AMP and JV firm snap up US$370m North American assets



AMP Capital and Northleaf have inked a US$370 million deal to acquire the largest underground parking system in the US, Chicago's Millennium Garages.
The deal would be the first North American asset for AMP Capital's global infrastructure platform, according to AMP Capital.
AMP Capital and its Canadian joint venture firm, Northleaf Capital, were buying Chicago Downtown Public Parking System (Millennium Garages) with "exclusive rights and responsibilities to operate, manage, maintain and collect parking fees and other revenues in connection with the Millennium Garages system", AMP Capital said.
AMP Capital head of Americas Infrastructure, Dylan Food said it "fit perfectly with the platform's mandate to invest in sectors offering the best relative value."
He said, it offered "exciting growth potential for our investors due to the strength of Chicago's economic and demographic factors, stable and predictable cash flows and strong protections through the concessional agreement".
Northleaf managing director and co-head of infrastructure, George Zakem, said the new assets offered "significant potential for stable cash flows and attractive long-term returns for investors".
Millennium Garages included 9,176 parking spaces in four underground parking stations, and was approximately 3.8 million square feet, AMP Capital said.
Recommended for you
Infrastructure assets are well-positioned to hedge against global uncertainty and can enhance the diversification of traditional portfolios with their evergreen characteristics, an investment chief believes.
Volatility in US markets means currency is becoming a critical decision factor in Australian investors’ ETF selection this year.
Clime Investment Management is overhauling the selection process for its APLs, with managing director Michael Baragwanath describing the threat of a product failure affecting clients as “pure nightmare fuel”.
Global X will expand its ETF range of exchange-traded funds next month with a low-cost Australian equity product as it chases ambitions of becoming a top issuer of ETFs in Australia.