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Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration Statement No. 333-22199
PROSPECTUS
101,655 Shares
AMBASSADOR APARTMENTS, INC.
Common Stock
This Prospectus relates to the offer and sale from time to time of up to
101,655 shares (the "Shares") of common stock, par value $.01 per share ("Common
Stock"), of Ambassador Apartments, Inc. (the "Company") that may be issued by
the Company to Richard F. Cavenaugh and LG Trust (the "Selling Stockholders")
upon the exchange of up to 101,655 units of common limited partnership interest
(the "Common Units") in Ambassador Apartments, L.P. (the "Operating
Partnership"), of which the Company is the sole general partner and owns a
controlling interest, if and to the extent that such Selling Stockholders tender
such Common Units for exchange into shares of Common Stock. See "Selling
Stockholders."
The Shares will be sold from time to time by the Selling Stockholders
in one or more ordinary brokerage transactions on the New York Stock Exchange
("NYSE") at market prices prevailing at the time of such sale (subject to
customary or negotiated brokerage commissions) using Smith Barney Inc. or such
other broker-dealer as may enter into arrangements with the Selling
Stockholders. The Company will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the
Shares. The Company is registering the Shares in connection with a
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of August 31, 1994, by and among the
Company and certain holders of Common Units (the "Registration Rights
Agreement"), pursuant to which the Company has agreed to indemnify the Selling
Stockholders against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and to bear the
expenses from the registration of the sale of the Shares other than any
underwriters discounts or commissions, Securities and Exchange Commission and
blue sky registration fees and transfer taxes relating to the sale of the
Shares. The expenses so payable by the Company are estimated to be
approximately $21,258. See "Plan of Distribution."
The Common Stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol "AAH." The
last reported sale price of the Common Stock on the NYSE on March 4, 1997, was
$23-5/8 per share. To ensure that the Company maintains its qualification as a
real estate investment trust ("REIT"), the Charter of the Company provides that
no person may acquire or own more than 9.9% (by number or value, whichever is
more restrictive) of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
and the outstanding shares of Excess Stock (as defined) into which shares of
Common Stock have been converted or more than 9.9% (by value) of the aggregate
of outstanding shares of the Company's capital stock ("Capital Stock"), subject
to certain exceptions. See "The Company."
____________________________
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES
COMMISSION NOR HAS THE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES
COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY
OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION
TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
____________________________
The date of this Prospectus is March 6, 1997
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AVAILABLE INFORMATION
The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") and, in
accordance therewith, files reports, proxy and other information with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"). Such reports, proxy and
other information filed by the Company can be inspected and copied at the
public reference facilities maintained by the Commission at Room 1024,
Judiciary Plaza, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549, and at the
regional offices of the Commission located at 7 World Trade Center, 13th Floor,
New York, New York 10048 and 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1400, Chicago,
Illinois 60661. Copies of such material can be obtained from the Public
Reference Section of the Commission at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
20549 at prescribed rates. Electronic reports, proxy statements and other
information filed through the Commission's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis
and Retrieval system are publicly available through the Commission's Web site
(http://www.sec.gov). In addition, the Common Stock is listed on the NYSE, and
similar information concerning the Company can be inspected and copied at the
offices of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., 20 Broad Street, New York, NY
10005.
The Company has filed with the Commission a Registration Statement on
Form S-3 (including all amendments thereto, the "Registration Statement') with
respect to the securities offered hereby. As permitted by the rules and
regulations, this Prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth
in the Registration Statement and the exhibits and schedules thereto. For
further information with respect to the Company and the securities offered
hereby, reference is made to the Registration Statement, including the exhibits
and schedules thereto, which may be examined without charge at the public
reference facilities maintained by the Commission at Room 1024, Judiciary
Plaza, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20459, and copies of which may
be obtained from the Commission upon the payment of prescribed fees.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The following documents filed by the Company with the Commission are
incorporated herein by reference:
(a) the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 1995;
(b) the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters
ended March 31, June 30, and September 30, 1996;
(c) the Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K dated May 29, 1996,
August 16, 1996, December 18, 1996, February 21, 1997 and
March 3, 1997;
(d) all other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of
the Exchange Act since the end of the Company's fiscal year
ended December 31, 1995; and
(e) the description of the Common Stock contained in the Company's
Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on December 8, 1995,
and any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of
updating such description.
