DETROIT — Friedman Real Estate has brokered the $3.9 million sale of the former First Independence Bank building located at 100 Michigan Ave. in Detroit. The retail building totals 20,756 square feet. Andrew Bower, Steve Eisenshtadt and Peter Jankowski of Friedman represented the seller. Buyer and seller information was not released.
By Wick Zimmerman, CEO of Outside the Lines Inc. In the Northeast’s evolving commercial real estate landscape, mall owners and operators are navigating now-familiar headwinds: changing consumer behaviors, declining legacy retail brands and the sustained presence of e-commerce. Yet amid these pressures, a reinvention is underway. Malls are shedding their images as static retail venues and transforming into immersive, tech-enabled destinations — and it’s not traditional retail driving the charge. It’s Gen Z, a digitally native, experience-driven cohort that’s redefining what mall real estate can and should be. This shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity for regional retail stakeholders. The challenge? Retrofitting aging assets to meet evolving demands. The opportunity? Creating diversified, high-traffic destinations that outperform their square footages in terms of both revenue and relevance. From Shopping Centers to Engagement Anchors Once emblematic of suburban retail, malls across the Northeast — from Long Island to greater Boston — are increasingly being reimagined as hybridized spaces that combine shopping, entertainment and community programming. In densely populated, high-barrier markets, where new development is constrained, adaptive reuse initiatives are driving the charge. Class B and C malls, in particular, are being repositioned with new anchors — not department stores, but …
SUGAR LAND, TEXAS — The City of Sugar Land, located southwest of Houston, has approved $12.5 million in funding for the renovation and modernization of the city’s downtown commercial center, known as Sugar Land Town Square. Under the terms of the funding agreement, Building B will receive upgrades to its communal office and amenity spaces, as well as its landscaping and streetscaping. In addition, Building H will see renovations to its entryway, lobby and signage, along with updates to the garden area and new furniture, fixtures and equipment. Sugar Land Town Square, which spans 32.8 acres and opened in 2003, is currently 73 percent leased across its office, retail and restaurant components.
MIDLOTHIAN, TEXAS — SRS Real Estate Partners has brokered the sale of Shops on Main, a 10,238-square-foot retail strip center located in the southern Dallas suburb of Midlothian. The center was built on 1.7 acres in 2023 and was fully leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Boba Tea and Coco Nail Bar. Michael Kaplan, Matthew Mousavi and Patrick Luther of SRS represented the seller, a Texas-based family office, in the transaction. The buyer was a Dallas-based 1031 exchange investor. Both parties requested anonymity.
LAUREL, MISS. — CrownPoint Partners has brokered the $3.6 million sale of a 44,046-square-foot retail property in Laurel leased to Kroger, which has operated at that location for more than 40 years. The acquisition also includes a Kroger Fuel Center. The store is located on a 4.2-acre parcel at 2340 Highway 15 N, about 31 miles north of Hattiesburg, Miss. Julius Swolsky and Shannon Bona of CrownPoint Partners represented the buyer, a subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Essential Growth Properties, in the transaction. Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, San Francisco-based Pacific Bay Investments Inc. Niko Buntich of Trinity Capital Corp. originated acquisition financing for the buyer.
NEW JERSEY — Cushman & Wakefield has brokered the $5.7 million sale of six vacant bank branches in Northern New Jersey. The properties — located in Hillsborough, Franklin, Morganville, Elmwood Park, Montclair and Bayonne — offer a range of features and opportunities for repurposing or redevelopment. Andrew Schwartz, Jordan Sobel, André Balthazard and Dan Bottiglieri of Cushman & Wakefield represented the various regional and national banks that owned the properties in the transactions. The names of the various private buyers that acquired the assets were also not disclosed.
PHOENIX — Wespac Construction has broken ground for the construction of Sprouts Farmers Market headquarters, a mixed-use campus in north Phoenix. Trammell Crow Co. is developing the project, which was designed by RSP Architects. Keyser and JLL are handling brokerage services for the project. Located within CityNorth near 56th Street and Loop 101, the 180,000-square-foot campus will feature a four-story, 144,500-square-foot Class A office building, a 25,000-square-foot flagship Sprouts grocery store, 11,000 square feet of high-end retail and restaurant space and a three-story parking garage. The campus will also offer modern amenities, including an onsite gym, yoga studio, top-floor deck, Press Coffee café, culinary kitchens, tasting rooms and a garden for chef-driven meals and community events. Sprouts will transition from its current 96,000-square-foot space to the new location by August 2026.
COSTA MESA, CALIF. — CBRE has arranged the $25.7 million sale of Westport Plaza & Square, a 39,334-square-foot shopping center located in Costa Mesa. Built in 1975 and renovated in 2002 and 2018, the center is situated on 13.7 acres. Tenants at the property — which was 97 percent leased at the time of sale — include Plums Café & Catering, Fleur De Lys, Crumbl Cookies, Common Thread, House of Yogurt, Massimo’s Pizza and LaserAway. Westport Plaza & Square has roughly 54 years remaining on its long-term ground lease. Jimmy Slusher, along with Megan Lanni and Shaya Northrup of CBRE’s NRP-West team, represented both the seller, Newport Beach-based Space Investment Partners, and the buyer, Asana Partners, in the transaction.
FREDERICK, COLO. — Evergreen Devco has completed construction of site infrastructure and two multi-tenant retail buildings at Silverstone Marketplace, a 35-acre shopping center located at Highway 52 and Colorado Boulevard in Frederick. A 123,000-square-foot King Soopers Marketplace, including a French bakery, apparel, fuel station and drive-thru pharmacy, anchors the development. The location is the first King Soopers in Frederick. Silverstone Marketplace also includes 20,000 square feet of shop buildings that are 93 percent leased. Currently signed tenants include Wingstop, Club Pilates, Domino’s Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery, Great Clips, Blue Sky Nails & Lash, Five Guys, Pacific Dental and Chipotle. Chase Bank, Wendy’s and Valvoline will occupy pad sites, starting in early 2026, at the property. G3 Architecture served as architect, Galloway provided civil engineering design, Mark Young Construction handled site work and Epic Construction served as contractor for the shop buildings.
BOLINGBROOK, ILL. — Brookline Real Estate has partnered with Rhino Investments Group to renovate The Promenade Bolingbrook, a 778,000-square-foot shopping center in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook. Brookline has been hired to oversee leasing and lead a new vision for the open-air lifestyle center with a refreshed mix of retail, service, restaurants and experiential offerings. Rhino recently acquired an interest in The Promenade Bolingbrook, which is located at Boughton Road and I-355.
