MALLS GONE BANKRUPT, PLEASE KEEP SHOPPING Deerbrook Mall and The Woodlands Mall both filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today along with their owner, General Growth Properties. The parent company owns more than 150 mall-like properties around the country, including Baybrook Mall, the First Colony Mall, and Willowbrook Mall. It also owns Grand Parkway booster Bridgeland and a portion of The Woodlands Operating Company. “General Growth is seeking protection from its creditors after failing to persuade a majority of its debt holders to give it more time to refinance billions of dollars in debt racked up during the housing boom. The company’s retail centers, office properties and master-planned communities ‘will be open for business as usual as the company restructures its debt,’ Thomas H Nolan Jr., General Growth president said in a conference call today. ‘Customers will see no change in the services and amenities we provide.'” [Houston Chronicle]
I’m sorry, filing for bankruptcy as a viable business model just isn’t right.
Plenty more where that came from. Commercial Real Estate is the next big shoe to drop. Huge losses for the lenders.