CHICAGO — Lee & Associates of Illinois has negotiated a 4,500-square-foot restaurant lease at 2535 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. The tenant, ManSun, is an authentic Korean restaurant. This will be the proprietor’s second restaurant, following New Village Gastro Pub in Northbrook. Rick Scardino and Michael Petrik of Lee & Associates represented the tenant in the lease. Amanda Shafer of Emerging Concepts represented the landlord, an entity doing business as 2M Square FB LLC.
ATLANTA AND CHICAGO — Convenience retailer RaceTrac Inc. has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of fast-casual sandwich chain Potbelly Corp. (NASDAQ: PBPB) for $17.12 per share. The all-cash transaction is valued at roughly $566 million, representing a premium of approximately 47 percent to Potbelly’s 90-day volume-weighted average price as of Sept. 9. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Founded more than 40 years ago in Chicago, Potbelly sells toasted sandwiches, salads, soups and hand-dipped milkshakes. The sandwich shop chain currently maintains more than 445 company and franchise-owned locations across the United States, with a long-term goal of reaching 2,000 shops. “We have positioned Potbelly for accelerated franchise-led growth in recent years, and this transaction fortifies our path while delivering certain and immediate value to our shareholders,” says Bob Wright, president and CEO of Potbelly. Wright, a former Wendy’s executive, led a turnaround of Potbelly during the pandemic, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. Expanding the franchisee base was a major part of the strategy. Atlanta-based RaceTrac, one of the largest privately held companies in the United States, operates more than 800 convenience stores …
WILMINGTON, N.C. — CBL Properties, in a 49/51 joint venture with Vision Hospitality, has opened a new Element by Westin hotel at Mayfaire Town Center, a 610,000-square-foot, open-air shopping mall in Wilmington. Both CBL and Vision are headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 139-room hotel is situated on International Drive and includes a lobby bar, 24/7 fitness center and complimentary bicycle rentals. Since 2024, CBL has executed retail leases exceeding 100,000 square feet at Mayfaire, including deals with Dave & Busters, Altar’d State Kids, Rowan, Free People, FP Movement, Warby Parker, Claire’s, Vochos Urban Mexican Kitchen, Potbelly Sandwich Shop and Dry Bar. Additionally, existing tenants like lululemon athletica, Rack Room Shoes and Reed’s Jewelers have remodeled and expanded their stores at Mayfaire. CBL purchased the mall in 2015.
WARNER ROBINS, GA. — BJ’s Wholesale Club plans to open a new grocery store and BJ’s Gas station at 6201 Watson Blvd. in Warner Robins, nearly 100 miles south of Atlanta via I-75. The Telegraph reports that the 21-acre site will house the 104,170-square-foot grocery store and 582 parking spaces, as well as a 2,204-square-foot gas station with eight pumps that opened in late August. The new BJ’s Wholesale Club store is set to open on Friday, Sept. 12. The property represents the first BJ’s Wholesale Club store in middle Georgia and its seventh in the state, according to The Telegraph.
NEW YORK CITY — CBRE has negotiated the $28 million sale of the 245,419-square-foot retail space within the former New York Times building at 229 W. 43rd St. and 216-226 W. 44th St. in Midtown Manhattan. Kushner bought the space in 2015 for $296 million. The space spans the first four floors and two lower levels and was 34.5 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as entertainment concept Lucky Strike and restaurants Tacos No. 1 and Ra Sushi. Jay Miller and A.J. Felberbaum of BayBridge Real Estate Capital represented the buyer, a Delaware-based entity doing business as Forum at Time Square LLC, in the transaction. Jack Stillwagon and Doug Middleton of CBRE represented the seller, a trust working on behalf of CMBS bondholders that took title of the property last year via a foreclosure proceeding against Kushner.
PORT HUENEME, CALIF. — Align REI has received $29.5 million in financing for Oliveira Plaza, neighborhood retail center in Port Hueneme in Ventura County, Calif. Greg Brown, Spencer Seibring and Nick Englhard of JLL Capital Markets secured the three-year bridge loan with a debt fund. Loan proceeds are being used to reposition a big box space at property for a new Sprouts Farmers Market. Situated on 9.3 acres at 693-749 Channel Islands Blvd., Oliveira Plaza features 116,035 square feet of retail space. Originally built in 1975 and updated over the years, Oliveira Plaza was 80 percent leased to a variety of of tenants, including West Marine Products, Dollar Tree, Bank of America, Panda Express and Carl’s Jr.
LACEY, WASH. — Curbline Properties and Agree Realty have separately acquired portions of Lacey Marketplace, a 125,204-square-foot power shopping center in Lacey. Dino Christophilis and Daniel Tibeau of CBRE represented the undisclosed seller in the deals. Curbline Properties purchased the 31,885-square-foot retail component located at 1350 Marvin Road NE. Current tenants of the fully occupied property include Panera Bread, Mattress Firm, BECU, Verizon, Cutter’s Point Coffee and Panda Express. Agree Realty acquired the 93,319-square-foot big box component located at 1200 Marvin Road NE for $21 million. Boot Barn, La-Z-Boy, Petco, Ross Dress for Less and Ulta Beauty are tenants at the fully occupied component.
ROSEVILLE, MINN. — JLL has negotiated retail leases for six new tenants at Rosedale Center, a 1.1 million-square-foot shopping center in Roseville within metro Twin Cities. The leases include Kendra Scott, J.Crew Factory, Johnston & Murphy, Lolli & Pops, Paris Baguette and BRKTHROUGH. Additionally, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Legendary Spice, Boba X and Kukuri recently opened at the center. Holly Rome and Lane Walsh of JLL lead the leasing effort at Rosedale Center and secured the new leases.
LOMBARD, ILL. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $5.6 million sale of Highlands of Lombard, a retail strip center totaling 16,223 square feet in the Chicago suburb of Lombard. Built in 2007, the six-suite property is located at 2820 S. Highland Ave. across from Yorktown Center mall. The fully occupied asset features a mix of food, health and service-based tenants. Adrian Mendoza, Sean Sharko and Austin Weisenbeck of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a private investor based in the Chicagoland area who had owned the property for more than 17 years. The agents also procured the out-of-state buyer.
PITTSBURGH AND LAKEWOOD, COLO. — The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE: PNC) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lakewood-based FirstBank Holding Co., including its banking subsidiary FirstBank, in a deal valued at $4.1 billion. Founded in 1963, FirstBank Holding has $26.8 billion in assets under management as of June 30 and provides commercial and retail banking services across Colorado and Arizona. The bank operates 95 FirstBank retail bank branches. PNC plans to retain all of FirstBank’s retail branches, as well as the onsite banking team members. The bank branches will be rebranded as PNC Bank branches following the closing of the merger, after which FirstBank will be fully merged into PNC Bank NA. “For decades, FirstBank has been proud to serve Colorado and Arizona with a strong community focus, deep customer relationships and dedicated commitment to our employees,” says Kevin Classen, CEO of FirstBank. “In PNC, we have found a partner that not only values this legacy but is committed to building on it. Their scale, technology and breadth of financial services will allow us to offer even more to our customers, while ensuring that our employees and communities continue to thrive.” Upon completion of the merger, Classen …