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CINCINNATI — Federal regulators have granted Cincinnati-based Kroger (NYSE: KR) clearance to close on its $2.5 billion acquisition of North Carolina-based grocer Harris Teeter. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 — a federal law that requires parties of certain transactions (such as mergers and acquisitions) to file with FTC and wait a specified time period. Harris Teeter differentiates itself from traditional grocery stores by occupying a niche at the higher end of the market, near Whole Foods Market and privately owned Trader Joe's, say analysts. Under the deal, Harris Teeter shareholders will receive $49.38 in cash for each share of Harris Teeter common stock they own. Already the nation’s largest supermarket chain with 2,400 stores and $96 billion in annual sales, the deal extends Kroger’s reach into the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. The 212 stores added to Kroger’s brand are located primarily in high-growth markets, vacation destinations and university communities in North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland, Tennessee, Delaware, Florida, Georgia and the District of Columbia. Kroger officials say they expect the deal will close by the end January. The deal was first announced July 9, …

AURORA, COLO. — Cole Real Estate Investments (NYSE: COLE) has acquired 430,000 square feet of Cornerstar, a 750,000-square-foot power center in Aurora, for $116.5 million. A joint venture between PCCP LLC and Alberta Development Partners sold the property, which is located at the intersection of East Arapahoe and Parker roads. The acquired portion includes anchors 24 Hour Fitness, Sprouts Farmers Market and Dicks Sporting Goods. Target is also an anchor at the center, which is 97 percent leased, but was not included in the transaction. The PCCP/Alberta joint venture purchased 158 acres for the development of Cornerstar in March 2006. The companies sold a nearly 10-acre site to Target in December 2007, and 18 acres to a multifamily developer in August 2008. The center opened in November 2008. “Although this project made its debut in the midst of the economic downturn, the quality of the development, its prime location, and Alberta Development Partners’ local market knowledge and tenant relationships, were key factors in making Cornerstar a success,” says Philip Russick, principal with PCCP. “With a lack of stabilized, Class A retail real estate in the region, we felt it was a strategic time for this disposition.” Ron Urgitus, Brad Lyons …

SAN DIEGO — Kilroy Realty Corp. (NYSE: KRC) has completed the sale of 13 San Diego office properties in multiple transactions for total gross proceeds of approximately $327 million. “The sales price reflects strong investor demand for well-located, high quality properties,” says John Kilroy Jr., chairman, president and CEO of Los Angeles-based Kilroy Realty. “The successful transaction demonstrates our team’s ability to execute on our core investment philosophy and create meaningful value in each part of the real estate investment cycle.” The portfolio includes 1.1 million square feet in the I-15 Corridor/Sorrento Mesa submarket, about 14 miles north of downtown San Diego, and was approximately 91 percent leased at the time of sale. As part of the company’s capital recycling strategy, it will reinvest the proceeds into its expanding West Coast office development program and other potential acquisition opportunities. The sale of 4910 Directors Place occurred in December 2013 and the sale of 12 other office buildings occurred in early January this year. Those 12 properties are located at 10020 Pacific Mesa Blvd.; 6055 Lusk Ave.; 5010 and 5005 Wateridge Vista Drive; 15435 and 15445 Innovation Drive; and 15051, 15073, 15231, 15253, 15333 and 15378 Avenue of Science. As of …

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Sovran Self Storage Inc. (NYSE: SSS), a self storage real estate investment trust (REIT), has acquired seven self storage facilities in five separate transactions for a combined purchase price of $98.7 million. The properties total more than 575,000 square feet of rental space. Sovran Self Storage funded the acquisitions through advances on the company’s line of credit, proceeds from the sale of several properties and through the company’s at-the-market (ATM) stock offering program, a form of equity raise. Five properties were acquired during the fourth quarter of 2013 for a combined purchase price of $44.7 million and are all located in markets where the company already has a presence — one each in Connecticut, Texas and southeast Florida, and two in New Jersey. Early this year, the company purchased two additional facilities located in southeast Florida for a combined purchase price of $54 million. The newly acquired properties provide an upscale mix of amenities that include climate-controlled storage spaces, wireless Internet, as well as record and wine storage. All of the storage facilities will be rebranded under the Uncle Bob’s Self Storagename and fully integrated into the company’s operating platforms. “We are pleased to add these modern, …

MALVERN, PA. — Liberty Property Trust (NYSE: LRY) has sold a 49-property office and industrial portfolio for $367.7 million. Greenfield Real Estate LLC purchased the properties, which are located in Jacksonville, Fla., Fort Washington, Pa., and Minnesota. The properties comprise approximately 140 acres and 4 million rentable square feet, including 1.9 million square feet of office space, 1.8 million square feet of industrial space and 274,000 square feet of flex space. This sale is part of a previously announced transaction in which Greenfield Real Estate is purchasing 97 total properties from Liberty for an aggregate $697.3 million. The 32 properties located in Jacksonville, which represent all of Liberty’s holdings in the market, total more than 2.1 million square feet. This portion of the portfolio includes the Executive Park and Liberty Business Park developments as well as 4190 Belfort Road, a four-story, 120,000-square-foot asset. The five properties in Fort Washington, which is a northern suburb of Philadelphia, total nearly 1 million square feet. This portion of the portfolio includes 1100 Virginia Drive, a 753,607-square-foot asset in Fort Washington Office Park. The 12 properties in Minnesota, which total approximately 916,000 square feet, are located in the Minneapolis suburbs of Oakdale, Plymouth, Eden …