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All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c),
14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Prospectus and prior to
the termination of the offering of the securities offered hereby shall be
deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and to be a part
hereof from the date of filing such documents. Any statement contained herein
or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein
shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Prospectus to
the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed
document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein
modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or
superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to
constitute a part of this Prospectus.
A copy of any or all of the documents incorporated herein by reference
(other than exhibits, unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by
reference in any such document) will be provided without charge to any person,
including a beneficial owner, to whom a copy of this Prospectus is delivered,
upon written or oral request. Requests for copies should be directed to
Ambassador Apartments, Inc., 77 West Wacker Drive, Suite 4040, Chicago,
Illinois 60601, Attention: Corporate Secretary (telephone: (312) 917-1600).
THE COMPANY
The Company was formed in Maryland on April 15, 1994 and is a
self-administered and self-managed REIT engaged in the ownership and management
of garden style apartment properties leased primarily to middle income tenants.
As of December 31, 1996, the Company owned 49 apartment communities (the
"Properties") with a total of 14,564 units located in Arizona, Colorado,
Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and Texas.
Management believes its overall portfolio size, management operations
and property concentrations in selected geographic markets provide economies of
scale regarding operating expenses, advertising, marketing and insurance.
Management also believes that a geographic distribution of properties in a
number of strategically selected markets helps insulate the overall portfolio's
economic returns from regional economic fluctuations. The Company will
continue to focus on acquisitions in its principal markets which represent
metropolitan areas in which the Company owns more than 700 apartment units
("Principal Markets"). The Company's Principal Markets currently include
Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach, Florida;
Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Nashville, Tennessee; and Austin, Houston
and San Antonio, Texas.
The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax
purposes since 1994 and expects to continue to elect such status. Although the
Company believes that it was organized and has operated in such a manner so as
to qualify as a REIT, no assurance can be given that the Company has so
qualified or will continue to qualify as a REIT. Qualification as a REIT
involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") for which there is only
limited judicial or administrative interpretations. If the Company fails to
qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, the Company would not be allowed a
deduction for distributions to stockholders in computing taxable income, and
such distributions would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate
rates. As a result, such a failure could adversely affect the Company's
business, results of operations and financial condition, its ability to make
distributions to its stockholders, and the market value and marketability of
the Common Stock.
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The Company conducts substantially all of its activities through the
Operating Partnership. The Company is the sole general partner of the
Operating Partnership and as of February 28, 1997, owned 90.4% of the
outstanding Common Units (90.5% if the Selling Stockholders exchange all of the
Common Units owned by them for Common Stock) and 100% of the preferred units of
partnership interest of the Operating Partnership. Fee title to each of the
Properties is held in a property partnership in which the Operating Partnership
or another direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company is a general partner.
The Company believes that the Operating Partnership and each of the
other partnerships in which the Company has a direct or indirect interest
("Subsidiary Partnerships") are properly treated as partnerships for federal
income tax purposes. If the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary
Partnership were to fail to qualify as a partnership for federal income tax
purposes, the Operating Partnership or the affected Subsidiary Partnership
would be taxable as a corporation, and the Company could cease to qualify as a
REIT for federal income tax purposes. In addition, the Subsidiary Partnerships
that own property in Texas presently fall outside of the jurisdiction of the
Texas franchise tax, which currently only applies to corporations and limited
liability companies. If such a Subsidiary Partnership is determined to be
taxable as a corporation or the Texas franchise tax law is amended to apply to
partnerships, such Subsidiary Partnership would be subject to Texas franchise
tax. The imposition of a corporate tax on the Operating Partnership or of a
corporate tax or Texas franchise tax on any of the Subsidiary Partnerships
could reduce substantially the amount of cash available for distribution to the
Company. This reduction, and together with a loss of REIT status of the
Company, if it occurs, would reduce substantially the amount of cash available
to repay the Company's obligations or for distribution to the Company's
stockholders and could adversely affect the Company's business, results of
operations and financial condition, its ability to make distributions to its
stockholders, and the market value and marketability of the Common Stock.
