Deals

Alpharetta, Ga. — McAlister’s Deli, a fast casual restaurant, has announced its largest franchise deal so far. The Saxton Group has signed an agreement to develop 30 new restaurants in three states over the next six years in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. The primary focus will be in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Kansas City markets.

Three locations included in the agreement have already opened in Midwest City, Okla., Dallas and Sherman, Texas.

McAlister’s has more than 320 restaurants in 23 states.

New York -- American Dream Meadowlands, the much-delayed shopping and entertainment complex adjacent to Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., is close to signing several major retail tenants, according to Crain’s New York.

The complex, originally called Xanadu, was started in 2004, and never completed. It has gone through several changes in ownerships, eventually falling into default. In July, it was acquired by Canadian developer Triple Five Group.

L3 Capital invests in what it calls prime urban retail, which includes a lot of street retail in the premier cities. "We own retail properties in several neighborhoods in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago," said Greg Schott managing piincipal.

At the end of last year, L3 made its first investment in its hometown of Chicago. The company bought four retail buildings along a flourishing four-block retail stretch of Southport Avenue in the Lakewood neighborhood. The cost was $13 million for 17,000 sq. ft.

Chicago -- Jones Lang LaSalle announced Monday it has acquired Means Knaus Partners, a Houston-based property management company as part of the firm's expansion in third-party property management.

The deal boosts Jones Lang LaSalle's portfolio of office space under management by 16 million sq. ft. of space with properties located primarily in Dallas, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Orlando, Fla., and Tampa, Fla.

Mount Vernon, Ill. — Hobby Lobby has signed a lease for 52,729 sq. ft. at Times Square Mall in Mount Vernon, Ill., and plans to open in the first quarter of next year, according to Pine Tree Commercial Realty LLC.

Pine Tree owns the 269,328-sq.-ft. center, anchored in partnership with The Sansone Group and Wanxiang America Real Estate Group.

Boston -- Pathlight Capital, part of Sycamore Partners, said it will serve as the administrative and co-collateral agent on a $28 million secured term loan facility to Montreal-based jewelry retailer Birks & Mayors.

The loan, which matures August 2018, amends an existing $18 million term loan; the Junior Capital Division of Wells Fargo Capital Finance will serve as the co-collateral agent on the facility.   

Beachwood, Ohio — DDR Corp. has announced that a joint venture formed with an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII L.P. has closed on the acquisition of a portfolio of seven prime shopping centers totaling 2.4 million sq. ft. The assets are located in supply constrained MSA’s including Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington D.C., Portland, Harrisburg, Pa., and Cincinnati.

New York — Luxury apparel retailer 3.1 Phillip Lim has leased a 5,800-sq.-ft. store at 48 Jones Street in New York City’s Bowery district. The space includes a 3,500-sq.-ft. ground floor and a lower level with 2,300 sq. ft. The store is expected to open in the first quarter of 2014. 3.1 Phillip Lim also has a store in SoHo on Mercer Street as well as a third U.S. location in Los Angeles.

In the transaction, RKF www.rkf.com represented the landlord, 48 Tenant’s Corp., and Town Real Estate represented 3.1 Phillip Lim.