Under the Parent Company's ATM equity offering program, the Parent Company may sell up to $500.0 million of common stock at prices determined by the market at the time of sale. There were no shares issued under the ATM equity program during the year ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, all $500 million of common stock authorized under the ATM program remained available for issuance.

Under a previous ATM equity program which expired on March 31, 2020, the Company sold shares through forward sale agreements, which the Company settled during March 2020. At settlement, the Company issued 1,894,845 shares of its common stock, receiving $125.8 million of net proceeds which were used for working capital and general corporate purposes.

On February 4, 2020, the Company's Board authorized a common share repurchase program under which the Company may purchase, from time to time, up to a maximum of $250 million of shares of its outstanding common stock through open market purchases or in privately negotiated transactions. Any shares purchased, if not retired, will be treated as treasury shares. The program is set to expire on February 5, 2021, but may be modified at the discretion of the Board. The timing and actual number of shares purchased under the program depend upon marketplace conditions, liquidity needs, and other factors. Through December 31, 2020, no shares have been repurchased under this program.

On February 3, 2021, the Company’s Board authorized a new common share repurchase program under which the Company may purchase, from time to time, up to a maximum of $250 million of its outstanding common stock through open market purchases or in privately negotiated transactions. Any shares purchased, if not retired, will be treated as treasury shares. This new program is set to expire on February 3, 2023.

Common units of the operating partnership are issued or redeemed and retired for each of the shares of Parent Company common stock issued or repurchased and retired, as described above.

In January 2020, the Operating Partnership issued 18,613 exchangeable operating partnership units, valued at $1.3 million, as partial purchase price consideration for the acquisition of an additional 16.62% interest in an operating shopping center.

The Parent Company, as general partner, owned the following Partnership Units outstanding:

	December 31,
(in thousands)	2020			2019
Partnership units owned by the general partner		169,680			167,571
Partnership units owned by the limited partners		765			746
Total partnership units outstanding		170,445			168,317
Percentage of partnership units owned by the general partner		99.6	%		99.6	%