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Business
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2024
Business  
Business

Note 1 – Business

Overview

Trinity Place Holdings Inc., which we refer to in these financial statements as “Trinity,” “we,” “our,” or “us”, is a real estate holding, investment, development and asset management company. As part of a series of transactions described below, on February 14, 2024, TPHGreenwich Holdings LLC (“TPHGreenwich”), a previously 100% owned subsidiary of ours, became owned 95% by us, with an affiliate of the lender under our corporate credit facility (the “Corporate Credit Facility” or “CCF”) owning a 5% interest in, and acting as manager of, such entity.  The entity holds our real estate assets and related liabilities, including (i) the property located at 77 Greenwich Street in Lower Manhattan (“77 Greenwich”), which is substantially complete as a mixed-use project consisting of a 90-unit residential condominium tower, retail space and a New York City elementary school, (ii) a 105-unit, 12-story multi-family property located at 237 11th Street in Brooklyn, New York (“237 11th”), and (iii) a property occupied by retail tenants in Paramus, New Jersey (the “Paramus Property”).

We also control a variety of intellectual property assets focused on the consumer sector, a legacy of our predecessor, Syms Corp. (“Syms”), including FilenesBasement.com, our rights to the Stanley Blacker® brand, as well as the intellectual property associated with the Running of the Brides® event and An Educated Consumer is Our Best Customer® slogan. In addition, we also had approximately $340.1 million of federal net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) and other tax loss carryforwards at June 30, 2024, as well as approximately $362.1 million of various state and local NOLs and other tax loss carryforwards at June 30, 2024, which can be used to reduce our future taxable income and capital gains.

Recapitalization Transactions

On February 14, 2024, we consummated the transactions contemplated by the Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of January 5, 2024 (as amended, the “Stock Purchase Agreement”), between the Company, TPHS Lender LLC, the lender under the Company’s Corporate Credit Facility (the “Company Investor”) and TPHS Investor LLC, an affiliate of the Company Investor (the “JV Investor”, and together with the Company Investor, the “Investor”), pursuant to which (i) the Company Investor purchased 25,112,245 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share of the Company (the “Investor Shares”) for a purchase price of $0.30 per share, (ii) the Company and the JV Investor entered into an amended and restated limited liability company operating agreement of TPHGreenwich (the “JV Operating Agreement”), pursuant to which the JV Investor was appointed the initial manager of, and acquired a five percent (5%) interest in, TPHGreenwich, as described in more detail below, and TPHGreenwich continues to own, indirectly, all of the real property assets and liabilities of the Company, and (iii) TPHGreenwich entered into an asset management agreement (the “Asset Management Agreement”) with a newly formed subsidiary of the Company (the “TPH Manager”), pursuant to which TPHGreenwich hired the TPH Manager to act as initial asset manager for TPHGreenwich for an annual management fee, as described in more detail below (collectively, the “Recapitalization Transactions”).

Under the Recapitalization Transactions, the real estate assets and related liabilities as well as the Corporate Credit Facility became part of TPHGreenwich, with the Company retaining the substantial federal, state and local tax NOLs and other tax loss carry forwards, intellectual property and a 95% equity interest in TPHGreenwich. In addition, the maturity date of each of the mortgage loan agreement (the “77G Mortgage Loan”) and mezzanine loan agreement (the “77G Mezzanine Loan”) for 77 Greenwich, both of which were assumed by TPHGreenwich, was extended to October 23, 2025 with an option to extend for an additional year, and the maturity date of the Corporate Credit Facility was extended to June 30, 2026.

Joint Venture Agreement

At the closing of the Recapitalization Transactions, the Company and the JV Investor entered into the JV Operating Agreement, with the Company owning 95% of the ownership interests in TPHGreenwich and the JV Investor owning 5% of the ownership interests in TPHGreenwich. Distributions under the JV Operating Agreement first go to the Investor until the JV Investor has received its initial distribution amount in full (which initial distribution amount is the sum of (v) all amounts due under the CCF and 77G Mezzanine Loan, (w) all amounts due in connection with any additional

TPHGreenwich debt financing provided by Investor or its affiliate, (x) Investor’s initial capital contribution, and (y) any additional capital contributions made by Investor), then distributed pro rata pursuant to the members’ respective percentage interests in TPHGreenwich. If TPH Manager is terminated for “Cause” under the Asset Management Agreement, as described below, at the option of Investor, the Company’s right to distributions from TPHGreenwich will be forfeited and any distribution that would otherwise have been made to the Company will instead be distributed to the JV Investor.

JV Investor, in its capacity as manager of TPHGreenwich, will manage, control and conduct the affairs of TPHGreenwich, subject only to certain major decisions set forth in the JV Operating Agreement. Major decisions are (1) entering into any transaction with or for the benefit of Investor or its affiliate, other than any transaction involving Investor or its affiliate providing debt and/or equity to the Company as set forth in the JV Operating Agreement or any arms-length transaction, (2) any amendment or modification of the JV Operating Agreement or any operating agreement of a subsidiary company of TPHGreenwich, or any other agreement with the Company or a subsidiary company of TPHGreenwich if such amendment would materially adversely affect the rights or obligations of the Company in a manner that is disproportionate to the JV Investor, (3) any tax or accounting matter decision relating to net operating losses that would be materially adverse to the Company but not the JV Investor, and (4) the admission of any other member to TPHGreenwich or its subsidiary except as permitted under the JV Operating Agreement.

