January
Mapletree sponsored the third edition of the annual Mapletree-SCCCI River Hongbao Hackathon. It received a record 45 submissions from 11 tertiary institutions under the year 2021’s theme of “Forging a Brighter Future”. Three teams won S$2,000 in prize money and S$5,000 in seed money to set up a display at River Hongbao 2021 and sell their products via an e-commerce platform.
Mapletree launched The Reef at King’s Dock, a 429-unit luxury development situated in the HarbourFront Precinct within the Greater Southern Waterfront. It will boast Singapore’s first floating deck in a residential development. The project achieved strong take-up, with 80% of total units sold as at 31 March 2021.
VivoCity, Singapore, revitalised its promenade-facing food and beverage cluster on Level 1, welcoming brands such as Afuri Ramen, Green Common, Hoshino Coffee and Shake Shack, which have been warmly received by shoppers.
February
Mapletree further expanded its growing portfolio of data centres through the acquisition of a land parcel in Fanling, Sheung Shui Town in New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, for about HK$813 million (~S$140.4 million). The approximately 4,000 sqm industrial site will be developed into a data centre with a maximum GFA of 20,140 sqm upon completion in 2023. As Mapletree’s maiden data centre in Hong Kong SAR, the facility is strategically placed to serve Chinese cloud players in Shenzhen and will offer connectivity to major cities in Mainland China.
Mapletree Logistics Trust (MLT) secured its first green loan of S$200 million green revolving credit facility, with OCBC Bank. Proceeds from the facility will be used to finance working capital requirements that are in line with the eligibility criteria of MLT’s green loan framework.
Mapletree acquired an estimated 44,450 sqm of fully completed warehouses in India located adjacent to the three forward purchase warehouses in Chakan, Pune. This led to Mapletree owning the entire logistics park with an expanded total GFA of approximately 103,268 sqm.
March
Mapletree launched Culture City. Culture Scape., an art book published by the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art (NTU CCA Singapore) underscoring the significance of art in public spaces. The book documents the public art commission at MBC II – through featured works by internationally renowned artists including Dan Graham, Tomás Saraceno, Yinka Shonibare CBE RA and Zul Mahmod – and highlights the curators’ conversations with the artists and Mapletree’s Chairman Mr Edmund Cheng in reflective essays.
The Group also supported the annual School of the Arts, Singapore (SOTA) Primary 6 Art Competition for the third consecutive year, which drew more than 1,000 submissions from 166 primary schools, up from over 800 in the previous year. On 6 April, SOTA announced the top 10 winners and top 40 finalists for the competition. The artworks creatively explored heritage, global warming and the pandemic, through the three themes of Looking Out of My Window, Space Zoo and Tropical Fruit.
MLT completed the acquisition of five modern, high specifications freehold logistics properties spanning almost 150,000 sqm of GFA in Yongin-Icheon, South Korea, for KRW280 billion (~S$331.5 million). Situated within the prime logistics cluster in the southeast region of the Seoul Metropolitan Area, the facilities are expected to be highly sought after by users from high-value industries and the e-commerce sector.
For the fourth year running, the Mapletree-TENG Academy Scholarship was awarded to youths who are passionate about Chinese music. Four aspiring musicians aged 13 to 19 received scholarships in 2021. This brings the number of youths who have benefitted from the scholarships, each valued at S$10,000 for a two-year tenure, to 18.
Mapletree and SMU jointly announced the newly appointed Chairman and two other members of the SMU Advisory Board for the Real Estate Programme, succeeding their predecessors whose terms had expired. Comprising 11 leaders in the fields of real estate, tax, investment, finance and law, the board provides insights into evolving industry trends and provides strategic inputs for SMU’s Real Estate Track.
The Group’s 11th private equity fund, Mapletree Europe Income Trust (MERIT), was successfully closed on 24 March, and approximately 1.5 times covered with EUR507 million (~S$812.9 million) in total equity. Fully invested at closing, it comprises seven Grade A office properties which total approximately 270,000 sqm at a total asset value of EUR1.2 billion (~S$1.9 billion). This further showcases Mapletree’s core capabilities and strength as an active capital manager.
MLT made its first entry into the fast-growing India logistics market with the acquisition of two properties strategically located in Pune, Maharashtra for INR4,550 million (~S$83.9 million). The two single-storey Grade A warehouses with a combined GFA of 89,229 sqm are leased to a quality tenant base comprising primarily multinational corporations.
Mapletree extended its support for hackathons with the inaugural Mapletree x NP Hack 2021. It spurred 18 solution-ideas by Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) students – under the themes of Community, Business and Sustainability – which tackled the multi-faceted challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Over 70 NP students took part in the three-day hybrid hackathon that comprised design thinking, skills-up workshops and a solutions clinic to equip them with new, marketable and future-ready career skills.