For the Company to maintain its qualification as a REIT, among other
requirements, not more than 50% in value of the outstanding Capital Stock may
be owned, actually or constructively under the applicable attribution rules of
the Code, by five or fewer individuals (including certain tax-exempt entities,
other than, in general, qualified domestic pension funds) at any time during
the last half of any taxable year of the Company other than the first taxable
year for which the election to be taxed as a REIT has been made (the "five or
fewer" requirement). The Company's Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation, as amended (the "Charter"), contains certain restrictions on the
ownership and transfer of Capital Stock, described below, which are intended to
prevent concentration of stock ownership. These restrictions, however, may not
ensure that the Company will be able to satisfy the "five or fewer" requirement
in all cases. If the Company fails to satisfy such requirement, the Company's
status as a REIT will terminate, and the Company will not be able to prevent
such termination.
The Charter provides that no person may acquire or own (either
actually or constructively under the applicable attribution rules of the Code)
(i) more than 9.9% (by number or value, whichever is more restrictive) of the
aggregate of the outstanding shares of Common Stock and the outstanding shares
of Excess Stock (defined below) into which shares of Common Stock have been
converted (see below) or (ii) more than 9.9% (by value) of the outstanding
shares of Capital Stock (the "Ownership Limit"), subject to certain exceptions.
In addition, the Charter provides that no holder may own or acquire (either
actually or under the constructive ownership rules of the Code) shares of any
class of Capital Stock if such ownership or acquisition (i) would cause more
than 50% in value of the outstanding Capital Stock to be owned by five or fewer
individuals or (ii) would otherwise result in the Company's failing to qualify
as a REIT.
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The Charter provides that any attempted acquisition (actual or
constructive) of shares by a person who, as a result of such acquisition, would
violate one of the limitations described above will cause the shares purportedly
transferred to be automatically converted into shares of a separate class of
Capital Stock with no voting rights and no rights to distributions ("Excess
Stock") or, under certain circumstances, the transfer resulting in such
violation will be deemed void ab initio. In addition, the Charter provides that
violations of the ownership limitations which are the result of certain other
events (such as a purchase by the Company of shares of outstanding Common Stock
or Preferred Stock of the Company) generally will result in an automatic
repurchase by the Company of the shares the ownership of which violates such
limits. The Board of Directors of the Company may waive the Ownership Limit with
respect to a particular stockholder if it is satisfied, based upon the advice of
tax counsel, that such ownership in excess of the Ownership Limit will not
jeopardize the Company's status as a REIT.
Limiting the ownership of more than 9.9% of the outstanding shares of
Capital Stock may (i) discourage a change of control of the Company, (ii) deter
tender offers for Capital Stock, which offers may be attractive to the Company's
stockholders, or (iii) limit the opportunity for stockholders to receive a
premium for their Capital Stock that might otherwise exist if an investor
attempted to assemble a block of Capital Stock in excess of the Ownership Limit
or to effect a change of control of the Company.
The Company is required by the Code to request annual written
statements from the record holders of designated percentages of its shares of
Common Stock disclosing the actual owners of the shares of Common Stock. The
Company must also maintain, within the Internal Revenue District in which it is
required to file its federal income tax return, permanent records showing the
information it has received as to the actual ownership of such shares of Common
Stock and a list of those persons failing or refusing to comply with such
request.
The Company's principal executive offices are located at 77 West
Wacker Drive, Suite 4040, Chicago, Illinois 60601, and its telephone number is
(312) 917-1600.
SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
All of the Shares offered hereby will be sold for the account of the
Selling Stockholders. The following table provides the name of each Selling
Stockholder, the number of shares of Common Stock owned by each Selling
Stockholder prior to the offering to which this Prospectus relates, the number
of shares of Common Stock offered hereby by each Selling Stockholder, and the
number of shares of Common Stock owned by each Selling Stockholder after the
offering to which this Prospectus relates, in each case assuming that each
Selling Stockholder exchanges all of his or its Common Units for shares of
Common Stock and sells all of such shares of Common Stock pursuant to this
Prospectus. Since the Selling Stockholders may sell all, some or none of their
shares of Common Stock, no estimate can be made of the actual number of shares
of Common Stock that will be offered hereby or that will be owned by each
Selling Stockholder upon completion of the offering to which this Prospectus
relates.
