Deals

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Stein Mart plans to open 10 new stores this year as part of the company's largest store expansion since 2007.

The expansions begin with new locations in the Miami, Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas areas set to open this spring. This year's new store openings will bring the company's total nationwide store count to more than 270.

The announcement of this expansion follows the company's fiscal 2013 same-store sales growth of 3.7%.

Longmont, Colo. — NewMark Merrill Mountain States has taken possession of the Dillard’s building at the former Twin Peaks Mall, a key step in the redevelopment of the center as the Village at the Peaks shopping center.

Demolition of the old Twin Peaks Mall is set to begin early in the summer of 2014, paving the way for the new shopping destination, Village at the Peaks, to open in 2015.

Austin, Texas — CBRE has announced three more Austin-area locations for local fast casual restaurant VERTS, bringing its store count to 10. In 2014, VERTS plans to open 13 new locations, including expansions into Dallas and Houston.

The newest locations are in North Austin. Locations in Round Rock and Cedar Park will open in the next two months.

Chicago — Two new Whole Foods Market grocery stores will be coming to Shops on Main and Hinsdale Lake Commons, according to Regency Centers, the owner of both centers.

Houston - Men's Wearhouse has increased its purchase offer for Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. to $63.50 per share, or about $1.78 billion, from $57.50 per share, or about $1.6 billion. The bid may increase to $65 a share, or about $1.82 billion, if Jos. A. Bank agrees to halt its planned acquisition of Eddie Bauer and lets Men’s Wearhouse conduct limited due diligence. On February 14, Jos. A. Bank agreed to buy Eddie Bauer for $825 million, but reserved the right to terminate the deal if a superior transaction emerged.

Denver — H&M has signed a lease for 20,000 sq. ft. at The Orchard Town Center, a 914,000-sq.-ft. open air regional retail center in Westminster, Colo., according to Vestar, the property’s owner. H&M plans to open the new store in the fall.

The addition of H&M comes less than two months after Vestar acquired the property for $123.5 million in an all cash transaction. Vestar plans to redevelop the project, rebranding the center with new amenities while brining in new retailers.

Paramus, N.J. — Vornado Realty Trust has announced an agreement to sell the 1.1 million-sq.-ft. Broadway Mall in Hicksville, Long Island, N.Y., for $94 million to an unknown buyer. The company purchased the mall in 2005 for $152.5 million.

In April 2012, the company announced its intention to reduce exposure to the enclosed mall business and to sell some of its other categories of retail shopping centers. This sale, Vornado’s last shopping center on Long Island, represents a continuation of that policy.