A Santa Monica-based company announced it has acquired Crabtree Valley Mall for $290 million Tuesday.
The Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC) said it has acquired Crabtree's approximate 1.3 million square feet, taking ownership from CVM Holdings LLC, which has owned the property since 2002, according to Wake County property records.
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A deed for Macerich's transaction has not been recorded in the property records, as of Tuesday afternoon.
“Crabtree checks all the boxes for pursuing opportunistic external growth with its strong traffic and sales, its market-dominant position in a high-growth market, the ability to drive improvements in permanent leasing and NOI,” said Jack Hsieh, Macerich's President and Chief Executive Officer, in a press release.
The company said it purchased the mall with cash on hand and borrowed $100 million. Between 2025 and 2028, Macerich plans to invest $60 million in redevelopment and updates to maximize the mall's performance.
“Crabtree’s outstanding location brings Macerich a powerful entry point to the Southeastern US and is a strong addition to the Go-Forward Portfolio," said Hsieh. "Macerich’s proven leasing, management and redevelopment capabilities will reinvigorate leasing momentum at Crabtree, create a more inviting and refreshed ambiance and reinforce Crabtree’s longstanding reputation within the community.”
Before the pandemic, there were major plans to redevelop the mall for nearly $300 million for the vacant space, formerly occupied by Sears, along Glenwood Avenue and Creedmoor Road. The redevelopment plan included retail, office space and a hotel in a 30-story tower.
In early 2022, the Triangle Business Journal reported that the mall was up on the market for the first time since it opened in 1972.
It had continued to sit on the market with no interest from buyers, other than at one point in 2022 when Kane Realty Corporation of Raleigh considered buying the property, but eventually fell through.