Under the JV Operating Agreement, the Company will retain oversight of the Paramus Property and will have the sole and exclusive right to manage and make decisions regarding the Paramus Property, subject to (i) the Company Investor’s right to approve any purchase and sale agreement for the Paramus Property that may be entered into in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Stock Purchase Agreement; (ii) the JV Investor’s right to approve any material modifications of such purchase and sale agreement for the Paramus Property, and (iii) the JV Investor’s right to approve any dissolution of the owner of the Paramus Property.

The Company’s liability under any cause of action arising from or in connection with the JV Operating Agreement is limited to its interest in TPHGreenwich, other than with respect to certain Company guaranty liabilities related to (a) any loss or expense incurred by the JV Investor under any non-recourse carveout guaranty or environmental indemnity to a third-party lender, or (b) indemnification and reimbursement from the Company if the JV Investor makes a payment to a third party lender pursuant to a guaranty (other than a non-recourse carve out guaranty or environmental indemnity), in each case, to the extent such loss, expense or payment was caused solely by, or required solely as a result of, the acts or omissions of the Company or the TPH Manager without the prior written consent of the JV Investor.

Asset Management Agreement

At the closing of the Recapitalization Transactions, the TPH Manager entered into the Asset Management Agreement with TPHGreenwich. The Asset Management Agreement provides that the TPH Manager agrees to provide certain services in connection with the construction (with respect to 77 Greenwich), management, operation, supervision and maintenance of 77 Greenwich and 237 11th. To compensate TPH Manager for such services, TPHGreenwich will pay an annual management fee to TPH Manager equal to the greater of (x) $400,000 or (y) 1.25% of (i) the outstanding principal balance of the CCF plus (ii) the outstanding principal balance of the 77G Mezzanine Loan, plus (iii) the principal balance of any future fundings of any type under the CCF and/or 77G Mezzanine Loan.

The Asset Management Agreement will continue until the earlier to occur of (a) both consummation of a sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of 77 Greenwich and 237 11th and the final resolution of the 237 11th litigation, or (b) the earlier termination of the Asset Management Agreement pursuant to its terms. TPHGreenwich has the right to terminate the Asset Management Agreement at any time with or without cause, provided that if the TPH Manager is terminated without cause prior to the 18-month anniversary of the Asset Management Agreement, the TPH Manager will be entitled to a termination payment equal to 75 days’ payment of the management fee, based on the average fee paid to the TPH Manager during the immediately prior 12 months. After the 18-month anniversary of the Asset Management Agreement, the TPH Manager will also have the right to terminate the Asset Management Agreement in its sole and absolute discretion, upon not less than 75 days’ prior written notice to TPHGreenwich.

As described above, if TPH Manager is terminated for “Cause” under the Asset Management Agreement, at the option of Investor, the Company’s right to distributions from TPHGreenwich will be forfeited and any distribution that would otherwise have been made to the Company will instead be distributed to the JV Investor. The term “Cause” means (a) the Company ceasing to be a member under the JV Operating Agreement, (b) TPH Manager transfers its rights or obligations under the Asset Management Agreement in violation of the terms therein, (c) TPH Manager files or consents to a petition

in bankruptcy, (d) TPH Manager, any Key Manager Employee (defined below) or any affiliate is convicted of fraud or is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to a final judgment to have committed an act of fraud, (e) any misappropriation, gross negligence or willful misconduct by TPH Manager, any Key Manager Employee or any affiliate of the foregoing (which is curable one time during the term of the Asset Management Agreement if committed by a non-senior level employee), (f) any of the Company, TPH Manager or any Key Manager Employee is convicted of a felony crime or crime of moral turpitude, (g) any representation or warranty made by TPH Manager under the Asset Management Agreement is untrue in any material respect and remains uncured after notice from TPHGreenwich, (h) a material breach by TPH Manager of the terms of the Asset Management Agreement (other than as set forth above in this definition) which breach has a material adverse effect on TPHGreenwich and remains uncured after notice from TPHGreenwich, or (i) the breach or failure to comply by TPHGreenwich or any subsidiary with any loan documents (other than, in the case of loan documents in which an affiliate of JV Investor is a lender, with respect to any key person provisions relating to Mr. Messinger, our chief executive officer, or a replacement) in the event such breach or failure is caused by the actions of TPH Manager, Key Manager Employee or any affiliate and continues after the giving of any required notice and the expiration of any applicable cure period under such loan documents, and which is not the subject of a forbearance or waiver from such lender. Under the Asset Management Agreement, “Key Manager Employee” means Mr. Messinger or a replacement officer or employee of TPH Manager with reasonably equivalent skills and abilities (as determined by the JV Investor on behalf of TPHGreenwich in its reasonable discretion).

