SOUTHINGTON, CONN. — R. Calabrese Agency has brokered the lease of 3,000 square feet of retail space to Noodles & Company. Located at 832 Queen St. in Southington, the restaurant is the company’s third location in Connecticut. Tony Valenti and Ralph Calabrese of R. Calabrese Agency represented the landlord, West Queen Developers LLC, while Brian Zelman of Zelman Real Estate Brokerage LLC represented the tenant, Hartford Noodles LLC, the Noodles & Company franchisee, in the transaction.
AUBURN, ALA. — Merchants Retail Partners (MRP) has purchased Flint’s Crossing, a 100,000-square-foot shopping center located at 1550 Opelika Road in Auburn. Anchor tenants of the shopping center include Earth Fare and Panera Bread. The retail property is the cornerstone of the Opelika and University roads intersection, the busiest intersection in Auburn. MRP is planning a comprehensive redevelopment of the center that includes exterior renovations, fascia and signage upgrades and hardscape improvements. The acquisition and center improvements coincide with the intersection improvements that are part of the City of Auburn-Opelika Road Improvement District. The new improvements include new bike paths, pedestrian sidewalks, enhanced lighting and curated landscaping.
MILFORD MILL, MD. — St. John Properties Inc. has started construction on 9,500 square feet of additional retail space within Windsor Office Park in Milford Mill, a city in Baltimore County. The speculative inline space is located at 2835 N. Rolling Road, adjacent to an existing Wawa gas station. The retail space will address the need for restaurants and shopping that can be accessed during lunch hours by the existing business community in the area. St. John Properties expects to have the space available for occupancy in late 2015.
MISHAWAKA AND TERRE HAUTE, IND. — Veritas Realty has brokered two leases, totaling 58,977 square feet, for Fresh Thyme Farmers Market in Indiana. In the first transaction, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market leased 30,268 square feet at 5514 Grape Road in Mishawaka near South Bend. Tim Mehall of Newmark Grubb Cressy & Everett represented the landlord in the transaction. In the second deal, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market leased 28,709 square feet of retail space at Honey Creek Marketplace in Terre Haute, approximately 85 miles southwest of Indianapolis. Larry Davis of Sitehawk Retail represented the landlord in the transaction. Jamison Downs and Kyle Hughes of Veritas Realty represented the tenant in both transactions.
BEAUMONT, TEXAS — NAI Wheeler, in conjunction with NAI Partners, represented Mustang Cat in the purchase of 12 acres located in Beaumont. Mustang Cat, an authorized Caterpillar dealer in Southeast Texas, is experienced in heavy construction machinery, compact construction equipment, power systems, on-highway trucks and equipment rental and support services in the industrial equipment industry. Lee Wheeler and Erica Goss of NAI Wheeler, along with Dan Boyles of NAI Partners, represented Mustang Cat during negotiations.
DIAMOND BAR, CALIF. — Foremost Companies has acquired two adjacent shopping centers in Diamond Bar totaling more than 120,000 square feet of leasable commercial space for $23 million. The Ranch Center and Oak Tree Plaza cover 10.4 acres of property with a tenant roster including restaurants, medical offices, a bowling alley and retail. Foremost acquired The Ranch Center in an off-market acquisition from Preferred Bank, which foreclosed on the center in October 2014. Foremost acquired and consolidated the interest of a long-term ground-lease tenant at Oak Tree Plaza while restructuring a new lease with the anchor tenant. Preferred Bank provided acquisition financing, and Stonewood Properties will act as property manager for both centers.
RIVER FOREST, ILL. — Mid-America Asset Management Inc. has brokered a 28,220-square-foot retail lease at 7501 W. North Ave. in River Forest. Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, a natural grocer, will occupy the space, a former Dominick’s supermarket location. Mike George and Richard Spinell of Mid-America represented the landlord, while Andy Robbins and Al Rodenbostel of ARCORE Real Estate Group represented the tenant in the lease transaction.
NEW YORK CITY — Cushman & Wakefield has brokered the sale of a retail building located at 92-06/08 Jamaica Ave. in the Woodhaven neighborhood of Queens. The 7,760-square-foot building sold for $1.8 million, or $238 per square foot, in an all-cash transaction. The property features 3,200 square feet of first-floor retail space and two 2,280-square-foot office/storage spaces on the second and third floors. Brian Sarath of Cushman & Wakefield arranged the transaction. The names of the seller and buyer were not released.
NEW YORK CITY — Colt Equities has acquired a two-level retail condominium at 158 Franklin St. in Tribeca for an undisclosed price. The 3,800-square-foot space includes 20 feet of frontage on Franklin Street, a 2,000-square-foot ground-level retail space with 12-foot ceilings, a skylight and hardwood floors and a lower level with 10-foot ceilings and a private outdoor patio. The name of the seller was not released.
ATLANTA — Earth Fare, a specialty organic and natural foods grocery chain, is set to open its first Atlanta store on Wednesday, July 8. The new 24,782-square-foot store is located at 1578 Avenue Place in Emory Point, a mixed-use development in Atlanta’s Druid Hills neighborhood. This is Earth Fare’s second location in the Atlanta metro area and fourth in Georgia. The store will feature Earth Fare’s first-ever urban concept design, which puts an emphasis on freshly prepared foods such as sandwiches, wraps, juices, smoothies, salads, coffee and in-house sushi. The location will also have a 50-seat indoor/outdoor café with free Wi-Fi. Ray Uttenhove, Steve Gunning and Sarah Williams of SRS Real Estate Partners represented Earth Fare in its lease. Darryl Bonner is the in-house representative for the landlord, Cousins Properties.
