GGP about to start some heavy lifting -- what a workout!

Sorry, I could not resist that head to my post. This article sums it up pretty well. Lenders want their money back from GGP, in full, and now. GGP wants a seven year extension and favorable rates.

The judge has been siding with GGP so far, from what I can tell, and the bankruptcy guru of gurus said it best when commenting on the judge's refusal to take some of the properties out of the BK:

"The judge encouraged all parties to commence negotiations as soon as practicable in light of the decision," said James Sprayregen, partner with Kirkland & Ellis LLP, General Growth's co-counsel.

Some think GGP's best outcome is an acquisition by Simon and/or Westfield, both of which companies I understand have dry powder. This has been done before, especially in combo, as you may recall when Urban Retail/Rodamco's assets were split up by a troika. Now you could have more antitrust problems with consolidation and all that.

Others want to see the company survive, meaning there may be some very heavy lifting and long nights ahead for bankers and GGP execs on the business side if they want to make this work. And as I have said before that spectre of substantive consolidation hanging over the lenders almost like a Sword of Damocles.