REAL ESTATE

San Diego -- As part of a restructuring, Sony Electronics announced plans to close 20 U.S. Sony stores, along with a total staff reduction of one-third by the end of the calendar year.

Columbus, Ohio – DSW Shoe is opening a new store in West Hartford, Conn., on Thursday, Feb. 27. Customers will have access to the DSW Rewards loyalty program in which they can earn certificates toward future DSW purchases and receive special member-only offers.

Customers can also participate in a Shoe Lover community on Facebook to receive exclusive offers and giveaways, including chances to win free shoes on Facebook each Tuesday.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Stores’ said its Ross Dress for Less  will open three new locations in Texas on March 8, for a total of over 160 stores in the chain’s second largest state. The new Texas stores will be located in the Katy Mills shopping center in Katy, Rayzor Ranch Marketplace in Denton, and The Pavillions in El Paso.  

Ross is also expanding its dd’s Discounts brand, opening two new locations in Northern California on March 1. The new stores are in White Road Plaza in San Jose and Hatch Road Center in Ceres.

San Diego — The Mansour Group has arranged the sale of a portfolio of 10 Walgreens properties located in secondary and tertiary markets throughout the Mid-south  in Arkansas Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Camden, N.J.

Mansour had the exclusive listing to market the properties on behalf of the seller, a private partnership. After generating more than three dozen offers, the portfolio sold to a private California 1031 exchange buyer who completed the sale of a multi-family property in San Francisco.

Houston — Torchy’s Tacos has leased a 3,886-sq.-ft. restaurant at LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch in the Houston suburb of Katy, according to Vista Equities Group, the owner of the center. Baker Katz represented Torchy’s in the transaction.

Chicago -- The U.S. restaurant count increased by less than 1% from a year ago, reaching a total of 633,043 units, according to a recent restaurant census conducted by The NPD Group. Restaurant units increased by 4,179, or 0.7% over last year, based on NPD’s Fall 2013 ReCount, which is a count of commercial restaurant locations in the United States compiled in the spring and fall each year.
 

Dallas — SRS Real Estate Partners has hired Michael Straus as an associate in the Chicago office. Straus will focus on tenant and landlord representation as well as new business development.

He brings more than 15 years of managerial and sales experience to SRS. Prior to signing on with SRS, he worked for Student Transportation of America where he oversaw all aspects of operations and managed more than 1,100 employees across the Midwest. He managed sales and contract negotiations, lease renewals, development and acquisitions.