ESP acquires accommodation portfolio in Liverpool

RNS Number : 7773Q

Empiric Student Property PLC

22 June 2015

 

22 June 2015

Empiric Student Property plc

("Empiric" or the "Company" or, together with its subsidiaries, the "Group")

Empiric acquires student accommodation portfolio in Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent

The Board of Empiric Student Property plc (ticker: ESP) is pleased to announce that the Group has acquired the freeholds of a portfolio of seven operational, direct-let, premium student accommodation properties in Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent, comprising a total of 502 beds, for cash consideration of £22.8 million (excluding acquisition costs) and, in addition, the Group has assumed responsibility for the existing debt on the properties of £18.8 million which has been retained post completion, resulting in a total acquisition value of £41.6 million.

The debt facility is provided by Santander at a margin of 2.5% above LIBOR with a remaining term of approximately 4 years. Empiric can give 90 days' notice on the debt and this facility will be reviewed in due course in the wider context of the Group's overall gearing strategy.

The holding companies of the seven properties have been acquired from Urban Sleep, which will continue to manage the operation of the properties on behalf of Empiric.  The properties have an excellent occupational track record and are fully let for the 2014/15 academic year.  The properties are already 92% pre-let across the portfolio for 2015/16 and are being acquired with a rent guarantee for this period.  The tenant mix is consistent with that of Empiric's existing portfolio.  Approximately 9% of the portfolio income is received from a variety of commercial tenants.

Liverpool portfolio

The Liverpool portfolio comprises six individual buildings, five of which are located in close proximity to each other on (or just off) Myrtle Street and one is a short walk away.  Myrtle Street is a prime central location forming the southern boundary of the University of Liverpool's main campus and is less than a five minute walk from Liverpool John Moores University's Mount Pleasant campus.  

With four popular higher education institutions, Liverpool has a student population estimated to be over 40,000.  Most notable of these institutions is the University of Liverpool, a Russell Group University, ranked 36^th in The Times Good University Guide 2015.  With such a strong history of popular culture, Liverpool is an attractive and vibrant city for students and a significant and established tourist destination.

Art School Lofts

Art School Lofts (a 2012 conversion of a Grade II listed building) is a low-rise, multi-storey block which provides a total of 64 beds comprising 60 studios and one four-bedroom apartment. The lower ground and ground floor levels are fully let commercial space, occupied by a popular restaurant and wine bar, and Urban Sleep's own offices.

Maple House

Maple House (constructed in 2012) is a low-rise, multi-storey building which provides a total of 147 beds comprising 138 en-suite bedrooms (arranged mainly as three-bedroom apartments) and nine studios. There are also three commercial units on the ground floor that are let to the Co-op Supermarket, Greggs and Café Nero.

Chatham Lodge

Chatham Lodge (constructed in 2010) is a low-rise, multi-storey building which provides a total of 50 beds comprising 47 en-suite bedrooms (arranged mainly as three-bedroom apartments) and three studios.  There is a retail unit let to Tesco Express on the ground floor.

Hayward House

Hayward House (constructed in 2013) is a low-rise, multi-storey building which provides a total of 74 beds comprising 66 en-suite bedrooms (arranged as three-bedroom apartments) and eight studios.

The Octagon

The Octagon (a 2013 conversion of a Grade II listed building) is a low-rise, multi-storey building which provides a total of 19 beds comprising 17 studios and one two-bedroom apartment.

Grove Street Studios

Grove Street Studios (a 2011 conversion and refurbishment of a 1960s building) is a low-rise, multi-storey building which provides a total of 28 beds comprising 20 studios and eight en-suite bedrooms (arranged as two-bedroom apartments).  The property benefits from planning consent for a further nine studios within the grounds of the scheme.

Stoke-on-Trent property - Caledonia Mill

Caledonia Mill (constructed in 2011) is a low-rise, multi-storey building which provides a total of 120 beds comprising 114 en-suite bedrooms (arranged mainly as three-bedroom apartments) and six studios.  The majority of students attend the University of Keele, which is ranked 40^th in The Times Good University Guide 2015.  The property is also located close to Stoke-on-Trent College's Cauldon Campus and the main campus of Staffordshire University. 

Paul Hadaway, Chief Executive of Empiric Student Property plc, commented:

"The acquisition of this portfolio from Urban Sleep represents an efficient deployment of equity capital in one transaction and provides Empiric with exposure to two new university cities with top 40 universities. The Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent properties are very well located and the Liverpool portfolio also provides the Group with six high quality properties close to each other in line with our 'city clustering' strategy. The acquisition is in line with Empiric's investment criteria and returns profile."

For further information on the Company, please contact:

Empiric Student Property plc	(via Newgate below)
Paul Hadaway (Chief Executive)
Tim Attlee (Chief Investment Officer)
Michael Enright (Chief Financial Officer)
Akur Limited (Joint Financial Adviser)	Tel: [phone]
Tom Frost
Anthony Richardson
Siobhan Sergeant
Jefferies International Limited (Joint Financial Adviser and Broker)	Tel: [phone]
Gary Gould
Stuart Klein
Alex Collins
Newgate (PR Adviser)	Tel: [phone]
James Benjamin	Em: [e-mail]
Sara Hourigan
Andre Hamlyn

Further information on Empiric can be found on the Company'swebsite at www.espreit.co.uk.

Notes:

Empiric Student Property plc (incorporated in England & Wales) is an internally managed real estate investment trust ("REIT") investing in modern, direct-let, premium, student accommodation, both standing and development assets, with a focus on quality and with assets generally in prime central locations in top university cities and towns in the UK.  The Company listed on the premium listing segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and was admitted to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange in June 2014.

 

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