In the event Mr. Messinger fails to be involved in the day-to-day operations of the TPH Manager pursuant to the Asset Management Agreement, TPHGreenwich agrees its sole and exclusive remedy will be to terminate TPH Manager without cause on 30 days’ notice. As noted below and previously disclosed, Mr. Messinger will be transitioning from CEO of the Company (i.e., TPH Manager) to consultant to TPHGreenwich.  As of June 30, 2024, TPHGreenwich has not terminated the Asset Management Agreement, however there is no assurance of how long the Asset Management Agreement will remain in effect.

On April 26, 2024, the Company and Mr. Messinger entered into an amendment (the “Amendment”) to Mr. Messinger’s employment agreement, dated as of October 1, 2013, as amended (the “Employment Agreement”), and TPHGreenwich and Mr. Messinger entered into a consulting agreement (the “Consulting Agreement”). Under the Amendment, the Company agreed to make the following payments to Mr. Messinger in exchange for Mr. Messinger’s agreement to continue his employment as chief executive officer of the Company until the later of July 31, 2024 or the filing of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, unless extended by the parties (the “Termination Date”), and that he will no longer have the right to terminate the Employment Agreement with Good Reason: (i) $300,000 within seven days of execution of the Amendment, (ii) $300,000 on August 1, 2024 and (iii) $300,000 on November 1, 2024. In addition, on the Termination Date, Mr. Messinger’s unvested restricted stock unit grants shall vest, and following the Termination Date, the Company will reimburse Mr. Messinger for COBRA continuation coverage for a period of 18 months. These payments, as well as the payments under the Consulting Agreement, will constitute full settlement with regards to any severance payable to Mr. Messinger under the Employment Agreement.

Under the terms of the Amendment, for so long as Mr. Messinger is not in breach of the Amendment or the Consulting Agreement, to the extent that a seat on the Company’s board of directors is then available, until June 30, 2026, the Company Investor will exercise its vote as shareholder in favor of electing Mr. Messinger to the Company’s board of directors, in addition to its existing board appointment rights.

Upon the Termination Date, the Consulting Agreement will automatically become effective, unless the Employment Agreement is otherwise terminated in accordance with its terms. Under the Consulting Agreement, Mr. Messinger has agreed to provide certain consulting services as an independent contractor to TPHGreenwich related to the properties owned by TPHGreenwich, in exchange for certain consulting payments as follows: upon the earlier to occur of June 1, 2026 and (i) the sale of the Company’s Paramus property, $200,000, (ii) the sale of 237 11th, located at 237 11th Street, Brooklyn, New York, $800,000, (iii) the receipt of the final certificate of occupancy at 77 Greenwich, located at 77 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, $150,000, (iv) the receipt of the agreement by the builder to complete the façade remediation at 77 Greenwich, $150,000, (v) final completion of the façade remediation at 77 Greenwich, $200,000 and (vi) final resolution of the litigation related to the 237 11th , $400,000. The timing of the payments is conditioned on the existence of Available Cash (as defined in TPHGreenwich’s operating agreement) sufficient to make such payments; provided that TPHGreenwich must create a special reserve for payment of such amounts using the portion of the proceeds of the sale of the 237 11th or 237 11th Litigation distributed to TPHGreenwich by its subsidiaries which constitutes Available Cash. The Consulting Agreement will remain in effect until June 1, 2026, unless sooner terminated in accordance with its terms.

Liquidity and Going Concern; Management’s Plans and Objectives

Following the Recapitalization Transactions, our primary business is owning approximately $700 million of federal, and various state and local NOLs and other tax loss carryforwards and a variety of intellectual property assets focused on the consumer sector, as well as a 95% interest in TPHGreenwich and acting as asset manager for the properties owned by TPHGreenwich.  We have a limited amount of unrestricted cash and liquidity available for working capital and our cash needs are variable under different circumstances. If the Asset Management Agreement does not remain in place and the related fees are not increased significantly, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents will not be sufficient to fund the Company’s operations and corporate expenses beyond the next few months, unless we are able to raise additional capital or enter into a strategic transaction, creating substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.  

With the Company now unencumbered by its real estate and related liabilities, we continue to focus on exploring a range of strategic and financing alternatives to maximize stockholder value and to engage with parties that have expressed interest in the Company’s attributes and assets and may see the Company as a potential vehicle for growth, with potential opportunities to recapitalize the Company at a lower cost of capital.  The Company engaged Houlihan Lokey and Ackman-Ziff to act as advisors (the “Advisors”) in connection with our strategic review process and to assist us in identifying and evaluating potential alternatives, including among others securing an equity and/or debt financing of the Company, refinancing of existing debt, and/or a sale or merger or reverse merger of the Company. There is no assurance that we will be successful in consummating any such strategic transaction on terms or a timeframe acceptable to us or at all. 

The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of any uncertainty as to our ability to continue as a going concern.