US retail property specialist Taubman Centers is to sell a 50 per cent stake in three of its shopping centres in China and Korea to funds managed by private equity company Blackstone Group. The deal, worth US$480-million, is expected to be settled later this year and will net Taubman about $315 million according to financial news reports. The company will maintain a share of up to 25 per cent in each property.
Post settlement, Taubman will be contracted for the ongoing management of the centres.
The centres are South Korea’s Starfield Hanam, and China’s CityOn Xi’an and CityOn Zhengzhou.
Taubman manages a 26 regional, super-regional and outlet shopping centres in the US and Asia, and has another property under development. CEO Robert S Taubman said the sale was part of a strategy of recycling capital for growth.