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<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Number of Shares of Number of Shares of Number of Shares of
Common Stock Owned Common Stock Offer by Common Stock Owned
Selling Stockholder Prior to the Offering Selling Stockholder After the Offering
- ----------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Richard F. Cavenaugh (1) 17,280 17,280 0
LG Trust (2) 84,375 84,375 0
- ----------------------
</TABLE>
(1) Includes 17,280 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exchange of
17,280 Common Units owned by Mr. Cavenaugh, but excludes 84,375 shares
of Common Stock issuable upon exchange of 84,375 Common Units owned by
LG Trust. Mr. Cavenaugh is the trustee and a beneficiary of LG Trust
and may beneficially own such shares of Common Stock.
(2) Includes 84,375 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exchange of
84,375 Common Units owned by LG Trust, but excludes 17,280 shares of
Common Stock issuable upon exchange of 17,280 Common Units owned by
Mr. Cavenaugh. Mr. Cavenaugh is the trustee and a beneficiary of
LG Trust and may beneficially own such shares of Common Stock.
Except as set forth below, none of the Selling Stockholders has any
position, office or other material relationship with the Company or any of its
affiliates (or had such position, office or material relationship within the
past three years), or will own greater than one percent of the Common Stock
after the offering to which this Prospectus relates (assuming that each Selling
Stockholder exchanges all of his or its Common Units for Common Stock and sells
all of such shares of Common Stock pursuant to this Prospectus).
During the period from August 1994 until his resignation on December
20, 1996, Mr. Cavenaugh served as a director, President and Chief Operating
Officer of the Company and was a director and officer of certain of its
subsidiaries. Prior to August 1994, Mr. Cavenaugh served as Senior Vice
President of the Multifamily Division of The Prime Group, Inc., an entity which
contributed assets to the Company in connection with its formation. Mr.
Cavenaugh received the 17,280 Common Units owned by him in consideration for
the transfer of certain assets to the Operating Partnership in connection with
its formation in 1994. The Operating Partnership had the right until August
1997 to dilute Mr. Cavenaugh's 17,280 Common Units in the event that the
Company suffered a loss as a result of a breach of certain representations and
warranties made in connection with the transfer of such assets. The Company
released Mr. Cavenaugh from such indemnification obligations upon his
resignation from the Company in December 1996. In addition, Mr. Cavenaugh has
the right to receive up to an additional 9,000 Common Units in connection with
the transfer of certain assets to the Operating Partnership in connection with
its formation if certain performance criteria are met for the 12- month period
ending September 30, 1997.
The 84,375 Common Units owned by LG Trust were purchased with the
proceeds of a $1.35 million loan to Mr. Cavenaugh and LG Trust from the
Operating Partnership. The loan is secured by a pledge of the 84,375 Common
Units owned by LG Trust and the proceeds therefrom, including any Common Stock
received upon exchange of such Common Units. Interest on the loan accrues at a
rate of 0.5% per annum above the prime rate announced, from time to time, by
the First National Bank of Chicago, and interest and principal are payable
prior to maturity to the extent of any distributions paid by the Operating
Partnership in respect of such pledged Common Units. The loan matures on the
earlier to occur of (i) August 31, 2001 and (ii) the first anniversary of the
termination of Mr. Cavenaugh's employment with the Company for any reason. Mr.
Cavenaugh and LG Trust intend to use a portion of the net proceeds from the
sale by LG Trust of the Common Stock offered hereby to repay such loan. As of
December 31, 1996, the amount outstanding under the loan was $1.32 million and
the interest rate was 8.75% per annum.
