Brixmor Property Group Inc. - 10-Q filing on 2018-04-30

Nature of Business and Financial Statement Presentation	3 Months Ended
Nature of Business and Financial Statement Presentation	Mar. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of Business and Financial Statement Presentation	Nature of Business and Financial Statement Presentation Description of Business Brixmor Property Group Inc. and subsidiaries (collectively, the “Parent Company”) is an internally-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”). Brixmor Operating Partnership LP and subsidiaries (collectively, the “Operating Partnership”) is the entity through which the Parent Company conducts substantially all of its operations and owns substantially all of its assets. The Parent Company owns 100% of the common stock of BPG Subsidiary Inc. (“BPG Sub”), which, in turn, is the sole member of Brixmor OP GP LLC (the “General Partner”), the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. The Parent Company engages in the ownership, management, leasing, acquisition, disposition and redevelopment of retail shopping centers through the Operating Partnership, and has no other substantial assets or liabilities other than through its investment in the Operating Partnership. The Parent Company, the Operating Partnership and their controlled subsidiaries on a consolidated basis (collectively the “Company” or “Brixmor”) believes it owns and operates one of the largest open air retail portfolios by gross leasable area (“GLA”) in the United States (“U.S.”), comprised primarily of community and neighborhood shopping centers. As of March 31, 2018, the Company’s portfolio was comprised of 480 shopping centers totaling approximately 82 million square feet of gross leasable area (the “Portfolio”). In addition, the Company has one land parcel currently under development. The Company’s high quality national Portfolio is primarily located within established trade areas in the top 50 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, and our shopping centers are primarily anchored by non-discretionary and value-oriented retailers, as well as consumer-oriented service providers. The Company does not distinguish its principal business or group its operations on a geographical basis for purposes of measuring performance. Accordingly, the Company has a single reportable segment for disclosure purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for the fair presentation of the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the periods presented have been included. The Company has determined that it is preferable to present underwriter fees associated with the Company’s issuance of unsecured senior notes in the line item Deferred financing costs as opposed to deducting the amount of the fees within the line item Proceeds from unsecured notes. These line items are both within financing activities in the accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. In connection with this revised presentation, certain prior period balances have been adjusted to conform to the current period presentation described above. The operating results for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for a full fiscal year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 and accompanying notes included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 12, 2018. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Parent Company, the Operating Partnership, each of their wholly owned subsidiaries and all other entities in which they have a controlling financial interest. The portions of consolidated entities not owned by the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership are presented as non-controlling interests as of and during the periods presented. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated. Income Taxes The Parent Company has elected to qualify as a REIT in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). To qualify as a REIT, the Parent Company must meet a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement that it currently distribute to its stockholders at least 90% of its REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains. It is management’s intention to adhere to these requirements and maintain the Parent Company’s REIT status. As a REIT, the Parent Company generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, provided that distributions to its stockholders equal at least the amount of its REIT taxable income as defined under the Code. The Parent Company conducts substantially all of its operations through the Operating Partnership which is organized as a limited partnership and treated as a pass-through entity for U.S. federal tax purposes. Therefore, U.S. federal income taxes on the Company's taxable income do not materially impact the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company. If the Parent Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, it will be subject to U.S. federal taxes at regular corporate rates (including any applicable alternative minimum tax for tax years beginning before December 31, 2017) and may not be able to qualify as a REIT for four subsequent taxable years. Even if the Parent Company qualifies for taxation as a REIT, the Company is subject to certain state and local taxes on its income and property, and to U.S. federal income and excise taxes on its undistributed taxable income. The Company has elected to treat certain of its subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”), and the Company may in the future elect to treat newly formed and/or existing subsidiaries as TRSs. A TRS may participate in non-real estate-related activities and/or perform non-customary services for tenants and are subject to certain limitations under the Code. A TRS is subject to U.S. federal and state income taxes. Income taxes related to the Company’s TRSs do not materially impact the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company. The Company has considered the tax positions taken for the open tax years and has concluded that no provision for income taxes related to uncertain tax positions is required in the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017. Open tax years generally range from 2014 through 2017, but may vary by jurisdiction and issue. New Accounting Pronouncements In August 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2017-12, “Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815).” ASU 2017-12 amends guidance to more closely align the results of cash flow and fair value hedge accounting with risk management activities through changes to both the designation and measurement guidance for qualifying hedging relationships and the presentation of hedge results in the financial statements. ASU 2017-12 was early adopted by the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company determined that these changes did not have a material impact on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company. In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718).” ASU 2017-09 clarifies guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting. The standard became effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company determined that these changes did not have a material impact on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company. In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-05, “Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20): Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance.” ASU 2017-05 focuses on recognizing gains and losses from the transfer of nonfinancial assets with noncustomers. It provides guidance as to the definition of an “in substance nonfinancial asset,” and provides guidance for sales of real estate, including partial sales. The standard became effective for the Company on January 1, 2018 in conjunction with ASU 2014-09 and the Company applied the same transition method as ASU 2014-09. The Company did not record any cumulative adjustment in connection with the adoption of the new pronouncement. The Company determined that these changes did not have a material impact on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230).” ASU 2016-15 provides classification guidance for certain cash receipts and cash payments including payment of debt extinguishment costs, settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments, insurance claim payments and distributions from equity method investees. The standard became effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company determined that these changes did not have a material impact on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842).” ASU 2016-02 sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e., lessees and lessors). The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases today. The new standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales-type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. The pronouncement requires a modified retrospective method of adoption and is effective on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company will continue to evaluate the effect the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company. However, the Company currently believes that the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will not have a material impact for operating leases where it is a lessor and will continue to record revenues from rental properties for its operating leases on a straight-line basis. However, for leases where the Company is a lessee, primarily for the Company’s ground leases and administrative office leases, the Company will be required to record a lease liability and a right of use asset on its unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value upon adoption. In addition, direct internal leasing overhead costs will continue to be capitalized, however, indirect internal leasing overhead costs previously capitalized will be expensed under ASU 2016-02. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606).” ASU 2014-09 contains a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The guidance in ASU 2014-09 affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of non-financial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The pronouncement allows either a full or modified retrospective method of adoption. The standard became effective for the Company on January 1, 2018 and the Company elected the modified retrospective approach of adoption, which requires a cumulative adjustment as of the date of the adoption, if applicable. The Company did not record any such cumulative adjustment in connection with the adoption of the new pronouncement. Substantially all of the Company’s tenant-related revenue is recognized pursuant to lease agreements and is out of the scope of ASU 2014-09 and falls instead under ASU 2016-02, which is discussed above and will not be effective until January 1, 2019. As a result, the Company determined that ASU 2014-09 did not have a material impact on the process for, timing of, and presentation and disclosure of revenue recognition from contracts with tenants and other customers. Any other recently issued accounting standards or pronouncements not disclosed above have been excluded as they either are not relevant to the Company, or they are not expected to have a material effect on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company.