Development/Redevelopment

A modular cabinet and hardware system has given upscale men’s clothing retailer Hammer Made an important degree of flexibility at Ridgedale Shopping Mall location in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

Inventory at the upscale men’s clothing shop fluctuates often. Consequently, it was critical that the display cabinets create the impression that the shelves were always stocked, regardless of the actual inventory level at hand.

Deals in “Mind” Games

Brain fitness might seem an unusual specialty for a retailer, but it’s proved a sweet spot for Marbles: The Brain Store.

Founded by Lindsay Gaskins and Scott Brown, the Chicago-based retailer sells games and other items designed to stimulate the brain. It made its debut in 2008, with a kiosk in a local mall. People were intrigued, but they wanted a more engaging shopping experience, said marketing director Hallie Steube.

The federal government has extended the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for solar energy investments through 2019. It provides businesses that install solar panels a tax credit equal to 30% of the total solar installation price. The credit will ramp down to 26% in 2020, 22% in 2021 and to 10% in 2022 for commercial solar installations.

Kansas City -- Taubman Centers and The Macerich Company announced a joint venture for Country Club Plaza location in Kansas City, Missouri from Highwoods Properties. The mixed-use retail and office property was purchased for $660 million cash, excluding transaction costs. Taubman and Macerich each own a 50% interest in the center.

Sam Dushey took the reins of his family-owned business, discount department-store chain Shoppers World, when he was just 27. The company was founded by his grandfather, an immigrant from Syria, in the 1930s, and then expanded upon by Dushey’s father, uncle and cousin.

Need to fill empty space? Walk-in medical clinics hold a lot of tenant promise, as regional companies such as New York’s City Practice Group and national chains such as Humana’s Concentra increasingly find homes in spaces vacated by shuttered retailers in strip malls and shopping centers.

Hospitals are also getting in the game. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, for example, is building clinics in retail settings throughout the Nashville metro area.

There may be debate among presidential candidates about whether experience is a positive or negative attribute, but for open-air centers, experience is a must. With the ease of online shopping, today’s consumers need a reason beyond the chance to visit their favorite stores to make a trip to their local center.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Trademark Property Co. announced that it is under contract to purchase 3.5 acres of land adjacent to its 278,000-sq.-ft. WestBend mixed-use development in Fort Worth, Texas. The parcel is located on University Drive immediately south of WestBend, along the Trinity River.