GUARANTY OF LEASE THIS GUARANTY OF LEASE (“Guaranty”) is entered into as of July 5, 2019, by Ascend Wellness Holdings, LLC, an Illinois limited liability company (“Guarantor”), for the benefit of LCR 1014 EASTPORT PLAZA, LLC (“Lessor”), with reference to the following facts: Lessor and HealthCentral Illinois Holdings, LLC (“Lessee”), have entered or will enter into a lease of even date herewith (the “Lease”). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meaning ascribed to them in the Lease. By its covenants herein set forth, Guarantor has induced Lessor to enter into the Lease, which was made and entered into in consideration for Guarantor’s said covenants. Subject to the terms set forth herein, Guarantor unconditionally guarantees, without deduction by reason of setoff, defense or counterclaim, to Lessor and its successors and assigns the full and punctual payment (and not merely the collectability), performance and observance by Lessee, of all of the amounts, terms, covenants and conditions in the Lease contained on Lessee’s part to be paid, kept, performed and observed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the scope of Guarantor’s obligations exceed Lessee’s obligations under the Lease except to the extent Lessee is relieved of any such obligation by reason of any bankruptcy or other like filing or order. If Lessee shall at any time default in the punctual payment, performance and observance of any of the amounts, terms, covenants or conditions in the Lease contained on Lessee’s part to be paid, kept, performed and observed (after applicable notice and cure period), Guarantor will pay, keep, perform and observe same, as the case may be, in the place and stead of Lessee. Guarantor shall also pay to Lessor all reasonable and necessary incidental damages and expenses incurred by Lessor as a direct and proximate result of Lessee’s failure to perform, which expenses shall include reasonable attorneys’ fees and interest on all sums due and owing Lessor by reason of Lessee’s failure to pay same, at the maximum rate allowed by law. Any act of Lessor, or its successors or assigns, consisting of a waiver of any of the terms or conditions of the Lease, the giving of any consent to any matter or thing relating to the Lease, or the granting of any indulgence or extension of time to Lessee may be done without notice to Guarantor and without releasing Guarantor from any of its obligations hereunder. The obligations of Guarantor hereunder shall not be released by Lessor’s receipt, application or release of any security given for the performance and observance of any covenant or condition in the Lease contained on Lessee’s part to be performed or observed, nor by any modification of the Lease, regardless of whether Guarantor consents thereto or receives notice thereof. The liability of Guarantor hereunder shall in no way be affected by: (a) the release or discharge of Lessee in any creditor’s, receivership, bankruptcy or other proceeding; (b) the impairment, limitation or modification of the liability of Lessee or the estate of Lessee in bankruptcy, or of any remedy for the enforcement of Lessee’s liability under the Lease resulting from the operation of any present or future provision of the Federal Bankruptcy Code or other statutes or from the decision of any court; (c) the rejection or disaffirmance of the Lease in any such proceedings; (d) the assignment or transfer of the Lease by Lessee; (e) any disability or other defense of Lessee; (f) the cessation from any cause whatever of the liability of Lessee; (g) the exercise by Lessor of any of its rights or remedies reserved under the Lease or by law; or (h) any termination of the Lease. If Lessee shall become insolvent or be adjudicated bankrupt, whether by voluntary or involuntary petition, if any bankruptcy action involving Lessee shall be commenced or filed, if a petition for reorganization, arrangement or similar relief shall be filed against Lessee, or if a receiver of any part of Lessee’s property or assets shall be appointed by any court, Guarantor shall pay to Lessor the amount of all accrued, unpaid and accruing rent and other charges due under the Lease and all principal and interest and other charges under to the date when the debtor-in- possession, the trustee or administrator accepts the Lease and commences paying same. At the option of Lessor, Guarantor shall either: (a) pay Lessor an amount equal to the rent and other charges which would have been payable for the unexpired portion of the Lease term reduced to present-day value; or (b) execute and deliver to Lessor a new lease for the balance of the Lease term with the same terms and conditions as the Lease, but with Guarantor as Certain identified information has been omitted from this exhibit because it is not material and would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed. [***] indicates that information has been omitted. Lessee thereunder. Any operation of any present or future debtor’s relief act or similar act, or law or decision of any court, shall in no way affect the obligations of Guarantor or Lessee to perform any of the terms, covenants or conditions of the Lease or of this Guaranty. Guarantor may be joined in any action against Lessee in connection with the obligations of Lessee under the Lease and recovery may be had against Guarantor in any such action. Lessor may enforce the obligations of Guarantor hereunder without first taking any action whatever against Lessee or its successors and assigns, or pursuing any other remedy or applying any security it may hold. Until all of the covenants and conditions in the Lease on Lessee’s part to be performed and observed are fully performed and observed, Guarantor: (a) shall have no right of subrogation against Lessee by reason of any payment or performance by Guarantor hereunder; and (b) subordinates any liability or indebtedness of Lessee now or hereafter held by Guarantor to the obligations of Lessee to Lessor under the Lease. This Guaranty shall apply to the Lease, any extension, renewal, modification or amendment thereof, to any assignment, subletting or other tenancy thereunder and to any holdover term following the Lease term granted under the Lease, or any extension or renewal thereof. Notwithstanding anything in this Guaranty to the contrary, in the event Lessee assigns the Lease or subleases the Premises in accordance with the provisions of the Lease to a third party which is not an entity controlling or controlled by or under common control with Lessee or Guarantor (a “Third Party Assignee”) then (a) the undersigned shall not be responsible for any incremental increase in Rent or other obligation under the Lease or for or during any extension of the Lease term resulting from an amendment to the Lease between Lessor and such Third Party Assignee which provides for an increase in Rent or other obligation due under the Lease or an extension of the Lease term or for any exercise of any option to extend the Lease term which may be exercised by said Third Party Assignee, unless Guarantor