Deals

Scottsdale, Ariz. -- GE Capital’s Franchise Finance business announced its first financing for the Corner Bakery Café brand. It  comes in the form of a $5.6 million loan to Texas-based MX Restaurants and Bakeries, which already operates seven Corner Bakery restaurants in the Houston and South Texas markets. MX will use these funds to pay off short-term debt related to a recent acquisition and to develop four additional units.  

Oak Brook, Ill. -- Retail Properties of America, Inc. announced that it was assigned a BBB-corporate credit rating from Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services with a stable outlook.    S&P indicated in its announcement that the rating reflects RPAI’s measured investment and operating strategy, and strengthening portfolio fundamentals.   

Dallas -- SRS Real Estate Partners announced that two of its brokers have been recognized by their client, Carter’s, for bringing the two most profitable locations nationwide based on a sales-to-rent ratio.

 

Dawn Greiner, senior VP, and Carey Moen, first VP, both in the SRS Dallas/Ft. Worth office, helped Carter’s sign leases at the two locations. Greiner is the master broker for Carter’s and Moen is a part of the team of brokers that represent the retailer nationwide.

New York -- Cohen Commercial Properties has completed an $8.65 million refinancing of Buttermilk Crossing, located in Crescent Springs, Ky. The 94%-occupied, 78,012-sq.-ft. shopping center is located immediately off of Interstate 71/75. Tenants include Staples, Outback Steakhouse, Petco and The UPS Store.   

Matthews, N.C. -- Family Dollar Stores Inc. has set Oct. 30., 2014 as the date for stockholders to vote on a proposed merger agreement with Dollar Tree Inc. Family Dollar has not yet set the time or location of the vote.  

Houston –- Mattress Firm Holding Corp. has completed its $245 million acquisition of West Coast bedding specialty retailer The Sleep Train Inc. Sleep Train operates approximately 310 specialty mattress retail stores located in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Hawaii, and reported net sales of approximately $471 million for the 2013 fiscal year.  

Bethesda, Md. -- Washington Property Company (WPC) is bringing the True Food Kitchen restaurant to its latest upscale apartment development, Solaire Bethesda. Upon opening in 2016, Solaire Bethesda’s street-level retail space will be occupied by True Food Kitchen.  

New York -- Newmark Grubb Knight Frank’s retail team has been retained by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority to lead the leasing of Grand Central Terminal.   

Beachwood, Ohio --DDR Corp. and an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII announced that a joint venture formed by the pair has closed on the acquisition of 71 shopping centers previously owned by American Realty Capital Properties for $1.93 billion.