Retail landlords want to fill space, especially given that large gluts of it have been returned to market as store closures have accelerated, a move that has coincided with entertainment users that want to expand their footprints. But the logistics of bringing entertainment concepts into retail spaces — particularly vacated junior or big box spaces — are very complicated. This holds particularly true for entertainment concepts that involve movies and bowling. Ceiling heights and column spacing, for example, prevent many spaces from being repurposed cost-effectively for entertainment uses like bowling alleys and theaters. In addition, lease terms for these deals are often based on traditional retail metrics like sales per square foot. According to Howard Samuels, president of California-based advisory and brokerage firm Samuels & Co., there is a strong disconnect between entertainment uses and conventional retail real estate that has yet to fully integrate experiential uses or “location-based entertainment (LBE).” “Entertainment retail as a backfiller of boxes is a misnomer,” says Samuels, whose firm specializes in entertainment transactions. “Those users typically don’t want fixed walls and need higher ceiling heights. Most location-based entertainment concepts are very challenging to design, develop, open and operate. These concepts have very specific criteria …
Retail
SAN DIEGO — Sea Breeze Properties has broken ground for MERGE 56, a 40-acre mixed-use development located in the Torrey Highlands submarket of San Diego. Adjacent to State Route 56 at Camino Del Sur, MERGE 56 will feature a 450,000-square-foot, Class A office and retail space; a boutique hotel; and 242 residential units, including single-family homes, townhomes and affordable apartments. The land was originally approved in 2004 as a big-box retail center before Sea Breeze Properties acquired the land in 2013 and redesigned it into a pedestrian-centric, mixed-use environment. CBRE’s Chris Pascale, Mike Hoeck and Ellycia Halden will handle leasing for the office space, while Steve Avoyer of Flocke & Avoyer will handle leasing for the retail component.
WOODBRIDGE, VA. — Alto Real Estate Funds has acquired Prince William Square, a 232,957-square-foot shopping center in Woodbridge, for $37.9 million. The property was 89 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants including Ross Dress for Less, Mom’s Organic Grocer, dd’s Discounts, Ashley Furniture, Harbor Freight Tools and Jo-Ann Fabrics. Prince William Square is situated at 14200-14520 Smoketown Road, 27 miles southwest of downtown Washington, D.C. Morgan Stanley provided the buyer with a $25 million acquisition loan that offers a seven-year term and a fixed interest rate. Walker & Dunlop’s Los Angeles Capital Markets Team secured the debt on behalf of Alto Real Estate Funds. This transaction marks the buyer’s first acquisition in the Northern Virginia market. The seller was not disclosed.
LUMBERTON, N.J. — JLL has brokered the $25 million sale of Cross Roads Plaza, a 99,650-square-foot retail center in Lumberton, an eastern suburb of Philadelphia. A 70,818-square-foot ShopRite grocery store anchors the property, along with a Wawa convenience store and a Wells Fargo bank. Chris Munley, James Galbally, Jose Cruz and Colin Behr of JLL represented the seller, a partnership between Madison International Realty and SITE Centers Corp. Medipower Public Co. Ltd. purchased the asset.
Katz & Associates Secures 3,699 SF Retail Lease for First Watch in Montvale, New Jersey
by Alex Patton
MONTVALE, N.J. — Katz & Associates has secured a 3,699-square-foot retail lease for breakfast restaurant First Watch at The Shoppes at DePiero Farm, a 231,000-square-foot retail center in Montvale, a northwestern suburb of New York City. A 128,000-square-foot Wegmans grocery store anchors the property, along with a Starbucks, Wind Wellness and other tenants. Hugh Scullin and Amy Staats of Katz & Associates represented First Watch in the lease negotiations. Brian Silbert of Silbert Management represented the landlord, The S.Hekemian Group.
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — TSCG has brokered the sale of Markham West, a 180,200-square-foot retail power center in Little Rock. The shopping center was 98 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants including Academy Sports + Outdoors, Office Depot, Dollar Tree, Michaels and Planet Fitness. Markham West also features five outparcel buildings housing tenants such as TCBY Yogurt, Aspen Dental, Pizza Hut and US Bank. The asset is situated at 11164 W. Markham St., seven miles west of downtown Little Rock and a half-mile from Interstate 430. TSCG represented the seller, an affiliate of Houston-based Weingarten Realty, in the transaction. An affiliate of Atlanta-based RCG Ventures LLC acquired the property for an undisclosed price.
LIVONIA, MICH. — Gerdom Realty has negotiated the sale of Livonia Crossroads for an undisclosed price. The 23,000-square-foot retail center is located at the southeast corner of Middlebelt and Plymouth roads in Livonia, a western suburb of Detroit. Tenants include MedPost Urgent Care, Disc Replay and Sprint. Tjader Gerdom, Larry Siedell and Michael Murphy of Gerdom represented both parties in the sale. A local investor purchased the asset. Gerdom retains leasing responsibilities for the center.
Manhattan has long been one of the most competitive retail markets in the country due to two characteristics of its population: an incredible density and high incomes among residents and workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average weekly wage of Manhattan’s private sector workforce was $3,153 in the first quarter of 2019, much higher than the national average of $1,184 per week. In addition to its residential base, tourism plays a strong role in Manhattan’s retail sales. Marketing agency NYC & Co. projects that New York City will host 67 million visitors this year, up from approximately 65 million in 2018. While these demographic factors have kept Manhattan’s brick-and-mortar retail market somewhat insulated from e-commerce and other factors affecting the industry, the borough has not been completely shielded from the woes affecting the retail industry. Pocket-sized technology offers immediate access to everything from groceries and apparel to cars and construction materials, forcing brick-and-mortar retailers to get creative with their shopping experiences in order to avoid closing stores. Manhattan remains a top-tier market that commands rents above the national average. But the net result of e-commerce and asking rents that don’t match operating costs is a shift in …
NEW YORK CITY — Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) has unveiled plans to close 125 of its least productive stores over the next three years. The retailer will also close its offices in San Francisco, downtown Cincinnati and Lorain, Ohio, leaving the New York City office as the sole corporate headquarters. The reorganization strategy also includes increasing the Macy’s digital platform, while optimizing its brick-and-mortar portfolio and lowering overhead costs. Beginning this year, Macy’s expects the strategy to generate annual gross savings of approximately $1.5 billion, to be fully realized by year-end 2022. “We will focus our resources on the healthy parts of our business, directly address the unhealthy parts of the business and explore new revenue streams,” says Jeff Gennette, chairman and CEO of Macy’s. “Over the past three years, we have shown we can grow the top line; however, we have significant work to do to improve the bottom line.” The 125 stores that Macy’s plans to close account for approximately $1.4 billion in annual sales and one-fifth of its store footprint. Thirty of the stores are in the process of closure now. Steve Horwitz, a professor in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University in Muncie, …
LUBBOCK, TEXAS — EXP Realty Advisors, a boutique investment sales firm focused on retail assets, has brokered the sale of The HUB, a 50,196-square-foot shopping center in Lubbock. Situated on 5.5 acres, the center houses tenants such as Tea2Go, Cyclebar and Urban Brick’s Pizza. Andrew Greenberg of EXP Realty Advisors represented the buyer, a 1031 exchange investor, in the transaction. Coldwell Banker represented the seller, a California-based investor. Both parties requested anonymity.