Our markets are once again reopening as COVID-19 cases decline, and the development and roll out of
multiple vaccines, albeit slower than we would all like, are key milestones in getting our tenants back to the
office. We saw renewed tenant interest in the fourth quarter, which resulted in our signing nearly 280,000
square feet of office leases—our best quarter for the year in terms of volume. This positive trend is
extending into the first few months of 2021. Our tenants continue to pay rent, and in the fourth quarter, we
collected 97% of total rents, including 98% of office and 100% of studio rents. Our storefront retail remains
most challenged by the pandemic.
We continue to strategically deploy capital. In the fourth quarter, we acquired a 668,000-square-foot Class
A office tower in Seattle through a JV, and opportunistically repurchased additional shares of our stock.
Even so, we still have $1.0 billion of liquidity to fund our developments and/or acquisitions, and to otherwise
operate our business as needed. We are actively evaluating potential office and studio acquisitions, and we
have over 1.0 million square feet of development projects fully entitled and ready to build as market
conditions warrant.
I am also extraordinarily proud that through our Better Blueprint we have strengthened our commitment to
our communities during these very challenging times. In December, we launched our Vibrant Cities Arts
Grant to benefit artists in Los Angeles impacted by the pandemic. Last week, we announced our five-year,
$20 million pledge to address homelessness in our core markets. Now more than ever, we have both a
moral and business imperative to give back and work diligently to ensure that our cities continue to thrive
post-COVID and beyond.
Victor Coleman
Chairman & CEO, Hudson Pacific Properties