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The Selling Stockholders and the Company are parties to an
Exchange Rights Agreement, dated as of August 31, 1994, pursuant to which,
subject to certain conditions, each Common Unit held by such Selling
Stockholder may be exchanged for one share of Common Stock (subject to
adjustment) or, at the option of the Company, cash equal to the fair market
value of a share of Common Stock on the date the Selling Stockholder notifies
the Company of its intent to exchange the Common Units. On December 20, 1996,
the Selling Stockholders notified the Company of their intent to exchange their
Common Units, and the Company elected not to exchange such Common Units for
cash. The exchange of the Common Units is expect to occur shortly after the
date of effectiveness of the Registration Statement to which this Prospectus
relates.
The Registration Rights Agreement grants to each of the Selling
Stockholders certain registration rights. Pursuant to the provisions
of the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company has agreed to indemnify the
Selling Stockholders against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities
under the Securities Act, and to bear the expenses arising from the exercise of
such rights, except that the Company is not obligated to pay any underwriting
discounts or commissions, Commission and blue sky registration fees and
transfer taxes relating to the sale of the Shares.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The Shares will be sold from time to time by the Selling Stockholders
in one or more ordinary brokerage transactions on the NYSE at market prices
prevailing at the time of such sale (subject to customary or negotiated
brokerage commissions) using Smith Barney Inc. or such other broker-dealer as
may enter into arrangements with the Selling Stockholders. The Selling
Stockholders will pay any such brokerage commissions applicable to such
transactions. The Company will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the
Shares offered hereby.
The Company is registering the Shares in connection with the
Registration Rights Agreement pursuant to which the Company has agreed to
indemnify the Selling Stockholders against certain civil liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act, and to bear the expenses arising from the
registration of the Shares other than any underwriters discounts or
commissions, Commission and blue sky registration fees and transfer taxes
relating to the sale of the Shares. The expenses so payable by the Company are
estimated to be approximately $21,258.
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the Shares offered hereby will be passed upon for the
Company by Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, Baltimore, Maryland.
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EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of Ambassador Apartments, Inc.
(formerly Prime Residential, Inc.) appearing in the Company's Annual Report
(Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 1995, the statements of revenue and
certain expenses of Sun Lake Apartments and Haverhill Commons Apartments for the
year ended December 31, 1995, included in the Ambassador Apartments, Inc.
Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 21, 1997, and the statement of
revenue and certain expenses of Crossings of Bellevue Apartments for the year
ended December 31, 1995, included in the Ambassador Apartments, Inc. Current
Report on Form 8-K dated March 3, 1997, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP,
independent auditors, as set forth in their reports thereon included therein and
incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are incorporated
herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given upon the authority of
such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The financial statements of Arbors and Ocean Oaks Real Estate Limited
Partnership as of December 31, 1995 and 1994 and for the year ended December 31,
1995 and the period from inception (March 28, 1994) through December 31, 1994,
included in the Ambassador Apartments, Inc. Current Report on Form 8-K dated
February 21, 1997, have been audited by Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., independent
accountants, as set forth in their report thereon included therein and
incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are incorporated
herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given upon the authority of
such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
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===================================================
No dealer, salesperson or other individual
has been authorized to give any information or to
make any representations other than those
contained or incorporated by reference in this
Prospectus in connection with the offer made by
this Prospectus and, if given or made, such
information or representations must not be relied
upon as having been authorized by the Company or
any agent, dealer or underwriter. Neither the
delivery of this Prospectus nor any sale made
hereunder shall under any circumstances create an
implication that there has been no change in the
affairs of the Company since the date hereof.
This Prospectus does not constitute an offer or
solicitation by anyone in any state in which such
offer or solicitation is not authorized or in
which the person making such offer or solicitation
is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it
is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.
___________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
----
AVAILABLE INFORMATION . . . . . 2
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN
DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE . . 2
THE COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . 3
SELLING STOCKHOLDERS . . . . . . . . . 5
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION . . . . . 7
LEGAL MATTERS . . . . . . . . . 7
EXPERTS . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
===================================================
===================================================
101,655 SHARES
AMBASSADOR APARTMENTS,
INC.
COMMON STOCK
___________________________________________________
PROSPECTUS
___________________________________________________
===================================================
