Investments in and Advances to Affiliates

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates

Unconsolidated Affiliates

- Highwoods-Markel Associates, LLC (“Markel”)

Markel is a joint venture in which we own a 50.0% interest that was consolidated as of December 31, 2022 because we controlled the major operating and financial policies of the entity. Effective January 1, 2023, the agreement governing the joint venture was modified to require the consent of both partners for major operating and financial policies of the entity. As a result, Markel was deconsolidated effective January 1, 2023, and this joint venture is now accounted for using the equity method of accounting. We recognized a gain on deconsolidation of $11.8 million related to adjusting our retained interest in the joint venture to fair value. The assets of Markel can be used only to settle obligations of the joint venture, and its creditors have no recourse to our wholly owned assets.

- Granite Park Six JV, LLC/ GPI 23 Springs JV, LLC (“Granite Park Six joint venture”/“23Springs joint venture”)

During 2022, we entered the Dallas market through the formation of two joint ventures with Granite Properties (“Granite”) to develop Granite Park Six and 23Springs. We own a 50.0% interest in each of these two joint ventures. We determined that we have a variable interest in both the Granite Park Six and 23Springs joint ventures primarily because the entities were designed to pass along interest rate risk, equity price risk and operation risk to us and Granite as equity holders. The joint ventures were further determined to be variable interest entities as they require additional subordinated financial support in the form of loans because the initial equity investments provided by us and Granite were not sufficient to finance the planned investments and operations. We concluded we do not have the power to direct matters that most significantly impact the activities of either entity and therefore do not qualify as the primary beneficiary. Accordingly, the entities are not consolidated. As of September 30, 2023, our risk of loss with respect to these arrangements was limited to the carrying value of each investment balance. Our investment balances were $41.7 million and $63.6 million as of September 30, 2023 for Granite Park Six and 23Springs, respectively. The assets of the Granite Park Six and 23Springs joint ventures can be used only to settle obligations of the respective joint venture, and their creditors have no recourse to our wholly owned assets.

- M+O JV, LLC (“McKinney & Olive joint venture”)

During 2022, we expanded our Dallas market presence by acquiring McKinney & Olive through the formation of another joint venture with Granite. We own a 50.0% interest in this joint venture. Upon formation, we determined that we had a variable interest in the McKinney & Olive joint venture primarily because the entity was designed to pass along interest rate risk, equity price risk and operation risk to us and Granite as equity holders. The McKinney & Olive joint venture was further determined to be a variable interest entity as it requires additional subordinated financial support in the form of a loan because the initial equity investments by us and Granite, including the additional preferred equity provided by us, were not sufficient to finance its planned investments and operations. We concluded we do not have the power to direct matters that most significantly impact the activities of the entity and therefore do not qualify as the primary beneficiary. Accordingly, the entity is not consolidated.

During the second quarter of 2023, we and Granite each contributed an additional $40.0 million of common equity to the McKinney & Olive joint venture. Such proceeds were then used by the joint venture to redeem our $80.0 million short-term preferred equity investment in full. The $40.0 million of net proceeds were used to repay amounts outstanding under our $750.0 million revolving credit facility. Prior to the redemption, the preferred equity received monthly distributions at a rate of SOFR plus 350 basis points. This reconsideration event did not change our initial conclusion that the McKinney & Olive joint venture is a variable interest entity of which we are not the primary beneficiary. As such, the entity remains unconsolidated.

As of September 30, 2023, our risk of loss with respect to this arrangement was $121.4 million, which represents the carrying value of our investment balance. The assets of the McKinney & Olive joint venture can be used only to settle obligations of the joint venture, and its creditors have no recourse to our wholly owned assets.

- Midtown East Tampa, LLC (“Midtown East joint venture”)

During 2022, we formed the Midtown East joint venture in Tampa with The Bromley Companies (“Bromley”). We own a 50.0% interest in this joint venture. We determined that we have a variable interest in the Midtown East joint venture primarily because the entity was designed to pass along interest rate risk, equity price risk and operation risk to us as both a debt and equity holder and Bromley as an equity holder. The Midtown East joint venture was further determined to be a variable interest

entity as it requires additional subordinated financial support in the form of a loan because the initial equity investments provided by us and Bromley were not sufficient to finance its planned investments and operations. We concluded we do not have the power to direct matters that most significantly impact the activities of the entity and therefore do not qualify as the primary beneficiary. Accordingly, the entity is not consolidated. As of September 30, 2023, our risk of loss with respect to this arrangement was limited to the carrying value of our investment balance of $7.8 million as no amounts were outstanding under the loan we have provided to the joint venture. The assets of the Midtown East joint venture can be used only to settle obligations of the joint venture, and its creditors have no recourse to our wholly owned assets.

- Brand/HRLP 2827 Peachtree LLC (“2827 Peachtree joint venture”)

During 2021, we formed the 2827 Peachtree joint venture in Atlanta with Brand Properties, LLC (“Brand”). We own a 50.0% interest in this joint venture. We determined that we have a variable interest in the 2827 Peachtree joint venture primarily because the entity was designed to pass along interest rate risk, equity price risk and operation risk to us as both a debt and equity holder and Brand as an equity holder. The 2827 Peachtree joint venture was further determined to be a variable interest entity as it requires additional subordinated financial support in the form of a loan because the initial equity investments provided by us and Brand were not sufficient to finance its planned investments and operations. We concluded we do not have the power to direct matters that most significantly impact the activities of the entity and therefore do not qualify as the primary beneficiary. Accordingly, the entity is not consolidated. As of September 30, 2023, our risk of loss with respect to this arrangement was $49.1 million, which consists of the $13.6 million carrying value of our investment balance plus the $35.5 million outstanding balance of the loan we have provided to the joint venture. The outstanding balance on the loan is recorded in investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The assets of the 2827 Peachtree joint venture can be used only to settle obligations of the joint venture, and its creditors have no recourse to our wholly owned assets.

Consolidated Affiliate

- HRLP MTW, LLC (“Midtown West joint venture”)

In 2019, we formed the Midtown West joint venture in Tampa with Bromley. We own an 80.0% interest in this joint venture. We determined that we have a variable interest in the Midtown West joint venture primarily because the entity was designed to pass along interest rate risk, equity price risk and operation risk to us as both a debt and an equity holder and Bromley as an equity holder. The Midtown West joint venture was further determined to be a variable interest entity as it requires additional subordinated financial support in the form of a loan because the initial equity investments provided by us and Bromley were not sufficient to finance its planned investments and operations. We, as majority owner and managing member and through our control rights as set forth in the joint venture’s governance documents, were determined to be the primary beneficiary as we have both the power to direct the activities that most significantly affect the entity (primarily lease rates, property operations and capital expenditures) and significant economic exposure through our equity investment and loan commitment. As such, the Midtown West joint venture is consolidated and all intercompany transactions and accounts are eliminated. The following table sets forth the assets and liabilities of the Midtown West joint venture included on our Consolidated Balance Sheets:


	September 30, 2023		December 31, 2022

Net real estate assets	$	60,588	$	59,854

Cash and cash equivalents	$	1,375	$	1,009
Accounts receivable	$	420	$	1,490
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	$	4,666	$	1,921
Deferred leasing costs, net	$	2,826	$	2,677
Prepaid expenses and other assets, net	$	1,036	$	153

Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	$	2,756	$	1,212

The assets of the Midtown West joint venture can be used only to settle obligations of the joint venture, and its creditors have no recourse to our wholly owned assets.