shall have consented in writing to such increase in Rent or other obligation or extension of Lease term; and (b) as a condition to the undersigned’s liabilities under this Guaranty, Lessor shall be required to deliver written notice of any defaults by Lessee or the Third Party Assignee to Guarantor and Guarantor shall have the right to cure same within the time period provided in the Lease. In the event of any litigation between Guarantor and Lessor with respect to the subject matter hereof, the unsuccessful party in such litigation shall pay to the successful party all fees, costs and expenses thereof, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses. If there is more than one undersigned Guarantor, (a) the term “Guarantor”, as used herein, shall include all of the undersigned; (b) each provision of this Guaranty shall be binding on each one of the undersigned, who shall be jointly and severally liable hereunder; and (c) Lessor shall have the right to join one or all of them in any proceeding or to proceed against them in any order. Within fifteen (15) days after Lessor’s written request (which requests may not be made more than once per calendar year), Guarantor shall furnish Lessor with financial statements or other reasonable financial information reflecting Guarantor’s current financial condition, certified by Guarantor or its financial officer. If Guarantor is a publicly-traded corporation, delivery of Guarantor’s last published financial information shall be satisfactory for purposes of this Paragraph. This instrument constitutes the entire agreement between Lessor and Guarantor with respect to the subject matter hereof, superseding all prior oral and written agreements and understandings with respect thereto. It may not be changed, modified, discharged or terminated orally or in any manner other than by an agreement in writing signed by Guarantor and Lessor. This Guaranty shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois. Every notice, demand or request (collectively “Notice”) required hereunder or by law to be given by either party to the other shall be in writing. Notices shall be given by personal service or by United States certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or by telegram, mailgram or same-day or overnight private courier, addressed to the party to be served at the address indicated below or such other address as the party to be served may from time to time designate in a Notice to the other party. Certain identified information has been omitted from this exhibit because it is not material and would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed. [***] indicates that information has been omitted. Any action to declare or enforce any right or obligation under the Lease may be commenced by Lessor in the state courts of the State of Illinois. Guarantor hereby consents to the jurisdiction of such Court for such purposes. Any notice, complaint or legal process so delivered shall constitute adequate notice and service of process for all purposes and shall subject Guarantor to the jurisdiction of such Court for purposes of adjudicating any matter related to this Guaranty. Lessor and Guarantor hereby waive their respective rights to trial by jury of any cause of action, claim, counterclaim or cross-complaint in any action, proceeding and/or hearing brought by either Lessor against Guarantor or Guarantor against Lessor on any matter whatever arising out of, or in any way connected with, the Lease, or this Guaranty. This Guaranty may be assigned in whole or part by Lessor upon written notice to Guarantor, but it may not be assigned by Guarantor without Lessor’s prior written consent, which may be withheld in Lessor’s sole and absolute discretion. The terms and provisions of this Guaranty shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, personal representatives, successors and permitted assigns of the parties hereto.
Security Deposit Letter of Credit As a condition of this Lease, in lieu of a third-party guaranty, Tenant shall, with delivery of the Lease executed by Tenant, deliver to Landlord an unconditional and irrevocable letter of credit, in a form approved by Landlord, from a commercial banking institution which is a member of FDIC with assets of more than $250,000,000.00, approved by Landlord, in the amount of $100,000.00 (“Letter of Credit”) to be held by Landlord as security for the performance by Tenant of all the covenants and obligations of Tenant set forth in this Lease. Tenant shall submit its proposed form of Letter of Credit prior to execution of the Lease for Landlord’s review and approval. Tenant acknowledges and agrees that it shall keep the Letter of Credit in full force and effect throughout the Term of this Lease (and any extension or renewal thereof) and for thirty (30) days following the end thereof. In the event the term of the Letter of Credit must be renewed annually, then not less than thirty (30) days prior to any expiration date of the Letter of Credit (“Renewal Deadline”), Tenant shall provide Landlord with a replacement Letter of Credit or extension amendment. Said Letter of Credit shall contain terms whereby it can be drawn on by Landlord at sight on any date during its term on which issuer shall receive from Landlord a certification signed by Landlord stating that an Event of Default has occurred by Tenant under this Lease or that Tenant has failed to provide a replacement Letter of Credit, as required under the Lease. Tenant acknowledges that the Landlord is the beneficiary of the Letter of Credit and the proceeds thereof are not the property of the Tenant. Landlord shall have the right, but not the obligation, to apply the proceeds against any or all amounts then due and owing by Tenant hereunder and/or against sums expended by Landlord, including attorneys fees. Such actions by Landlord do not negate Tenant’s obligations to pay Rental thereafter. Any balance left of the sum received from drawing on the Letter of Credit, after the curing of defaults and/or the payment of amounts due by Tenant, shall be held by Landlord, as beneficiary, until the earlier of the replacement of the Letter of Credit, as required below, or thirty (30) days following the end of the Term of this Lease (and any extension or renewal thereof). The original Letter of Credit or any portion of the proceeds which are not utilized by Landlord for any purpose permitted under this Lease shall be returned to the issuing banking institution within thirty (30) days after the end of the Term provided Tenant has performed all of the remaining obligations imposed upon Tenant pursuant to this Lease. In the event Landlord shall draw on any Letter of Credit provided by Tenant, Tenant shall replace same no later than thirty (30) days after the date of such drawing and, if same is not replaced, such failure shall constitute an additional Event of Default under the terms of this Lease and Landlord shall have the benefit of all remedies permitted pursuant to the terms of this Lease and the laws of the State where the Premises are located.
