Events

Austin, Texas -- T. Stacy & Associates, who has been involved with some of Austin’s most iconic buildings, announced that it will reconfigure street-level space in its headquarters building at 823 Congress Avenue to a size and quality sufficient to attract a major retailer and that it has begun an aggressive search to find the “perfect tenant.”

New York City -- Darden Restaurants plans to roughly double the size of LongHorn Steakhouse during the next 10 years. 

Speaking at Barclay’s Retail & Restaurants Conference in New York City, Darden president and COO Drew Madsen said LongHorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden and Seasons 52 would help drive the company’s growth going forward. Darden want to expand LongHorn Steakhouse, which currently has some 345 locations, to 600 to 800 units over the next decade.

Seattle -- REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.), announced plans to open a new store in Greenville, S.C., this fall. It will be the company’s first location in Asheville, N.C.

The one-story, approximately 22,000-sq.-ft. store will include a bike shop for quick assemblies and repairs, and a seasonal gear rental department for customers looking to test new activities. It will also feature a community space for REI and its local partners to hold outdoor-related classes, presentations and events.

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores is making progress bringing items and shoppers back to its U.S. stores, president and CEO Mike Duke said Tuesday at the Barclays Capital analyst conference in New York City. 

Duke noted that improving the chain’s U.S. same-store sales remains its top priority. He said the chain is on its way to having the right assortment.

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, General Growth Properties teamed up with Broyhill to give shoppers an opportunity to enter a contest to win mom an entire Broyhill living set, valued at more than $4,000. To enter, customers can simply visit a participating mall’s Facebook page and in 150 words or less, tell why “mom” is the best! The grand prize is a seven-piece furniture set, featuring pieces from the Perspectives collection, including a sofa, two chairs, square coffee table and more.

New York City -- Chain Store Age will present a Webinar on Tuesday, April 26, at 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. Pacific) that will include results of its exclusive survey on how retailers are using business intelligence tools.

Elmsford, N.Y. -- Party City Holdings, parent company of Amscan Holdings, has filed an initial public offering of $350 million of common stock as it raises funds to pay down debt.

It intends to list under the symbol PRTY. Current stockholders are also likely to sell shares alongside Party City in the IPO.

Phoenix -- PetSmart celebrated Earth Day on Friday with the announcement that its distribution center in McCarran, Nev., has been awarded Silver Certification under the LEED (Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design) for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system.