MONTECITO, CALIF. — Santa Monica, Calif.-based J.S. Rosenfield & Co. has purchased the 30-year ground lease from Pacific Capital Bank for the Coast Village Shopping Center in Montecito. The buyer plans to convert the 45-year center into a country market. The 40,000-square-foot is currently 50 percent leased by Von’s, Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, and a variety of restaurants and retailers. The company plans to spend approximately $1 million to preserve and renovate the property. Improvements include replacing the existing roofing, new paint, appropriate landscaping and public eating areas, and new architectural elements, including signage, lighting, awnings, canopies and benches. Completion is expected by year’s end.
NORMAL, ILL. — Five new retail and restaurant tenants have been announced at Constitution Trail Centre, a 350,000-square-foot, open-air shopping center located at the interchange of Interstate 55 and North Main Street in Normal. Discount Tire plans to open a 7,000-square-foot location by this fall. Famous Labels will also soon open a new 11,440-square-foot location. Recently, Wendy’s opened a new “Fresh Brand” concept restaurant within 2,600 square feet of space at the center. Castle Nail Spa will open a new 1,600-square-foot location in late September. Finally, Taco Bell will break ground in spring 2010 for a new 2,900-square-foot restaurant, with completion scheduled for July 2010. Constitution Trail Centre is owned by a partnership between Omaha, Neb.-based Dial Properties; Little Rock, Ark.-based Clary Development Corp.; and principals of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based Coral Ridge Cos.
TILDEN TOWNSHIP, PA. — Groundbreaking has occurred for Tilden Ridge Shopping Center, located at the intersection of routes 61 and 78 in Tilden Township. Wal-Mart Supercenter and Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse will anchor the center, which will contain an additional 100,000 square feet of retail space. Project completion is slated for fall 2010 or spring 2011. The shopping center is situated adjacent to an already-opened Cabela’s. West Conshohocken, Pa.-based Ironwood Property Group is the developer of Tilden Ridge and Metro Commercial Real Estate is its leasing agent.
EL PASO, TEXAS — Following the announcement that it will open a new location in Harker Heights, Texas, at the end of the month, Furniture Factory Warehouse has announced details of its newest location in El Paso. Scheduled to open in the fourth quarter, the new store will be the furniture retailer’s third in the city. It will total 22,872 square feet and will be located in Sunland Shopping Center. Additional tenants at the center include Kmart, Ross Dress For Less and PetSmart. Todd Wallace and Robert O’Farrell of SRS Real Estate Partners represented the tenant in lease negotiations. Dan Meador of Kite Realty represented the undisclosed landlord.
TORRANCE, CALIF. — The Los Angeles office of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler (HFF) has arranged a $27.5 million refinancing for Torrance Promenade, a 266,847-square-foot retail power center located at 19800 to 20100 Hawthorne Blvd. in Torrance. Tenants of the currently 85 percent occupied center include Trader Joe’s, Office Depot, Marshalls, Same Ash Megastore, Ross Dress For Less, Loehman’s, Tuesday Morning, Party City and Sears Outlet. Tina Derderian of HFF secured the 5-year, 7.25 percent fixed-rate loan for the borrower, Kimco Realty Corp.
ROANOKE, VA. — Wal-Mart Stores East has purchased 29.07 acres of land from an undisclosed seller to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter. The land is located in the Clearbrooke area of Roanoke. Lee Warfield and Pete Waldbauer of Thalhimer’s Richmond, Va., office represented Wal-Mart in the transaction.
CHICAGO — The first two leases have been signed for the retail component of Presidential Towers, a four-tower, 50-story apartment community located in Chicago’s West Loop. The retail space that makes up the first and second floors of the property is in the midst of a repositioning campaign. The first tenant, Fitness Formula Clubs, will occupy 52,043 square feet of first- and second-floor space on a long-term basis. Once build-out is complete, the fitness club will feature a three-story atrium located near the intersection of Clinton and Madison streets, indoor and outdoor pools, a sundeck and state-of-the art fitness amenities. The second tenant, local restaurant Yolk, will be opening its third Chicago location in 4,200 square feet of street-level space. The restaurant, which specializes in breakfast and lunch fare, features Clinton Street frontage. Bruce Kaplan and Leslie Mader of CB Richard Ellis represented Waterton Residential, the project’s ownership agent, in lease negotiations. HSA Commercial represented Fitness Formula Clubs.
MILLSBORO, DEL. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $8.2 million sale of Bayshore Plaza in Millsboro. The 38,744-square-foot center, which is located on Route 24 (John J. Williams Highway), consists of two separate buildings with in-line space. Bayshore Plaza is shadow anchored by a new Super G and includes other tenants such as Sleepy’s, Verizon, Regis Corporation, Dunkin Donuts, Wings-to-Go and Four Seasons Restaurant. The sale also included a car wash pad site and a WSFS Bank pad. The sales price of $8.2 million or $208.84 per square foot represents a 9.1 percent capitalization rate on current income. The purchaser also secured an option to purchase two neighboring undeveloped pad sites at anytime during the next 2 years at specific prices. Dean Zang and Mark Taylor of the Philadelphia office of Marcus & Millichap, represented the seller, Bayshore Plaza IV, LLC, a Sussex County based development group. The buyer, a Wilmington, Delaware based 1031 exchange buyer, Skyliner Enterprises, LLC, was represented by Jordan Muchnick and Brad Nathanson, who are also based in the Philadelphia office of Marcus & Millichap.
DENTON, TEXAS — Stan Johnson Co. (SJC) has completed the sale of a 1.16-acre retail ground lease located in Denton for $1.21 million. The site is leased to Auto Zone. SJC’s Gill Warner, Rod Pickney and Chad Byerly represented the seller, a retail developer. Bruce Simpson of Delphi Business Properties represented the buyer, a family trust.
LAS VEGAS — NorthMarq Capital has arranged a $4.15 million first mortgage for Tropicana Plaza, a 116,235-square-foot retail property in Las Vegas. At the time of refinancing, the property was 29 percent vacant. Terms of the 5-year loan include a 25-year amortization schedule. David Blum of NorthMarq’s Los Angeles office secured the loan for the undisclosed borrower.