Corporate Governance

New York City -- Planet Fitness said Wednesday that it will open a Manhattan flagship location in Chelsea, at 158 West 27th Street, and is slated to open in early 2012.

The 20,000-sq.-ft. center will be housed at Himmel + Meringoff Properties’ 12-story, 117,000-sq.-ft. office building which has recently undergone a multi-million-dollar renovation.

Planet Fitness currently operates its only New York City fitness center in Harlem on 125th Street.

 

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma and Barclaycard announced Thursday a new co-branded Visa credit card and loyalty program, allowing cardholders to earn points redeemable for culinary-themed awards and enjoy a wide range of perks.

 

Plymouth Meeting, Pa. -- Fameco Real Estate, L.P. said that its property management division, Fameco Management Services, has been awarded two new assignments from Titanium Real Estate Advisors totaling 88,000 sq. ft.

Designers Court is a 78,000-sq.-ft. shopping center located in Marlton, N.J., anchored by Atlas Interior Home Fashions, Kroungold’s Furniture, Mixellaneous, ABC Discount Appliances and Toppers Salon and Health Spa.

Fairhope, Ala. -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers said it has leased retail space in Fairhope, Ala., to two new tenants.

Fairhope Cosmetic Dentistry leased 2,000 sq. ft. of medical office space and opened in August. Additionally, Roy Rose Jewelry has leased 2,000 sq. ft. of retail space and is slated to open in the middle of September.

The 84,740-sq.-ft. shopping center is anchored by Publix Super Market alongside national retailers such as Merle Norman and Iberia Bank.
 

Houston -- Baker Katz, an X Team International partner and full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm, announced that it has completed a lease for the first Gold’s Gym Express in Victoria, Texas.

Located in the Northcross Shopping Center, Gold’s Gym Express is occupying 18,710 sq. ft. of the former H-E-B Grocery space, and joins Ashley’s Furniture HomeStore, Jason’s Deli, Dollar Tree and GameStop.

Rockville, Md. -- Federal Realty Investment Trust announced that Ellwood Thompson’s has finalized a lease to open a local, organic market at Rockville Town Square in Rockville, Md.

The new grocer will operate under the name Dawson’s Market and the store is slated to open spring 2012.

Dawson’s Market at Rockville Town Square will house approximately 15,000 sq. ft. of local and organic produce, meats, cheeses, prepared foods and baked goods.
 

Fort Worth, Texas -- Pier 1 Imports reported Thursday that second-quarter profit rose to $16.6 million, from $14.4 million a year earlier, matching Wall Street expectations.

Sales for the quarter increased 9.6% to $339.6 million, compared with $309.9 million in the year-ago quarter. Same-store sales increased 10.8%, boosted by higher traffic and average-ticket numbers.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Safeway and Wegman’s Food Markets ranked highest across all customer service elements, according to a survey by Empathica.

Empathica, a customer experience management solution-provider, polled more than 16,000 consumers, and found that operations and merchandise were the two most important elements in grocery shopping versus other elements such as promotions, people and technology.

Orange, Calif. -- Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group said that its Block at Orange shopping center will officially be rebranded as The Outlets at Orange.

The new name will signify its distinction as the only outlet and value retail destination in Orange County, Calif. Among the new retail names at the center will be Nordstrom Rack and Esprit.

Hong Kong -- On the heels of a 98% drop in its yearly earnings, Esprit Holdings said it is divesting its North American businesses and exiting three major European markets.

The company said it is actively looking for a partner willing to acquire its North American operations, which include 93 stores in the United States.