Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. and Uber Technologies, Inc. Enter Joint Venture Agreement to Acquire and Develop Key Parcels in Mission Bay

PASADENA, Calif., Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. ARE, an approximately $9.3 billion total market capitalization real estate investment trust uniquely focused on clustering Class A assets in urban science and technology campuses located in the heart of centers of innovation, today announced a strategic partnership with Uber Technologies, Inc., including the acquisition of two key parcels in the Mission Bay submarket of San Francisco, located at 1455 and 1515 Third Street, as well as approximately 425 existing parking spaces, plans, permits and piles, in the heart of this world-class science and technology cluster. These key parcels, which Alexandria had previously sold to salesforce.com in 2010, will support a total of approximately 422,980-rentable-square-feet (RSF) of new, ground-up, Class A facilities. Alexandria and Uber's strategic partnership will bring best-in-class partners together in a collaborative joint venture (owned 51% by Alexandria and 49% by Uber) to develop the approximately 422,980 RSF for Uber as it expands its corporate headquarters in San Francisco in conjunction with a 15-year lease for the entire project. This joint venture  affirms the cluster's position as a first-class destination at the cross-section of science and technology, as well as Alexandria's long-standing reputation as the leading provider of high-quality urban campuses for the world's most innovative companies.

The acquisition of the 1455 and 1515 Third Street parcels reinforces Alexandria's strong emphasis on capital allocation in the epicenter of the world's most desirable urban real estate markets. With ideal proximity to SoMa, Mission Bay is home to the renowned University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) campus, as well as Alexandria's thriving science and technology cluster of world-class companies at the forefront of innovation. Notably, the cluster was also recently selected to house the future Golden State Warriors stadium, which will feature a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat sports and entertainment arena, as well as a 5 ½-acre waterfront park. This new spectacular cultural destination will debut in the 2018-2019 NBA season, further enhancing Mission Bay as a 24/7, live/work/play environment and an unparalleled destination to recruit and retain top talent. The 1455 and 1515 Third Street sites represent a meaningful and high-quality expansion of Alexandria's existing and fully leased one million RSF Mission Bay campus and will allow the company to continue enhancing its overall urban science and technology campus strategy in a AAA location.

"In 2005, when we commenced the commercial development of Mission Bay, UCSF's Genentech Hall was our only neighbor," said Joel S. Marcus, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Alexandria. "Since then, the cluster has experienced tremendous growth and has become a remarkable urban innovation center featuring significant and meaningful investments in UCSF hospitals and over 2.5 million RSF of research and related facilities, thousands of residential units, high-quality retail, and the new Warriors' stadium. With the announcement of our strategic partnership with Uber at our campus, Mission Bay will continue to be one of the dominant clusters worldwide and a model for all to follow."

"The initial vision for our Mission Bay campus was to integrate the world-class science of UCSF and the San Francisco Bay Area with the technological innovation of SoMa," said Steve Richardson, Chief Operating Officer and Regional Market Director-SF Bay Area at Alexandria. "Our original name for the campus was appropriately, the Alexandria Center for Science and Technology, and Uber's decision to expand its corporate headquarters at our campus will  further realize the integration of Mission Bay and SoMa."

This iconic campus environment, ideally situated within the highly innovative and urban Mission Bay ecosystem and adjacent to the Warrior's new stadium, provides a unique advantage for recruitment and retention of world-class talent. The parcels are fully entitled with Proposition M office allocation approvals. This fully entitled status has become a precious and valuable attribute in the City of San Francisco, and the parcels' value are further enhanced by completed permit sets ready for each facility. Alexandria's deep and broad entitlement, design, and development expertise and experience, as well as credible and respectful long-term relationships with key San Francisco governmental agencies, have enabled Alexandria to successfully develop its approximately one million RSF Mission Bay campus in the City of San Francisco that is now approximately 100% leased to high-quality client tenants. Since its founding in 1994, Alexandria has established a dominant market presence in the top urban innovation centers, including San Francisco, Greater Boston, New York City, Seattle, and San Diego. Alexandria is known for its high-quality and diverse client tenant base with approximately 52% of the company's total annualized base rent resulting from investment-grade client tenants (an industry-leading percentage). Alexandria has a proven track record of developing Class A, urban science and technology campuses in AAA locations offering highly creative amenities that drive client tenant productivity and foster innovation, providing access to sophisticated capital and talent, and gathering its longstanding and expansive network for collaborative conferences and events.

About Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. ARE is the largest and leading REIT uniquely focused on collaborative science and technology campuses in urban innovation clusters, with a total market capitalization of approximately $9.3 billion as of June 30, 2014, and an asset base of 31.4 million RSF, including 17.9 million RSF of operating and current value-creation projects, as well as an additional 13.5 million RSF in future ground-up development projects. Alexandria pioneered this niche in 1994 and has since established a dominant market presence in AAA locations including Greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, New York City, Maryland, Seattle, and Research Triangle Park. Alexandria is known for its high-quality and diverse client tenant base, with approximately 52% of total ABR resulting from investment-grade client tenants (a REIT industry-leading percentage). Alexandria has a longstanding and proven track record of developing Class A assets clustered in urban science and technology campuses that provide its client tenants with highly collaborative, 24/7, live/work/play ecosystems, as well as the critical ability to successfully recruit and retain best-in-class talent and enhance productivity. We believe these advantages result in higher occupancy levels, longer lease terms, higher rental income, higher returns, and greater long-term asset value. For additional information on Alexandria, please visit www.are.com. 

SOURCE Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.