COMMACK, N.Y. — The PGA Tour Superstore has signed a 40,000-square-foot retail lease at Mayfair Shopping Center, a 220,000-square-foot development in Commack, located on Long Island. E.J. Moawad of Levin Management Corp. represented the undisclosed landlord in the lease negotiations. Hugh Scullin of Katz & Associates represented the tenant. The store, which will open later this year, will be PGA Tour Superstore’s third in New York.
By Barry Hand, principal, Gensler In a recent tour of a name-brand corporate campus, the host carefully explained to our team that his company’s policy regarding working from home (WFH) and returning to the office (RTO) remained loose as they completed a “year of learning.” This “learning” presumably involved listening to staff, observing who badges in when and where, experimenting with what works and what doesn’t and resolving the best way to get their arms around the most effective policies. This explanation has surely been given repeatedly in recent years. It appears most companies prefer to bring their people back to the office, but they also want to adopt policies that will work best for employees and customers, as well as the future of their organizations. While there are outliers that have instituted clear return-to-office directives, most firms are adopting change management strategies organized around attracting staff back to the office. They are doing this by leaning on experiences and amenities that demonstrate to employees the benefits of being present in the office. It seems the “experience” around which retail and food-and-beverage establishments are designed has now also reached into the corporate world. The Amenitized Workplace Increasing numbers of …
DECATUR, GA. — Edens plans to transform North DeKalb Mall, an enclosed regional shopping mall in the Atlanta suburb of Decatur, into a 2.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development called Lulah Hills. Edens acquired the 622,297-square-foot mall in 2021 and rezoned the 73-acre site in 2022 to allow for mixed-use development. At its full build-out, Lulah Hills will feature 320,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 1,700 multifamily units, 100 townhomes, a 150-room hotel and a Path Foundation trail connection to nearby Emory University. North DeKalb Mall opened in 1965 and served as the first fully enclosed mall in metro Atlanta. Demolition of the mall is expected to begin later this year, with initial phases of the project to be completed by 2025. Edens owns and operates 1.5 million square feet of retail space in metro Atlanta, including Toco Hills, Merchants Walk, Andrews Square, Buckhead Marketplace, Moores Mill and Park Place.
MICHIGAN — Fast-casual restaurant Slim Chickens has inked a deal to open 25 new locations throughout Southeast Michigan. Business partners Brad and Todd DeLange along with Doug Broadright are spearheading the expansion. Currently, Slim Chickens operates more than 225 locations across the United States and the United Kingdom with more than 1,100 locations in development. Slim Chickens offers 17 different dipping sauces and a variety of menu items such as chicken tenders, salads, sandwiches, chicken and waffles, chicken wings and various sides. The first Slim Chickens opened in 2003 in Fayetteville, Ark. A timeline for the opening of the Michigan locations was not provided.
BROOKFIELD, WIS. — Caribou Coffee has signed a lease to open as the inaugural tenant at a new mixed-use development in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield. The project is a redevelopment of a former Pepino’s restaurant and a tax preparation office located at the intersection of Capitol and Calhoun roads. Construction is underway, and Caribou Coffee is slated to open this summer. Bill Quinlivan of Colliers | Wisconsin is marketing the property for lease.
LAS VEGAS — The Oakland Athletics have reached an agreement with global casino entertainment company Bally’s Corp. (NYSE: BALY) and Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. (GLPI) for a nine-acre development site on the 35-acre Tropicana Las Vegas campus. The A’s hope to develop a 30,000-seat ballpark at the site, which is situated along the Las Vegas Strip on Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. “We are excited about the potential to bring Major League Baseball to this iconic location,” says Dave Kaval, president of the Oakland A’s. “We are thrilled to work alongside Bally’s and GLPI and look forward to finalizing plans to bring the Athletics to Southern Nevada.” Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the baseball club is requesting $395 million in public funds to go toward the estimated $1.5 billion project. The deal is subject to approval by the Nevada Legislature, which could meet to approve funds as early as this week. The project is also dependent on Major League Baseball’s approval of the team’s relocation from Oakland, Calif. Bally’s acquired the building and operations of the Tropicana Las Vegas from GLPI in September 2022 as part of a $148 million transaction. As part of the deal structure, Bally’s entered …
By Barry Caylor, vice president of business development, Outside the Lines Inc. From the rise of online shopping to the pandemic to inflation, retail real estate has weathered a series of challenges in recent years. Yet, despite being knocked down multiple times, the owners and operators of brick-and-mortar retail keep discovering new ways to adapt to shifting demands and needs, especially as consumers spend more on services and experiences than physical goods. One way in which retail owners can continue to keep their centers relevant is by leaning into what attributes make them different. By continually supplying the market with fresh concepts and new ways of presenting them, landlords can keep consumers coming back again and again, generating foot traffic and sales for tenants and driving ROI for investors. In addition, shopping centers can distinguish themselves by providing consumers with something they can’t get anywhere else. As a design-build construction company that specializes in delivering one-of-a-kind water features, rockwork and themed environments, our company has seen retail centers transformed by incorporating unique offerings that consistently draw people in from miles around. Here are a few ways brick-and-mortar retail owners can stay ahead of the game as the sector continues to …
SAN ANTONIO — Northmarq has arranged a loan of an undisclosed amount for the refinancing of Plaza at Concord Park, an 82,824-square-foot office and retail complex in San Antonio’s Stone Oak neighborhood. The three-building complex was constructed in 2007 and houses tenants such as FedEx Office Print & Ship Center, Trend Aesthetics & Wellness, Jimmy John’s, Natural Remedy Store and First Watch. Bryan Leonard of Northmarq arranged the five-year, fixed-rate loan through an undisclosed life insurance company. The borrower was also not disclosed.
FRISCO, TEXAS — Locally based brokerage firm SHOP Cos. has negotiated the sale of Custer Road Commons, a 23,609-square-foot retail strip center in Frisco. At the time of sale, the center was fully leased to tenants such as Starwood Cafe, My Eyelab, Jason’s Deli, Zenith Clinic and Novuskin. Tim Axilrod and Tayler Rose of the SHOP Cos. represented the seller, a Texas-based limited partnership, in the transaction. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
BEAUMONT, TEXAS — BioLife Plasma Services has signed an 18,000-square-foot retail lease at Beaumont Crossroads Shopping Center in East Texas. The blood donation center is backfilling part of a space formerly occupied by Stein Mart. Jason Gaines of Houston-based Sturbridge Commercial Real Estate represented the undisclosed landlord in the lease negotiations. Matt Parsons of JLL represented the tenant, which now operates 25 facilities in Texas.