General

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

General

GENERAL

The unaudited consolidated financial statements, and the accompanying notes, are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2019, included in Stratus Properties Inc.’s (Stratus) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 (Stratus 2019 Form 10-K) filed with the United States (U.S.) Securities and Exchange Commission. The information furnished herein reflects all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods reported and consist of normal recurring adjustments.

Operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020. In particular, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic intensified late in the first quarter of 2020, has continued into the second quarter of 2020 and is expected to continue beyond the second quarter of 2020. As a result, this interim period, as well as future interim periods in 2020, will not be comparable to past performance or indicative of future performance.

The preparation of Stratus’ consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions, including potential impacts arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and related government actions, that affect the amounts reported in these financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, and the extent of its impact cannot be determined with certainty, estimates and assumptions about future events and their effects require increased judgement. Stratus’ future assessment of the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic disruption, as well as other factors, could result in material changes to the estimates and material impacts to Stratus’ consolidated financial statements in future reporting periods.

Block 21 Update. Block 21 is Stratus’ wholly owned mixed-use real estate development and entertainment business in downtown Austin, Texas that contains the 251-room W Austin Hotel and is home to Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater, a 2,750-seat entertainment venue that serves as the location for the filming of Austin City Limits, the longest running music series in American television history. Block 21 also includes Class A office space, retail space and the 3TEN ACL Live entertainment venue and business.

On December 9, 2019, Stratus entered into definitive agreements to sell Block 21 to Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (Ryman) for $275 million. Ryman deposited $15.0 million in earnest money to secure its performance under the agreements governing the sales. As this represented a strategic shift for Stratus, the assets and liabilities of Block 21 were previously classified as held for sale - discontinued operations in the consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2019. As previously disclosed, on May 21, 2020, Ryman delivered a termination letter, which was agreed to and accepted by Stratus, terminating the agreements to sell Block 21 and authorizing the release of Ryman's $15.0 million in earnest money to Stratus. Stratus used $13.8 million of the $15.0 million earnest money to pay down its Comerica Bank revolving credit facility and used the remaining $1.2 million for Block 21 debt service and required monthly reserves. Stratus will record the $15.0 million as income in the second quarter of 2020. As a result of the termination of the agreements to sell Block 21, Stratus has concluded that such assets and liabilities no longer qualified as held for sale as of March 31, 2020. The carrying amounts as of December 31, 2019, of Block 21’s major classes of assets and liabilities, which were previously classified as held for sale - discontinued operations in the consolidated balance sheet follow (in thousands):

Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	10,408
Restricted cash	13,574
Real estate held for investment	131,286
Other assets	3,480
Total assets	$	158,748
Liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities, including taxes	$	7,005
Debt	141,184
Other liabilities	7,036
Total liabilities	$	155,225

COVID-19 Impact. Since January 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused substantial disruption in international and U.S. economies and markets. The pandemic has resulted in government restrictions of various degrees and effective at various times, including stay-at-home orders, bans on travel, limitations on the size of gatherings, limitations on the operations of businesses deemed non-essential, closures of work facilities, schools, public buildings and businesses, cancellation of events (including entertainment events, conferences and meetings), quarantines and social distancing measures. The pandemic and responses to it have also caused a steep increase in unemployment in the U.S. As a result, the pandemic has had a significant adverse impact on Stratus' business and operations. As mentioned above, Stratus' previously announced transaction to sell Block 21 was terminated by Ryman as a result of the capital markets and economic environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Stratus is deferring progress on development projects pending improvements in health and market conditions, but Stratus continues to advance its land planning, engineering and permitting activities. Because the pandemic is unprecedented in recent history, and its severity, duration and future economic consequences are difficult to predict, Stratus cannot predict its future impact on the company with any certainty.

Stratus’ revenue, operating income and cash flow in its hotel and entertainment segments were adversely impacted in the first quarter of 2020, have been more adversely impacted in the second quarter of 2020 and are expected to continue to be adversely impacted beyond second-quarter 2020. For example, while the hotel has remained open throughout the pandemic, average occupancy for the second quarter through June 21, 2020, was 12 percent, with June having the highest occupancy in the second quarter, averaging 24 percent.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of Stratus’ retail leasing tenants, other than grocery and liquor stores, closed or were operating at significantly reduced capacity beginning late in the first quarter of 2020 and continuing into the second quarter of 2020. Beginning in April 2020, Stratus agreed, generally, to 90-day base rent deferrals with a majority of these tenants. The deferred rent will be amortized over a 12-month or 24-month period starting in January 2021. These rent deferrals have resulted in a reduction of scheduled base rent collections of approximately 30 percent for the second quarter through June 22, 2020. As of mid-June, most of Stratus’ retail tenants have reopened. At its multi-family properties, Stratus has granted rent deferral accommodations on a case-by-case basis, which as of June 22, 2020, had resulted in a reduction of scheduled rent collections of approximately two percent of contractual rents, with no material decline in occupancy. In the aggregate, Stratus’ second-quarter retail and multi-family rent collections are 15 percent less than scheduled rent as of June 22, 2020. Stratus will assess these deferred rents for potential credit losses at June 30, 2020.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act provides retroactive tax provisions and other stimulus measures to affected companies including the ability to carryback net operating losses, raising the limitation on the deductibility of interest expense, technical corrections to accelerate tax depreciation for qualified improvement property, and delaying the payment of employer payroll taxes. On April 22, 2020, Stratus received a $4.0 million loan under the Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act. The loan bears interest at one percent and matures April 15, 2022. The proceeds from the loan must be used to retain workers and maintain payroll or make mortgage interest payments, lease payments and utility payments. As of June 25, 2020, Stratus has not used the funds. Refer to Note 8 for further discussion of income tax benefits.

Dispositions

DISPOSITIONS Circle C. In January 2019, Stratus sold a retail pad subject to a ground lease located in the Circle C community for $3.2 million. Stratus used a portion of the proceeds from the sale to repay $2.5 million of its Comerica Bank credit facility borrowings and recorded a gain on this sale totaling $2.1 million in first-quarter 2019.