Development/Redevelopment

Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo is going all out for denim in Los Angeles.   The company, part of Fast Retailing Group, will open a special store dedicated to denim in the Arts District of Los Angeles this fall/winter. The new "denim concept" shop will be Uniqlo's 47th location in the U.S., and ninth in the L.A. region following the opening at Westfield Santa Anita mall earlier in September.  

Microsoft will open its third flagship location, which will also be the company's first retail store in London.    The company announced plans to open a flagship on Regent Street at Oxford Circus. The location, which in the heart of the city's retail district, is just down the road from an Apple flagship.   

Rue21 is looking towards the future.    The retailer announced Friday that it has completed its financial restructuring and has emerged from bankruptcy. The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2017, listing $307 million in pre-petition assets. It filed a month after it said it would close 400 stores.   "We are pleased to be moving forward with rue21's next chapter of growth as a highly performing and distinctive retailer," said Melanie Cox, CEO of rue21.

Chick-fil-A is going big in the Big Apple with a location that will also include some atypical features for the chain.    The company will open its third restaurant in Manhattan, on Fulton Street in the Financial District, in 2018. At more than 12,000 sq. ft., it will be the chain's largest location to date, with five levels, complete with a rooftop terrace for dining. It will feature design elements that have never been featured at a Chick-fil-A restaurant before.  

Ikea is looking to expand its presence in Arizona.    The home furnishings retailer plans to open a store in Glendale, Arizona. It would be the company's second location in the state.  

Design Within Reach has unveiled its new location at NorthPark Center in Dallas.    At nearly 13,500 sq. ft., the space is three times the size of the previous temporary space the company occupied at the center. The retailer partnered with New York-based architecture firm DFA to bring the new store to life.  

The continued popularity and development of town centers and lifestyle centers have made it clear that retailers can no longer go it alone. They must co-exist in a symbiotic live-work-play environment, and that means they must also co-exist with the different demands and cost structures of residential and office spaces.  

Amazon is about to put down some new roots in New York City — and is hunting for new employees to support the operation.