor Relations
STaylor@WhitestoneREIT.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America Texas

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

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