Shawn J. Tibbetts
to produce predictable earnings and sustainable cash flow growth in 2027 and beyond. At the same time, we are intensely focused on the operation of the company's retail and office portfolio. We believe the best way to drive durable value is to be the best operator in our markets, maintaining rigorous and fee income businesses. Our operating team holds a strong conviction that exiting the multifamily sector, strengthening the balance sheet, and concentrating on sustainable cash flow and disciplined growth most benefits the long-term value of the company. While the quarter itself is not the focus of today's call, it reinforces the stability of our retail and office assets and provides a strong foundation as we enter 2026. As we discuss guidance for the new year, as previously mentioned, it is important to note that 2026 guidance reflects the discontinued operations of the multifamily portfolio and the fee income portions of the business. While 2026 represents a transition year for the company, I want to underscore that throughout this period, we continue to maintain full dividend coverage from the cash flows generated by our operating properties while also meaningfully reducing debt. To provide added transparency around this shift, we included an FFO bridge in our guidance materials posted to our investor website. The bridge walks from reported 2025 FFO to a pro forma 2025 FFO that removes discontinued operations, and then to post-transformation FFO, which reflects the company as it will operate going forward. By removing contributions from the construction management business, the real estate financing platform, and the multifamily assets, investors can clearly assess the value of the streamlined retail and office portfolio. Importantly, by the end of the transformation, leverage is expected to improve by approximately two full turns, further strengthening the balance sheet and enhancing long-term resilience. Matt will discuss the guidance in detail. As we look ahead, our focus is on discipline, high quality, consistent growth, and a simplified operating model. With lower leverage and a clearer operating model, we are in a stronger position to pursue accretive acquisitions that offer embedded upside in key growth markets that meet our fundamentals. This transformation only happens with a dedicated team. Over the past year, we have stripped the company down to its foundation and are building it back up with the right people, the right focus, and the right operating discipline. It begins with our people, and we are confident in the team we have assembled to execute this plan. This marks a new day for the firm, and I am excited about reducing risk and positioning the company for future growth. As we enter this next chapter, we do so with a clearer strategy, a more focused portfolio, a streamlined organization, and a stronger financial foundation. We are not simply repositioning the company; we are fundamentally changing the quality of the business. We believe this transformation will result in a significantly stronger foundation that positions us to deliver predictable earnings, sustainable cash flow growth, and long-term outperformance. With that, I will turn it over to Craig Romero, EVP of Asset Management. Craig has been with the company for more than a decade and has been deeply involved in every aspect of our real estate operations. In addition to his extensive real estate experience, he brings a Big Four public accounting background, which further strengthens his strategic and financial oversight. He leads our asset management team with exceptional focus and discipline, and his deep expertise continues to be instrumental in driving our success. Given his experience and intimate knowledge of the portfolio, I am pleased to have him join the call for the first time to walk through the portfolio highlights. Thank you, Shawn, and good morning, everyone. As Shawn outlined, with the portfolio now fully focused on retail and office, our attention is squarely on execution at the property level. I will briefly cover fourth quarter operating performance, and then spend time on what we see ahead for the portfolio. Retail same-store NOI for the quarter was up 5.6% on a GAAP basis and 3.4% on a cash basis, driven by new leasing and rent commencements across the portfolio as well as positive renewal spreads of 15% GAAP and 10% cash. Specifically, fourth quarter cash results reflect rent commencements for long-term backfill tenants of anchor spaces in Atlanta, Durham, and Virginia Beach. Retail same-store results year-over-year were up 1% GAAP and down 1% cash. Weighing on both fourth quarter and full year same-store results was anchor space vacancy resulting from the bankruptcies of Conn’s, Party City, and JOANN Fabrics, totaling 92,000 square feet across the portfolio. These vacancies are reflected in year-end occupancy just under 95% that was temporarily elevated in the third quarter by short We anticipate rent commencing on roughly a third of the backfill space in 2026, with the balance starting by mid-2027. Looking ahead, we expect retail same-store NOI growth in 2026 to be supported by rent commencement at The Interlock, including Atlanta’s first and only F1 Arcade that opened earlier this month, as well as our successful redevelopment of Columbus Village. In the fourth quarter, both Trader Joe’s and Golf opened in the former Bed Bath & Beyond box at Columbus Village. Since opening, the new Golf Galaxy location ranks in the top five nationwide in terms of foot traffic, and the new Trader Joe’s store has seen more than double the number of visits. Successfully, we released all of Columbus Village at 60% higher rents. At full occupancy, the redeveloped Columbus Village is expected to generate over $1,000,000 of new ABR, the majority of which we anticipate realizing in 2026.