CMCT Announces Full Repayment of Credit Facility

Rhea-AI Summary

Creative Media & Community Trust (NASDAQ: CMCT) has successfully completed the full repayment and retirement of its recourse credit facility, following the closure of a mortgage on Penn Field, a 16-acre creative office campus in Austin, Texas. This achievement is part of the company's September 2024 strategic plan to focus on premier multifamily properties and strengthen its balance sheet.

The company has executed four non-recourse financings since announcing its refinancing plan:

• Sheraton Grand Hotel (Sacramento): $88.8M floating rate debt
• Wilshire Portfolio (Beverly Hills/Brentwood): $105.0M fixed rate debt
• 8944 Lindblade (Culver City): $4.6M floating rate debt
• 3601 South Congress/Penn Field (Austin): $35.5M floating rate debt

These financings were used to pay off the $169.3 million balance on its recourse credit facility and provided additional reserves for office leasing and hotel renovation funding.

Positive

• Full repayment of $169.3M recourse credit facility, reducing financial risk
• Successful execution of four non-recourse financings totaling ~$234M
• Secured additional reserves for office leasing and hotel renovation
• Strategic shift to focus on premier multifamily properties

Negative

• Significant increase in property-level debt
• Majority of new debt (3 out of 4 loans) on floating rates, increasing interest rate risk

Insights

Financial Restructuring Specialist

CMCT's full repayment of its $169.3 million recourse credit facility represents a significant deleveraging event that materially improves the company's risk profile. By replacing recourse debt with asset-level non-recourse financing, CMCT has effectively ring-fenced liability to specific properties rather than exposing the entire corporate balance sheet.

The company has secured approximately $234 million in non-recourse financings across multiple assets since announcing its refinancing strategy in September 2024. This restructuring provides three key benefits:

• Reduced corporate-level risk exposure
• Enhanced balance sheet flexibility
• Creation of significant reserves ($22.9 million) for leasing costs and hotel renovation

However, this refinancing must be viewed in context of CMCT's extremely small market capitalization ($4.8 million). The debt-to-market cap ratio remains exceptionally high, suggesting ongoing financial challenges despite this positive restructuring step. While converting to non-recourse debt mitigates downside risk, it doesn't necessarily address fundamental performance issues.

The mix of fixed and floating rate debt (primarily floating) also creates interest rate exposure at a time when rate volatility remains elevated. The strategic pivot toward premier multifamily properties indicates management's recognition that portfolio composition changes are needed alongside financial restructuring to create sustainable improvement.

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCT and TASE: CMCT) (the “Company”) announced today that it has fully repaid and retired its recourse credit facility after closing a mortgage on 3601 South Congress Avenue (Penn Field), a 16-acre creative office campus in Austin, Texas.

In September 2024, the Company announced plans to accelerate its focus on premier multifamily properties, strengthen its balance sheet and improve its liquidity. As part of this plan, the Company announced intention to place non-recourse asset-level financing on several assets and use the proceeds to primarily payoff the $169.3 million balance on its recourse credit facility.

The closing of the latest mortgage represents the fourth financing since the refinancing plan was announced. The new financings also provided reserves for office leasing and future funding for the Company’s hotel renovation.

Summary of Recent Non-Recourse Financings
Property	Location	Debt (mil.)	Floating/Fixed	Date Closed
Sheraton Grand Hotel1	Sacramento, CA	$88.83	Floating	December 2024
Wilshire Portfolio2	Beverly Hills and Brentwood, CA	$105.04	Fixed	December 2024
8944 Lindblade	Culver City, CA	$4.65	Floating	February 2025
3601 South Congress (Penn Field)	Austin, TX	$35.54	Floating	April 2025
1. Includes the Sheraton Grand Hotel Parking Garage & Retail
2. Includes 9460, 11600, 11620 Wilshire Boulevard
3. Up to $92.2 million including future funding
4. Includes $22.9 million of reserves for leasing costs
5. Up to $5 million including future funding
Note: Debt balances as of April 3, 2025

ABOUT CMCT

Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation (“CMCT”) is a real estate investment trust that owns, operates and develops premier multifamily and creative office assets in vibrant communities throughout the United States. CMCT is a leader in creative office, acquiring and developing properties catering to rapidly growing industries such as technology, media and entertainment. CMCT applies the expertise of CIM to the acquisition, development, and operation of top-tier multifamily properties situated in dynamic markets with similar business and employment characteristics to its creative office investments. CMCT also owns one hotel in Northern California and a lending platform that originates loans under the Small Business Administration (“SBA”)’s 7(a) loan program. CMCT is operated by affiliates of CIM Group, L.P., a vertically integrated owner and operator of real assets with multi-disciplinary expertise and in-house research, acquisition, credit analysis, development, finance, leasing, and onsite property management capabilities. (www.creativemediacommunity.com).

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. These statements include the plans and objectives of management for future operations, including plans and objectives relating to future growth of CMCT’s business and availability of funds. Such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “project,” “target,” “expect,” “intend,” “might,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “could,” “would,” “continue,” “pursue,” “potential,” “forecast,” “seek,” “plan,” or “should,” or “goal” or the negative thereof or other variations or similar words or phrases. Such forward-looking statements also include, among others, statements about CMCT’s plans and objectives relating to future growth and outlook. Such forward-looking statements are based on particular assumptions that management of CMCT has made in light of its experience, as well as its perception of expected future developments and other factors that it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. Forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the judgment of CMCT’s management and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those associated with (i) the timing, form, and operational effects of CMCT’s development activities, (ii) the ability of CMCT to raise in place rents to existing market rents and to maintain or increase occupancy levels, (iii) fluctuations in market rents, (iv) the effects of inflation and continuing higher interest rates on the operations and profitability of CMCT and (v) general economic, market and other conditions. Additional important factors that could cause CMCT’s actual results to differ materially from CMCT’s expectations are discussed in “Item 1A—Risk Factors” in CMCT’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and in Part II, Item 1A of CMCT’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. The forward-looking statements included herein are based on current expectations and there can be no assurance that these expectations will be attained. Assumptions relating to the foregoing involve judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond CMCT’s control. Although we believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate and, therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements expressed or implied will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements expressed or implied herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by CMCT or any other person that CMCT’s objectives and plans will be achieved. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. CMCT does not undertake to update them to reflect changes that occur after the date they are made, except as may be required by applicable laws.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250409963607/en/

Karen Diehl

Diehl Communications

310-741-9097

karen@diehlcommunications.com

Shareholder Relations

CIM Group

646-652-8473

shareholderrelations@cimgroup.com

Source: Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation

FAQ

How much debt did CMCT pay off through its refinancing strategy?

CMCT paid off $169.3 million in recourse credit facility debt through its new non-recourse financing strategy.

What is the total value of CMCT's new non-recourse financings in 2024-2025?

CMCT secured approximately $234 million in total non-recourse financings across four properties between December 2024 and April 2025.

Which CMCT property received the largest financing amount?

The Wilshire Portfolio in Beverly Hills and Brentwood, CA received the largest financing of $105.0 million with a fixed rate.

What is CMCT's strategic focus announced in September 2024?

CMCT announced plans to accelerate its focus on premier multifamily properties, strengthen its balance sheet, and improve liquidity.