ZANESVILLE, OHIO — The Downtown Exchange, a revitalization project designed to foster small business growth and economic development, has opened in downtown Zanesville, about 55 miles east of Columbus. The Downtown Exchange business owners, in partnership with JobsOhio, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority and the Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, Aug. 14. Over $1.1 million was invested to redevelop the historic building into a mixed-use marketplace and coworking space. A first-floor food hall features a variety of local eating, drinking and social gathering space, along with a bar and patio at the rear of the building. The second and third floors are coworking spaces featuring small and large conference rooms along with collaborative areas and open desk coworking. Formerly known as The Black-Elliot Block, The Downtown Exchange is a historic commercial building consisting of three contiguous structures on Main Street. The building dates back to 1876. The project was supported by a JobsOhio Vibrant Community grant of over $400,000.
CROFTON, MD. — Jersey Mike’s Subs and Bruster’s Ice Cream have signed leases to join the tenant roster at Seven Oaks Shopping Center, a Weis Markets-anchored retail center in Crofton. The two brands are dividing a 3,046-square-foot retail pad site at 2288 Blue Water Blvd. Brandon Howard of Divaris Real Estate represented the undisclosed landlord in the lease negotiations. He has also negotiated all the inline retail vacancies at Seven Oaks and is marketing a build-to-suit opportunity for a 5,000-square-foot pad site next to the Jersey Mike’s and Bruster’s. Seven Oaks is situated one block from the Fort Meade campus and about 20 miles south of Baltimore.
CLAY, N.Y. — Locally based investment firm Hart Lyman Co. has purchased Great Northern Mall, a shuttered retail and dining development located in the northern Syracuse suburb of Clay, for $9 million. The new ownership plans to redevelop the 120-acre property into a mixed-use destination and has partnered with Conifer Realty for the residential component. Britt Raymond and Kyle Fant of SRS Real Estate Partners represented the seller, New York-based Kohan Retail, in the transaction. The duo also procured Hart Lyman as the buyer.
SACRAMENTO — Hanley Investment Group has brokered the $5 million sale of a single-tenant retail property located in Sacramento. Chipotle Mexican Grill occupies the 2,347-square-foot building within The Quad District, a new mixed-use development, on a triple-net lease. Bill Asher and Jeff Lefko represented the developer and seller, Chase Partners LTD. KDC constructed the property, which Vermeltfoort Architects designed. A California-based buyer purchased the property.
AVE MARIA, FLA. — Barron Collier Cos. has broken ground on a new 21,000-square-foot retail strip center in Ave Maria, a master-planned community in Southwest Florida. Located at the corner of Ave Maria Boulevard and Anthem Parkway, the property will house NCH Immediate Care Center, Ace Hardware, Dunkin’, Ledo Pizza and Cold Stone Creamery. Barron Colliers plans to open the retail center in summer 2024. According to the Naples, Fla.-based developer, about 430 homes have been sold in the Ave Maria community so far this year.
The term “grit” has become synonymous with Memphis. The commercial real estate landscape continues to receive headwinds from interest rates, high inflation, construction prices and geopolitical tensions, but Memphis continues to show grit in the face of these obstacles. Memphis presents a compelling opportunity for retailers seeking expansion. With a low vacancy rate of just 3.5 percent and strong occupancy levels, the city’s retail market is flourishing. The annual rent growth of 3.7 percent aligns with the national average, indicating a stable and promising environment for businesses. Moreover, Memphis offers competitive pricing for retail spaces, with affordable rates and attractive cap rates that surpass those of neighboring markets. This appealing pricing structure, coupled with a surge in transaction activity, has revitalized the market, providing increased liquidity and investment opportunities. The Regional Megasite of West Tennessee is witnessing a remarkable undertaking from Ford Motor Co. in its newly forged partnership with South Korean battery company SK Innovation. The ambitious Blue Oval City project is well underway. Currently valued at $5.6 billion and sprawling across 3,600 acres, the project is expected to generate nearly 6,000 job opportunities with another 30,000 ancillary jobs in the surrounding communities. Anticipated spillover effects from this venture …
PADDOCK LAKE, WIS. — Ashish Merchant, an operator of the Culver’s restaurant chain, has purchased 1.6 acres of vacant land on Highway 83 in Paddock Lake, about 15 miles west of Kenosha. The sales price was undisclosed. Tom Treder of Founders 3 Real Estate Services represented the buyer. The seller was PL 83 Development Inc., an affiliate of Bear Development. There are nearly 900 Culver’s restaurants across the United States. The first location opened in Wisconsin in 1984.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — RocaPoint Partners has signed three new tenants to join Greenville County Square, a $1 billion mixed-use development coming to downtown Greenville. The new tenants joining the 40-acre development include Pins Mechanical, a duckpin bowling, entertainment and food-and-beverage venue taking 24,366 square feet; Agave Bandido, an authentic Mexican restaurant taking 7,000 square feet; and Fairway Social, a golf-themed entertainment venue and restaurant spanning 9,100 square feet. The tenants are joining a roster that has commitments from Whole Foods Market and The Perch Kitchen & Tap. Other uses include offices for Lima One Capital and a 250,000-square-foot administrative building for Greenville County.
Central Florida retail is alive, well and growing, thanks in large part to Florida’s continuing resilience to the nation’s economic challenges. Thousands of people are moving to the state each week, the Orlando area’s economy continues to diversify beyond tourism and residents continue to show confidence with their retail spending. That said, there are significant challenges facing new retail developments, due to the cost of construction and other inflationary pressures. We expect this to be a major issue for the rest of this year, and it will require thoughtful planning for everyone involved in these projects. As we look at the remainder of 2023, we see two big takeaways: • For brick-and-mortar retail, it’s important for developers and owners to bring in concepts that are new and fresh. In some cases, this involves established retailers getting creative with their spaces, like what Macy’s is doing with its new Market by Macy’s concept, which uses a smaller footprint than traditional Macy’s stores. • To make new retail developments happen, developers, landlords and tenants need to be inventive in how they structure deals, whether it’s sharing in construction cost overages or giving tenants more time to get their spaces ready. With that …
PLAINFIELD, IND. — El Toro Bravo, a regional Mexican restaurant, has opened at The Shops at Perry Crossing in Plainfield, a western suburb of Indianapolis. The 3,886-square-foot restaurant features a patio. El Toro Bravo’s menu consists of classic Mexican dishes such as burritos, quesadillas and gorditas. There are currently seven El Toro Bravo locations across the Midwest. Managed by JLL, The Shops at Perry Crossing is an outdoor lifestyle center featuring more than 50 retail, restaurant and service brands.