The Group held its third Mapletree Annual Lecture titled “The Commercial Real Estate Eco-System” on 31 March. For the first time, it was delivered in a webinar format. More than 230 participants attended the lecture, supported by Mapletree and organised by SMU. Keynote speaker Professor Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business also joined the panel for an insightful discussion that explored how work-from-home trends and sustainability reporting would impact the demand and valuation of commercial real estate.
Mapletree Industrial Trust (MIT) completed the acquisition of a data centre located at 8011 Villa Park Drive, Richmond, Virginia, the US. With an NLA of 65,150 sqm, the freehold property is fully leased on a triple net basis to a multinational company with strong credit standing.
MIT extended rental reliefs of about S$12.7 million in FY20/21 to support its tenants in Singapore, which comprised MIT’s Covid-19 Assistance and Relief Programme and mandated rental reliefs under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act.
Mapletree acquired Uptown Station, a fully refurbished commercial asset in Oakland, California, the US for US$427.4 million (~S$572.8 million). With a total NLA of approximately 36,900 sqm, the freehold asset is strategically located within the heart of the central business district and enjoys excellent access to main transportation nodes in the city.
April
Mapletree Commercial Trust (MCT) secured the further expansion of existing tenant, adidas, at VivoCity, Singapore. The adidas Performance store is the largest in Singapore and is adidas’ second flagship store at the mall.
The Mapletree-TENG Academy Scholarship 2022 was awarded to four promising young musicians. Valued at S$10,000 over a period of two years, the scholarship provides individuals aged 21 years old and below with the opportunity to advance their musical education journey.
May
MIT priced its inaugural S$300 million of perpetual securities at 3.15%. The securities were issued under MIT’s S$2 billion Euro Medium Term Securities Programme which bore an initial rate of distribution of 3.15% per annum for the first five years.
June
Mapletree North Asia Commercial Trust (MNACT) completed the acquisition of Hewlett Packard Japan Headquarters Building (HPB), a freehold single-tenanted office in Tokyo, Japan. It is a Build-to-Suit development for Hewlett-Packard Japan, Ltd, and has been the headquarters for the company since the building’s completion.
MNACT announced that DBS Trustee Limited had priced S$250 million of perpetual securities at 3.50% to partially fund the acquisition of HPB.
The perpetual securities which bore an initial rate of distribution of 3.50% per annum for the first five years were issued under MNACT’s S$1.5 billion Euro Medium Term Securities Programme.
July
MIT acquired 29 data centres located across 18 states in the United States (US) at US$1.32 billion (~S$1.8 billion). The acquisition enabled MIT to enter new established markets – Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston – and gain presence in 13 of the top 15 data centre markets in North America. With a total NLA of approximately 306,360 sqm, the 29 data centres are
predominantly sited on freehold land.
August
Mapletree donated S$1 million to the Vietnam Fund for Vaccination and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in support of the Vietnamese community. The donation helped fund the acquisition of Covid-19 vaccines.
Mapletree’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Mapletree Treasury Services Limited, launched and priced S$600 million of 3.70% perpetual securities under its US$5 billion Euro Medium Term Note Programme. The securities are the first subordinated fixed for life perpetual issuance in the Singapore dollar market, and are unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed by Mapletree.
Mapletree purchased four Purpose- Built Student Accommodation assets in the United Kingdom (UK) for a total consideration exceeding GBP167 million (~S$297 million). Totalling 921 beds, the acquired portfolio comprises assets in Bristol, Exeter, Leeds and Nottingham. Following the acquisition, Mapletree’s student accommodation portfolio comprises 57 assets with over 24,000 beds located across 38 cities in Canada, the UK, and the US.
Mapletree successfully won a land parcel in Nanning City, Guangxi Autonomous Region, China. It covers an area of about 125,333 sqm and will be the Group's first international intelligent logistics park project in Guangxi Autonomous Region, with a construction area of about 65,000 sqm. The project is expected to be completed in August 2023.
September
To continue promoting the arts, Mapletree presented the SOTA Primary 6 Art Competition 2021 Exhibition at VivoCity, Singapore for the second year. The 50 finalists’ artworks were displayed at the mall from 1 to 14 September 2021. To date, the Group has committed S$96,000 to fund the SOTA Primary 6 Art Competition from 2019 to 2022. The 2021 competition received more than 1,000 submissions representing over 166 primary schools, up from over 800 submissions received in 2020.
Mapletree announced the successful closing of its maiden office fund in the US, Mapletree US Income Commercial Trust (MUSIC ). With US$552 million (~S$745.2 million) in total fund equity – all of which was fully invested at closing – the portfolio consists of five freehold Class A commercial properties with a total NLA of approximately 285,000 sqm. These office assets are located in key growth cities across the US, namely, Oakland, Raleigh, Dallas and Minneapolis.
