REAL ESTATE

New York - RKF has arranged two leases totaling 2,680-sq.-ft. at 1200 Madison Ave. on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with beauty retailer Bluemercury and upscale Scotland-based knitwear company Brora. The new Bluemercury, scheduled to the week of Oct. 6, will occupy 1,705-sq.-ft. and will be the brand’s second location on the Upper East Side.

Minneapolis -- Christopher & Banks announced the Oct. 6 grand opening of 37 stores that reflect the company’s updated retail strategy of bringing its plus-sized CJ Banks brand under the Christopher & Banks banner. The stores combine missy, petite and women's sizes in one shopping location.  

San Francisco - Williams-Sonoma will reopen a retail store and cooking school in Sonoma, California, on Oct. 4, in the same location where the company opened its first store opened almost six decades ago. The timing also coincides with the 99th birthday of Chuck Williams, the company’s founder, on Oct. 2.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Trademark Property Co., the Fort Worth-based retail and mixed-use development, investment, and third-party services firm, announced that Kara Rafferty has joined the firm as director of leasing. An 18-year industry veteran, Rafferty will focus on Trademark’s leasing efforts throughout Texas.

Dublin, Calif. - Ross Dress for Less will open two new stores in Hawaii on Oct. 10. The stores are located in Kukui Grove Center in Lihue, on the island of Kauai, and the Kahala Mall in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu.  

These new openings are part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year.

Maplewood, Minn. -- Mid-America Real Estate Corporation’s investment sales team recently brokered the sale of Birch Run Station in Maplewood, Minnesota. The 278,347-sq.-ft. center was purchased by Greenwood Village, Colorado-based GDA Real Estate for $27.35 million.

Birch Run Station is located at the northwest quadrant of Beam Avenue and Southlawn Drive adjacent to the Maplewood Mall. The center is anchored by Marshalls, Jo-Ann Stores, Burlington Coat Factory, Herberger’s, and Dollar Tree.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Trademark Property Co., a retail and mixed-use investor, developer and operator, has welcomed three national big box stores to Alliance Town Center. DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse), Men’s Wearhouse and Sleep Experts have all opened at the 1 million-sq.-ft. outdoor shopping center in Fort Worth, Texas.

DSW is leasing 15,000-sq.-ft. at the shopping center. The new Men’s Wearhouse location totals 5,500-sq.-ft. and the new Sleep Experts store measures 4,500-sq.-ft.