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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSPEC 01 REQ TO TRANS CONTROL W/TLCP 05-07-07MEETING DATE: MAY 7, 2007 T0: WILLIAM A. HUSTON, CITY MANAGER FROM: CHRISTINE A. SHINGLETON, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR TRANSFER OF CONTROL PURSUANT TO THE DISPOSITION AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT (MASTER DEVELOPER) BETWEEN THE CITY OF TUSTIN (CITY) AND TUSTIN LEGACY COMMUNITY PARTNERS, LLC (TLCP) SUMMARY: Approval is requested in response to a request from Tustin Legacy Community Partners, LLC (TLCP) to permit the withdrawal of Centex Homes, as a Member of the TLCP development partnership between Centex Homes, Shea Properties, LLC and Shea Homes Limited Partnership, and the acquisition by Shea Properties II, LLC of the interests of Centex Homes and Shea Properties, LLC. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council approve, with conditions, the request from TLCP to permit Centex Homes to withdraw from the partnership, and the acquisition by Shea Properties II, LLC of the interest of Centex Homes and Shea Properties, LLC subject to certain conditions identified herein. FISCAL IMPACT: The requested transfer of control has involved due diligence review by City staff and its real estate and legal team and will result in the City incurring expenses and legal costs to modify implementation and transfer documents. The approval with conditions of the withdrawal of Centex Homes from TLCP and the proposed reconfiguration of the TLCP entity will require reimbursement to the City of any and all expenses necessary to accommodate the transfer and reconfiguration including, but not limited to, City staff time and legal services and shall be in addition to any other reimbursement provisions contained in the Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA} 06-01 (Master Developer}. Page 2 BACKGROUND: The original DDA 06-01 was entered into by and between the City and TLCP on May 3, 2006. The original DDA sets forth the parameters of development and conveyance by the City of Tustin and Tustin Public Financing Authority (hereinafter the "Agency") of certain property at Tustin Legacy (the former MCAS Tustin) to TLCP. In the Original DDA 06-01, members of TLCP included Centex Homes (as to a 50% interest) Shea Homes Limited Partnership (as to a 25% interest) and Shea Properties, LLC (as to a 25% interest) (collectively, the "Developer"). TLCP did not indicate any concerns at that time or issues with the partnership. The Tustin City Council and Tustin Public Financing Authority also recently approved the First Amendment to the original DDA 06-01 at their regular meeting on March 20, 2007 (the original DDA and subsequent First Amendment to the DDA are hereafter referred to as the "DDA"). On March 29, 2007, the City received a letter indicating the intent of Centex Homes, a Nevada general partnership, to withdraw from the TLCP partnership as of March 30, 2007. Subsequently on April 9, 2007, the City received a letter requesting a reconfiguration of the ownership in the TLCP entity. The approval of such a request would remove Centex from any contractual obligation at this point to perform under the DDA and they would withdraw from the TLCP entity. Additionally, as part of the reconfiguration, Shea Homes would retain its 25% membership interest in TLCP, Shea Properties II, LLC ("SP II",anew entity) would be admitted to TLCP as a member and will assume Centex's original 50% membership interest as well as replace Shea Properties, LLC ("SP")and assume its 25% membership interest. As a result, SP II will have, in the aggregate, a 75% membership interest in TLCP. In addition, it is also requested that SP II become the managing member of TLCP. Pursuant to Section 4.1.2 of the DDA, the proposed change of the members of the Developer results in a Transfer of Control as defined by the DDA which shall be subject to the City's prior written approval. In addition, the withdrawal of Centex from TLCP and the proposed reconfiguration will necessitate certain changes to the Operating Agreement of TLCP, which the City must consent to pursuant to Section 4.1.2 of the DDA. Based on the City's review of the request and discussions with representatives from Shea Homes Limited Partnership and Shea Properties II, LLC, we are prepared to recommend to the City Council approval of the restructuring subject to the following conditions of approval: 1. TLCP shall provide a certificate showing the revised organizational structure of the Developer, the authority granted to the officers and Key Employees and shall, from time to time, provide updated certificates in the event of any changes to any of the foregoing or at the request of the City. 2. TLCP shall enter into an amendmentto the TLCP Operating Agreement in a form Page 3 and content acceptable to the Assistant City Manager and City's Tustin Legacy special real estate counsel to implement the changes described above, pursuant to Section 4.1.2 of the DDA. 3. As a condition and prior to the Phase 1 Escrow Close, TLCP shall have delivered to the City a declaration by Shea Properties II, LLC and Shea Homes that the following documentation submitted by the Developer to the City remains true and correct as of the City's approval date of the requested transfer of control and TLCP reconfiguration including: a. documentation relating to the corporate, partnership, limited liability, or similar status as the case may be, of Developer's limited liability company and its members (and, if any partner is a limited partnership, its general partners}; and if any partner is a limited liability company, its members, including, as applicable: Articles of Incorporation, California Foreign Entity Registration, Certificate of Limited Partnership, Limited Partnership Agreement and Statement of Information and operating agreements, including any amendments thereto; b. copies of all resolutions or other necessary actions taken by each such entity to authorize the execution of documents or instruments required by the DDA; c. a certificate of good standing and tax good standing of the Developer, Shea Properties II, LLC, and Shea Homes issued by the Delaware and California Secretaries of State (as applicable}; and d. a copy of all Fictitious Business Name Statements, if any, as published and filed with the Clerk of Orange County. 4. As a condition prior to the Phase I Escrow Close, and to indicate TLCP's demonstrated commitment to the Tustin Legacy project, TLCP including and not limited to Shea Properties II, LLC and Shea Homes Limited Partnership shall have executed a Letter of Credit for their required DDA contribution to the Tustin Library Project in an amount of $7,953,900 in a form approved by the City Attorney and consistent with the letter agreement on this matterfrom TLCP received by the City. 5. TLCP shall provide certain evidence of financing and availability of funds to the City as has been agreed to. 6. TLCP shall enter into an amendment to the DDA and any exhibits thereto, as the City shall determine is necessary or desirable, to document the definition of the "Developer" and change in managerial control of the TLCP partnership, also expressly requiring all new TLCP members to also acknowledge the DDA obligations and to assume and agree to perform as a member of TLCP all current DDA obligations. 7. TLCP shall provide a minimum deposit of $50,000 against any and all reimbursement expenses for all City staff time and expenses, including fees and Page 4 expenses of the City's outside legal counsel and financial consultants, to accommodate the transfer and reconfiguration including the cost of preparation and documentation of the required amendment to the DDA which shall be in addition to any other reimbursement provisions contained in the DDA, replenishing said deposit as shall be necessary to ensure complete reimbursement of all related City expenses as identified herein. 8. Based on input from reconstructed members of the TLCP partnership, the Parties have agreed that to a revised Phase 1 escrow closing date of June 19, 2007. Any delays that are beyond the revised escrow closing date shall require TLCP to pay an increased performance deposit of $1,000 per day for the period commencing on the Phase I Closing Date as defined above and ending on the date when the Developer acquires the Phase I Conveyance Property. Christine A. Shingle Assistant City Manager