WAYNE, N.J. — Toys ”R” Us Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, Sept. 18. The company’s Canadian subsidiary also plans to seek protection in parallel proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. No store closings have yet been announced in conjunction with the filing. The Wayne, N.J.-based toy retailer’s approximately 1,600 Toys ”R” Us and Babies ”R” Us locations will continue to operate through at least the holiday season. Customers may also continue to shop on the company’s newly launched web stores. “Together with our investors, our objective is to work with our debtholders and other creditors to restructure the $5 billion of long-term debt on our balance sheet, which will provide us with greater financial flexibility to invest in our business, continue to improve the customer experience in our physical stores and online, and strengthen our competitive position in an increasingly challenging and rapidly changing retail marketplace worldwide,” says Dave Brandon, chairman and CEO of Toys ”R” Us Inc. The company’s debt largely stems from a $6.6 billion buyout in 2005 led by KKR & Co. LP, Bain Capital LP and Vornado Realty Trust. Toys ”R” Us has …
NEW YORK CITY — Stellar Management has refinanced a 13-property portfolio with a $105 million loan package from Capital One. The deal, brokered by GCP Capital Group, includes a five-year term. The portfolio includes properties at 11-15 W. 123rd St., 1061-1071 St. Nicholas Ave., 604 W. 162nd St., 601-609 W. 175th St., 3480-3496 Broadway and 12 E. 32nd St. The refinancing includes more than 600 residential units and as well as commercial and retail space in New York City. Stellar has owned the properties for more than 20 years. Loan proceeds will be used to fund upgrades to the properties, including lobby and elevator cab renovations, amenity space upgrades and landscaping improvements.
JOHNSTON, R.I. — Wethersfield, Conn.-based New England Retail Properties (NERP) has completed the sale of a retail property located at 2750 Hartford Ave. in Johnston. A combination of groups led by the Columbia Delaware Trust acquired the Tractor Supply/O’Reilly Auto property for slightly more than $7 million. NERP acquired and developed the Tractor Supply store in 2013 and constructed the O’Reilly Auto property in 2016. Matthew Darling of New England Retail Properties represented the seller and buyer in the deal.
DENVER — Chipotle Mexican Grill has reopened its doors to the first-ever Chipotle restaurant in its hometown of Denver following a summer-long renovation. The original Chipotle location opened in the former Dolly Madison ice cream shop on East Evans Avenue across from the University of Denver, where founder, chairman and CEO Steve Ells prepared the food and served the very first Chipotle customers. Chipotle expanded the basement of the 850-square-foot restaurant to create additional storage and food prep space, allowing the small open kitchen — still a hallmark design element of all Chipotle locations — to be more efficient. Work in the dining room updated the style of the space, while preserving features of the first restaurant. Ells opened the second Chipotle in 1995 and the third in 1996. Today, Chipotle has more than 2,300 locations worldwide.
KANSAS CITY, KAN. — Newmark Grubb Zimmer (NGZ) and Gasperi Group Commercial Real Estate LLC have brokered the sale of Parallel Parkway Center in Kansas City along Parallel Parkway. The sales price was not disclosed. Anchored by AutoZone, the 23,652-square-foot retail center was 100 percent leased at the time of sale to five tenants. Originally built in 1971, the property was fully renovated in 2014. Michael VanBuskirk and Chris Robertson of NGZ, along with Steve Gasperi of Gasperi Group, brokered the transaction on behalf of the undisclosed seller. A private West Coast-based investor purchased the property.
HAMPSHIRE, ILL. — Realty Metrix Commercial has arranged the sale of the 4,122-square-foot retail property formerly occupied by Corkshire Pub in Hampshire, located in northern Illinois. The sales price was not disclosed. The 4,122-square-foot retail property, built in 1930, is located at 172 S. State St. The buyer, K&M Village Inc., plans to renovate the property and rename it Copper Barrel on State, which will offer modern cuisine as well as some of the old Corkshire Pub favorites. Completion is slated for January 2018. Linda Kost and Dave Schmidt of Realty Metrix Commercial represented both the buyer and the seller, Gayle Cork Trust.
LAFAYETTE, LA. — Edge Realty Capital Markets has brokered the sale of Parkway Plaza, a 112,108-square-foot shopping center in Lafayette. Brandon Beeson and Kevin Holland of Edge Realty Capital represented the seller, 1996 Parkway Plaza Partnership LLC. TCP Capital Partners LLC acquired the property for an undisclosed price. At the time of sale, the property was 98.3 percent leased to tenants including Citi Trends, Sears Outlet, It’s Fashion Metro, Dollar Tree, Kool Smiles and Rainbow.
As America’s brick-and-mortar retail sector continues to come to grips with the impact of e-commerce on its long-term future, it is worthwhile to track the progress of the growing number of retailers who have chosen to step away from a web-only platform. These retailers are establishing an omni-channel presence by setting up operations in physical stores, and many are showing signs of success. Many such retailers are choosing to set up shop along the streets of New York City, with its massive and steadily growing population and its broad demographic mix. Despite the recent, well-publicized increase in the city’s available inventory of retail space, New York City remains the preferred market to launch a brand with aspirations of building a meaningful national profile. Considering the more-youthful and trendy profile of a large proportion of online shoppers, these “adding-bricks-to-our-clicks” companies are gravitating toward New York City submarkets that deliver this coveted, younger demographic. Moreover, e-commerce players possess a ton of data profiling their customers — including their buying behavior and their browsing interests and habits — and retailers tap this intelligence when making decisions about where to locate stores as well as how they should be merchandised to best cater to …
DENISON, TEXAS — Oklahoma-based HeyDay Entertainment will open a roughly 50,000- square-foot location in the North Texas city of Denison. Situated within the 200,000-square-foot Shops at Gateway Village, the location will offer bowling, laser tag, mini-golf, a ropes course and a full-service bar and grill. The Denison location will be HeyDay’s third overall location and its first in Texas. The property is expected to open in fall 2018.
LOVES PARK AND ROCKFORD, ILL. — Cypress Equities has acquired two properties occupied by Schnucks grocery store in Loves Park and Rockford, both located in northern Illinois. The purchase price was not disclosed. The Loves Park location spans 15 acres at 1810 Harlem Road, while the Rockford location spans 11 acres at 6410 E. State St. This transaction signals the first closing in Cypress’ new triple-net fund, Cypress NNN Fund I LLC. Through this investment fund, Cypress seeks to purchase properties across the United States including triple-net, build-to-suit opportunities and/or sale-leaseback deals. Dan Elliot and Sean Lutz of SRS Real Estate Partners brokered the sale.