Mapletree acquired two portfolios of logistics assets in the US, comprising 141 high-quality, income-producing assets for a total AUM of approximately US$3 billion (~S$4.1 billion). The first portfolio acquired in July 2021 comprises 24 assets totalling 600 million sqm of NLA across Dallas, Memphis, Greater Chicago, Central Florida and Boston. The second portfolio acquired in September 2021, comprises 117 assets spanning 2.1 million sqm of NLA across Greater Chicago, the Carolinas, Memphis, Houston and Washington DC - Baltimore.
November
Mapletree completed the acquisition of Edge Kachidoki in Tokyo, Japan. The property comprises a mix of retail, office and data centre tenants and is currently 100% occupied.
MLT completed the acquisition of Yeoju Logistics Centre in South Korea for KRW135 billion (~S$148.3 million). The property is a modern, ramp-up logistics asset with high-quality building specifications and is strategically located in northern Yeoju, a prime logistics cluster with excellent connectivity to Seoul.
Following the success of the Mapletree Real Estate Programme at SMU in 2018, Mapletree provided an additional S$2.5 million in funding to expand the programme. Students will now be offered undergraduate scholarships, postgraduate scholarships, postgraduate overseas study trips and support for Research Fellows at SMU over a period of 10 years. The expanded programme aims to equip a wider group of students with the necessary knowledge and cross disciplinary skills to build a bigger pool of talent for leadership roles in the real estate sector in Singapore and globally. It also establishes thought leadership in real estate finance and investment, as well as develops increased capacity for knowledge creation, dissemination and application.
Mapletree announced the successful closing of its third private fund in 2021, Mapletree US Logistics Private Trust (MUSLOG) at US$1.4 billion (~S$1.9 billion) in total fund equity. The MUSLOG portfolio comprises 155 logistics properties located across 19 states in the US, with a total NLA of approximately 2.9 million sqm. MUSLOG is Mapletree’s 13th private equity fund and the sixth in a series of fully seeded funds which encompasses Europe, US and Australia commercial, Europe and US logistics, as well as student accommodation in the UK and the US. MUSLOG brings the Group’s global logistics AUM to S$29.3 billion as at 31 March 2022, positioning Mapletree as one of the top five logistics players globally and top 11 in the US.
Mapletree successfully won a plot of land in Jizhou District, Tianjin, China. Covering an area of about 128,000 sqm, a comprehensive industrial park with a construction area of about 220,000 sqm will be built.
December
Mapletree acquired Terrapin Row, a 1,493-bed student accommodation asset in the US. The property is conveniently located close to the University of Maryland.
The Group made its first foray into the logistics development market in India, with the acquisition of a 49.7-acre site in Hoskote, Bengaluru. The site is expected to provide up to 107,942 sqm of warehouse space.
Mapletree continued expanding its commercial footprint in India, successfully acquiring an estimated 1-hectare (ha) of land in Mumbai in July and December 2021, at a value of approximately S$41 million. Combined with an estimated 2.5-ha adjacent land parcel acquired in September 2020 at a value of approximately S$118 million, the site will be developed into Vikhroli Business City, set to offer approximately 213,233 sqm of office space.
MLT completed the acquisition of a modern Grade A logistics asset in Japan for JPY35,000 million (~S$404.6 million). The property is a modern, five-storey dry logistics facility which will scale up MLT’s presence in Greater Nagoya, an attractive logistics market strategically located between Greater Tokyo and Greater Osaka.
A total of 109 teams competed in six different categories in the 37th Singapore Bird Race. The race was supported by Mapletree for the third consecutive year and jointly organised by BirdLife International and Nature Society (Singapore), as well as supported by the National Parks Board. The race aimed to raise the profile of migratory birds of prey in Singapore and the teams observed more than 180 species of birds, including eight species of migratory birds of prey. Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee attended the closing webinar with the participants.
Mapletree sponsored the fourth edition of the annual Mapletree-SCCCI River Hongbao Hackathon (RHBHacks). 11 student teams presented to a panel of judges during RHBHacks, under the year 2022’s theme of “Creativity in Sustainability”. Three teams won S$2,000 in prize money and S$5,000 in seed money, which they used to develop and sell their product or service at River Hongbao 2022.
In an effort to bring the arts closer to the community, Mapletree organized guided walking tours and a drawing workshop to introduce participants to the Mapletree Business City (MBC) Public Art Trail. The trail features 14 permanent art installations and artefacts by local and international award-winning artists. Close to 80 participants attended and gained insights into how the presence of art can make a difference to the built environment.
MCT announced a proposed merger with MNACT to form Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust, a flagship commercial real estate investment trust positioned to be the proxy to key gateway markets of Asia. The merger will be effected by a trust scheme of arrangement with MCT acquiring all MNACT Units in exchange for Scrip-Only Consideration, Cash-and-Scrip Consideration or Cash-Only Consideration.
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