Development/Redevelopment

West Elm is adding to its growing retail footprint.   The home furnishings and decor brand, a division of Williams-Sonoma, will open its first location in Phoenix, in the revitalized Uptown Plaza shopping center, on June 29. The 11,000-sq.-ft. store will include a curated assortment of local products highlighting 10 Arizona-based makers and designers.   

A J.C. Penney store is going to be displaced by a fancy fitness club.   Simon announced that the J.C. Penney store at Southdale Center, in Edina, Minn., will close and be replaced by a Life Time fitness center, or ‘athletic resort.’ Expected to open in early 2019, the three-level facility will be operated by Life Time, which currently runs 123 centers in the United States. The centers are designed as one-stop fitness shops offering tennis, swimming, basketball, and yoga along with weight loss and nutrition education.

German discount grocery retailer Lidl made its hotly-awaited debut in the United States on Thursday, opening the first nine of 20 locations it plan to open over the summer.  The chain expects to have 100 stores up and running within a year.   

TreeHouse practices what it preaches.    The retailer, which specializes in supplies and services that promote healthy and sustainable spaces, has expanded beyond its Austin home base, opening in Dallas. Its new 35,000-sq.-ft. outpost is billed as the nation's first energy-positive (meaning it will generate more energy than it uses) big-box store.   

Scads of national retail chains are seeing their concepts fade out, but regional malls are still firmly in the picture.   That’s the diagnosis put forth in a report titled “Why Mall Reuse is Just Beginning,” from the entrepreneur-driven real estate firm Transwestern. Some key data points include: *Regional malls have had positive net absorption since 2010, with the only blip in absorption occurring in 2009, at the height of the recession.

At Home, the fast-growing home decor and accessories retailer, continues to grow its store presence.   The retailer has opened its first Massachusetts location, in Seekonk. It's one of 25 stores the chain will open this year.    

The J.C. Penney store in Edina, Minnesota, with little movement in the aisles is about to see a lot more action.    Simon has announced that the 120,000-sq.-ft. space at its Southdale Center will close and be replaced by a Life Time ‘athletic resort.’ The company runs 123 centers in the U.S. promoting healthy eating and exercise regimens. Centers are one-stop fitness shops offering tennis, swimming, basketball, and yoga along with weight loss and nutrition education.  

A recent job listing by Amazon has raised speculation that the online giant plans to roll out its checkout-free convenience store concept, Amazon Go.    The online giant recently posted a job listing seeking a senior real estate manager for Amazon Go. The role will be based in Seattle and will include travel.