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Building Improvements Program and Agreement to Extend Lease
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Building Improvements Program and Agreement to Extend Lease
12. Building Improvements Program and Agreement to Extend Lease

In 1999, the participants of Associates and the members in Lessee consented to a building improvements program (the “Program”) estimated to cost approximately $22,800,000. In 2000, the participants of Associates and the members in the Lessee approved an increase in the Program from $22,800,000 to approximately $28,000,000 under substantially the same conditions as had previously been approved. To induce the Lessee to approve the Program, Associates agreed to grant to the Lessee, upon completion of the Program, the right to further extensions of the Lease to 2083. The Program was further increased in 2004 to up to $100,000,000. Such increase would extend the Lease beyond 2083, based on the net present benefit to Associates of the improvements made. The granting of such Lease extension rights upon completion of the Program is expected to trigger a New York State Transfer Tax under current tax rules, which will be paid from mortgage proceeds and/or the Lessee’s operating cash flow. As of December 31, 2012, Associates had incurred costs related to the Program of $78,263,624 and estimates that the costs of the Program upon completion will be approximately $100,000,000 including sprinkler work, required to be completed by 2019. The participants of Associates and the members in Lessee had approved increased refinancing of $16,000,000 from the total of $84,000,000 provided by the mortgage to up to $100,000,000. The balance of the costs of the Program will be financed by the new $16,000,000 mortgage and Lessee’s operating cash flow.

The Lessee is financing the Program and billing Associates for the costs incurred. The Program (1) grants the ownership of the improvements to Associates and acknowledges its intention to finance them through an increase in the fee mortgage (Note 3), and (2) allows for the increased mortgage charges to be paid by Associates from an equivalent increase in the basic rent paid by the Lessee to Associates. Since any further additional rent will be decreased by one-half of that amount, the net effect of the lease modification is to have Associates and the Lessee share the costs of the Program equally, assuming further additional rent continues to be earned. The 1999 consent authorized the members of Associates who act as agents for the participant investors (the “Agents”) to give additional extension rights to the Lessee beyond the September 30, 2033 expiration date (Note 4) to September 30, 2083 upon completion of the Program, and to later date(s) for consideration and upon such terms as the Agents deem appropriate for the benefit of Associates.