Corporate Governance

Charlotte, N.C. -- The Cato Corporation reported that net income rose 6% to $15.7 million for the second quarter ended Aug. 2, from $14.8 million last year.

Sales increased 6% to $243.8 million, from $229.4 million last year. Same-store sales increased 3%.

"Second quarter same-store sales were in line with our year-to-date trend," said John Cato, CEO. "However, we continue to expect the second half earnings per diluted share will be within our original guidance range.”

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Stein Mart Inc. reported net income of $1.7 million for the second quarter, reduced from $3.4 million last year on higher healthcare costs.

Total sales increased 2.5% to $298.2 million, while same-store sales increased 1.3%, the retailer’s ninth consecutive quarter of comparable store sales gains.

Seattle -- Seattle-based architecture and design firm Callison said it will be acquired by Arcadis, a global design consultancy firm based in the Netherlands.

The transaction is slated to be completed in the third quarter of 2014. Arcadis also owns architectural design firm RTKL, built asset consultancy firm EC Harris, and Asian construction program planning and value management consultancy Langdon & Seah.

Philadelphia -- Extreme-value retailer Five Below will open its first Brooklyn location on Aug. 29, at the Gateway Center.

The 7,500-sq.-ft. store location will feature the company's signature format, with all merchandise priced at $5 and below and grouped into one of eight store departments: Style, Room, Sports, Tech, Crafts, Party, Candy and Now.

Five Below plans to open additional stores in Brooklyn in the next few years.

Seattle -- Outdoor gear and apparel retailer REI has promoted Eric Artz, CFO, the additional role COO), and Susan Viscon, VP merchandising, to senior VP merchandising.

Cincinnati -- Phillips Edison/ARC Grovery Center REIT II, announced the acquisition of two grocery-anchored shopping centers, Lake Washington Crossing and MetroWest Village. These acquisitions expand the company's portfolio to include the state of Florida.

Lake Washington Crossing is a Publix grocery store-anchored shopping center located in Melbourne, Florida, approximately 35 miles east of Orlando. Other national and regional tenants featured at the 118,698 sq.-ft. shopping center include Sally Beauty, Pizza Hut, KFC and H&R Block.

By Michael Hirschfeld, senior VP of JLL’s National Retail Tenant Services

Orlando, Fla. -- JLL’s Capital Markets experts announced the firm has closed the sale of Lake Washington Crossing on behalf of WSRI-SRP Lake Washington, LLC.

Baltimore-based Philips Edison Group, LLC, purchased the 118,698-sq.-ft. grocery-anchored shopping center, located near Florida’s ocean coast, in the town of Melbourne.

Managing Directors Kris Cooper, Margaret Caldwell and Carson Good led the JLL team on the transaction.

St. Petersburg, Fla. -- The Sembler Company will introduce the newest additions to its portfolio as the company participates in the International Council of Shopping Centers’ Florida conference Aug. 24-26 in Kissimmee.

As part of a strategic shift back to traditional grocery-anchored shopping centers, Sembler recently inked deals on two Florida centers: North Port Center, Heron Creek, a grocery-anchored neighborhood center in North Port, Sarasota County, Florida; and The Shoppes at Trinity Lakes in Pasco County, Florida.

Tampa, Fla. -- RMC Property Group announced that Nicholas Roth has joined the company as VP leasing.  

Roth joins RMC from Sandor in Indianapolis, where he was its U.S director of leasing. Roth also worked previously in landlord representation as director of leasing/Florida with Edens & Avant and as senior VP leasing/Florida with Equity One.