HOWELL, MICH. — Metro Infusion Center has leased the remaining 1,458 square feet at Shops at Westbury in Howell, about 30 miles north of Ann Arbor. Michael Murphy and Bill McLeod of Gerdom Realty & Investment represented the undisclosed landlord. Todd Schultz of Schultz Real Estate represented the tenant. Metro Infusion Center, a provider of infusion therapies for complex chronic conditions, now operates 15 locations across the state of Michigan.
Like many of the markets within the Sun Belt, Birmingham’s economy remained relatively resilient through the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its share of small business and restaurant closures, leasing activity is back to par, and owners continue to see steadily rising rental rates — up 3.1 percent over the last 12 months — as tenant demand continues to be robust. Retail absorption over the last 12 months is a healthy 400,000 square feet compared to -510,000 square feet a year ago, which is a phenomenal 909,000-square-foot change just 18 months out from the emergence of the Coronavirus and effective shutdown of the U.S. economy. As Americans return to whatever the new normal is deemed to be and retail conditions continue to rebound, Birmingham is poised and ready to stake its claim in the South’s hierarchy of bourgeoning retail markets. Over the course of retail’s revival during the last 12 to 15 months, development has picked up throughout the Birmingham MSA, fueled primarily by build-to-suit projects for established chains in rapidly expanding suburban markets like Hoover. Stadium Trace Village, a master-planned, mixed-use development at Interstate 459 and Ala. Highway 150, has been one of the most recent projects to …
LOS ANGELES — After a two-year slog through COVID-19, consumer demand for shopping, dining and entertainment experiences has become a cresting tidal wave ready to descend upon the shore. The term “pent-up” is frequently used to describe this mentality, but industry professionals know that cliché doesn’t really do justice to the degree of concentrated demand for just about any form of dining out, barhopping, gaming and fraternizing. To this end, the National Retail Federation (NRF) projects that total retail sales across both digital and brick-and-mortar forums will grow between 6 to 8 percent year over year in 2022. And yet, to invoke another nautical metaphor, this scenario is not necessarily a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats phenomenon — at least not in the long run. The reality for developers and operators of shopping, dining and entertainment properties is that in order to win customer loyalty in the long haul and infuse a center with true cross-shopping potential and destinational status, they have to create a legitimately unique draw. This notion, while not necessarily revelatory and Earth-shattering in the current brick-and-mortar retail market, has only been more deeply ingrained by the events of the last 24 months. At the seventh-annual Entertainment Experience Evolution conference that …
KINGSTOWNE, VA. — Avison Young has brokered the sale of a retail portfolio totaling 410,398 square feet in Kingstowne, located in Fairfax County approximately 13 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT) purchased the portfolio for $200 million. The deal will close in two parts, with the first half already completed and the second half scheduled to close in July. Dean Sands and Chip Ryan of Avison Young represented the seller, The Halle Cos. The portfolio is 97 percent leased to 61 tenants, including supermarkets Safeway and Giant. According to local news outlets, the properties also feature tenants such as T.J. Maxx, Ross, HomeGoods, &pizza and Cava. The retail portfolio includes a significant portion of Kingstowne Towne Center, a live-work-play power center in Virginia. The Halle Cos. developed Kingstowne Towne Center in the mid-1980s, converting 1,200 acres into a master-planned community. With large expanses of green space and a centralized town center, Kingstowne is considered one of Northern Virginia’s best places to live and work, according to Avison Young. “Kingstowne Towne Center, with its attractive demographics and significant barriers to entry, is reflective of our Northern Virginia growth strategy, and further demonstrates our corporate commitment to …
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — Houston-based retail investment and management firm Levcor has acquired two shopping centers totaling 184,000 square feet in College Station. University Park is a grocery-anchored center that comprises 97,000 square feet on a 9.2-acre site that is within one mile of Texas A&M University’s campus. Texas Avenue Crossing, located about 2.5 miles from campus, totals 87,000 square feet and is anchored by Bed Bath & Beyond, with Total Wine & More and Boot Barn set to join the roster this summer.
NEWTOWN, CONN. — New Jersey-based investment firm First National Realty Partners (FNRP) has acquired Sand Hill Plaza, a 163,500-square-foot shopping center located in the southern Connecticut community of Newtown. A 61,450-square-foot Stop & Shop grocery store anchors the center, which originally opened in 1990 and also houses tenants such as T.J. Maxx, Mattress Firm, Verizon, Great Clips and Quest Diagnostics. Justin Smith and Chris Peterson of Atlantic Capital Partners represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction.
MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. — Breslin Realty, a Long Island-based investment firm, has acquired Massapequa Plaza, a 50,000-square-foot shopping center in Nassau County. Tenants at the center include Costello’s Ace Hardware, Rite Aid, Northwell Health GoHealth Urgent Care, Great American Jewelry, Pequa Spirits Wine & Liquor, Gino’s Tuscany Restaurant, Sal’s Meat Market, Three Amigos Fresh Mexican Grill and Fit Body Boot Camp. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
NORTH RIVERSIDE AND ELMHURST, ILL. — Mid-America Real Estate Corp. has brokered the sale of two shopping centers in suburban Chicago for an undisclosed price. North Riverside Plaza is a 384,707-square-foot regional shopping center in North Riverside. Tenants include Kohl’s, Burlington, Best Buy, Petco, Michaels and a new grocery store that is currently under construction. Elmhurst Crossing is a 347,505-square-foot, grocery-anchored shopping center in Elmhurst. Major tenants include Whole Foods Market, Kohl’s, At Home and Petco. Ben Wineman and Kathryn Sugrue of Mid-America represented the longtime owner and seller, Canada-based Federal Construction. Brixmor Property Group was the buyer.
WARREN, MICH. — Family Dollar has signed a 10,500-square-foot retail lease to open a store at Village Plaza in Warren, about 20 miles north of Detroit. Located at the northwest corner of 13 Mile and Mound roads, Village Plaza spans roughly 100,000 square feet. Michael Murphy and Bill McLeod of Gerdom Realty & Investment represented the landlord, Shango Enterprise Group. Scott Sonenberg of Landmark Commercial Real Estate Services represented Family Dollar.
COMMERCE CITY, COLO. — Blue West Capital has arranged the $3.4 million sale of a single-tenant retail property in Commerce City, approximately six miles northeast of downtown Denver. Brandon Gayeski and Robert Edwards of Blue West Capital represented the seller, a Colorado-based partnership. The buyer was a 1031 exchange investor based in Colorado. The 2,340-square-foot property features a drive-thru and was constructed in 2020. Located at 4860 East 60th Ave., Starbucks Coffee occupies the property on a long-term lease.
