PLANO, TEXAS — A partnership controlled by Dallas-based real estate developers Roger Gault of Gault Co. and Robert Gunby of RTG Capital LLC has sold Phase II of Willow Bend Commons. The retail property is located at 1885 Dallas Parkway in Plano, and was sold to an undisclosed buyer. The newly constructed, 6,000-square-foot building is leased to Verts Mediterranean Restaurant and Ideal Dental. The partners purchased a 5.2-acre site from Costco two years ago for the development. Phase I was a 14,000-square-foot retail center that was 100 percent leased upon completion, and subsequently sold in 2015. Phase I tenants include Torchy’s Tacos, Shell Shack, Jersey Mike’s Subs, LA Bikini, Wok Box and Salada. In addition to the retail center, one pad site was sold to Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union, whose facility also opened in 2015.
MCALLEN, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of an 8,500-square-foot retail building net leased to Mattress Firm in McAllen. Vincent Knipp of the firm’s Dallas office procured the private buyer, which utilized a 1031 tax-deferred exchange. Mattress Firm is situated on 1.3 acres at 1304 E. Expressway 83 northeast of Jackson Avenue.
NEW YORK CITY — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of net-leased property located at 310 E. Houston St. in Brooklyn as part of a 1031 exchange. An undisclosed New York-based purchaser acquired the 4,753-square-foot property, which is 15-year absolute net-leased to Manhattan AltSchool, for $6 million. Arthur Kaplan and Lisa Sickinger of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a developer. Barbara Dansker and Matt Fotis, also of Marcus & Millichap arranged the sale of property that was relinquished by the buyer.
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. — North Hollywood-based iP2 Entertainment has partnered with National Geographic Partners LLC, a joint venture between National Geographic Society and 21st Century Fox, to develop a series of indoor, interactive exploration centers worldwide. Each National Geographic-branded family entertainment center will offer themed attractions, interactive demonstrations and hands-on workshops. Content will be geared toward families with school-aged children, ages five to 12-years-old. The partnership has teamed with K11 to develop its first location in Shenyang, China. The branded center will occupy 4,013 square meters in the Shenyang K11 Art Mall. The location is set to open in summer 2017. A portion of the proceeds from the entertainment centers will support the National Geographic Society’s work in conservation, exploration, research and education.
HENDERSON AND NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEV. — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged the sale of four grocery-anchored shopping centers located in Henderson and North Las Vegas. The properties, totaling 336,096 square feet, were sold in four transactions to individual buyers. Michael Hackett and Ryan Schubert of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, Donahue Schriber Realty Group, in all four transactions. Assets include Smith’s Food and Drug Store-anchored Pebble Marketplace, Paseo Verde Plaza, Eldorado Plaza and Trader Joe’s-anchored Green Valley Plaza. The centers are home to tenants including Chase Bank, Jack in the Box, Starbucks Coffee, Dollar Tree and Big 5 Sporting Goods.
SLIDELL, LA. — Wells Fargo has provided a $73 million, 10-year loan for Fremaux Town Center, a roughly 635,000-square-foot open-air retail shopping center located at the southwest corner of I-10 and Fremaux Avenue in Slidell. Fremaux Town Center is currently 95 percent leased and jointly owned by affiliates of CBL & Associates Properties Inc. and Stirling Properties LLC. The borrowers used proceeds from the loan to retire two existing construction loans.
LAKE FOREST, CALIF. — Johnny Rockets plans to open 14 additional mall locations this year. In honor of its 30th anniversary, Johnny Rockets recently announced a brand refresh, which included a new restaurant design and logo. The new restaurant design, which was first introduced at Destiny USA Mall in Syracuse, N.Y., includes modern technology, a fresh design and enhanced staff uniforms. Since the refresh, the Destiny USA Mall location has experienced a nearly 22 percent growth in sales, according to the company. In addition to its mall franchise program, Johnny Rockets has expanded into outlet centers, which now attract more shoppers with higher-end retail stores and food offerings according to recent trends. The brand currently operates 18 outlet locations and is planning an additional five in the near future. Founded in 1986, Johnny Rockets operates more than 350 franchise and corporate locations in 28 countries around the world.
NEW YORK CITY — French billionaire Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière has purchased a 100,000-square-foot office and retail building in Manhattan for $525 million. The building is located at 693 Fifth Ave. in Midtown’s Plaza District. The 20-story property’s retail component houses the flagship store of international luxury brand Valentino. It includes four full levels of retail space with 50 feet of Fifth Avenue frontage. Notable office tenants include Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Louis Licari and Phillips Auctioneers. Thor Equities acquired the building in 2010 from Japanese department store Takashimaya for $142 million. Thor then restructured the interior to create a multi-level retail space, which Valentino occupied in 2013. The renovation included a modern floor-to-ceiling window façade from the ground level through the eighth floor. Thor also worked with designer David Chipperfield to create a new building lobby. Thor Equities owns a number of other properties on Fifth Avenue including 685 Fifth Ave., the future home of the new Coach global flagship store. “We continue to believe strongly in the retail and office market on Fifth Avenue and throughout New York City,” says Joe Sitt, Thor’s CEO. “However, after successfully implementing our business plan of improving this prime retail and office location …
The retail market in Memphis has continued to improve over the past year with new developments now open for business and redevelopment projects popping up across the metro area. Memphis, most commonly known for its blues and barbecue, has recently become the dreamland for those looking to lease, buy or redevelop assets. Vacancy rates are falling, new tenants and stakeholders are entering the market and retail investment sales continue to be in high demand. With several new development projects in the pipeline, the metro area is looking to capitalize on the new infrastructure. Memphis, located in the southwest corner of Tennessee within Shelby County, boasts a large metropolitan statistical area comprising Crittenden County in Arkansas; Benton, DeSoto, Marshall, Tate and Tunica counties in Mississippi; and Fayette and Tipton counties in Tennessee. One of the most attractive features of life in Memphis is the area’s remarkably low cost of living, which has allowed Memphis to become the city where one eats and stays instead of eats and plays, adding increasing demand on the commercial real estate market. According to a variety of real estate professionals doing business in the area, national and international investors and developers are looking to Memphis because …
RICHTON PARK, ILL. — Novak Construction has completed a new 184,000-square-foot, $18.3 million Walmart Supercenter in Richton Park, approximately 35 miles south of Chicago. The store includes a grocery, produce and bakery area; vision center; photo center; electronics and sporting goods departments; credit service station; indoor and outdoor garden center; and indoor pharmacy with drive-thru. The 28-acre site also included two detention basins, a frontage road, retaining wall, parking for 800 cars and a full-service fueling center. The adjacent roadways were widened to accommodate the new store, and traffic signals were added to the intersections. Construction took eight months to complete. Merriam, Kan.-based BRR Architecture Ltd. designed the project.