Development/Redevelopment

It makes no sense for Amazon.com to open the type of physical bookstores it helped obliterate, not when the online giant already has the physical infrastructure in place to support a large scale rollout of another type of store in one of retail’s hottest sectors.

Houston -- Baker Katz, an X Team International partner and full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm specializing in retail tenant representation, investment sales, and project development and leasing, announced that it has purchased 30,000 sq. ft. of land in Houston and completed a 7,000-sq.-ft. lease on behalf of Advance Auto Parts. Construction will slated to begin this month with an opening in May 2016.

Los Angeles -- Westfield invested $78.3 million into LAX terminal 2 in Los Angeles, transforming nearly 76,000 sq. ft., including more than 15,000 sq. ft. of new dining and retail at Los Angeles International Airport. According to Westfield, the upgrade brings together a vibrant design, local restaurants and signature retail, creating a more holistic customer journey.

Newk’s Eatery is on track with its plans to double in size in the next three years.

The Jackson, Mississippi-based fast-casual chain entered six new markets and increased its store count by 27% in 2015, opening 20 new locations. It currently operates 96 eateries in 13 states.

Columbus, Ohio -- WP Glimcher has completed the sale of Forest Mall in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin and Northlake Mall in Atlanta. The two non-core assets were sold to private real estate investors for $30 million.

Specialty outdoor retailer REI is on the move.

The company has two new stores in the works, one in Rochester, New York, and the other in Winter Park, Florida.

Expected to open in fall 2016, REI Rochester will be located at CityGate, which is in the heart of the city's university and hospital district. With the Finger Lakes and several ski resorts nearby, the 27,000-sq.-ft. store will carry gear and apparel for snow and water sports.

Springfield may be home to the “The Simpsons.” But it won’t be home to the first-ever retail store dedicated to the long-running (27 years) television cartoon series.

20th Century Fox has announced that the world's first Simpsons store will open in Beijing, China, in March, followed by a second location, in Shanghai, by June.

Publix Super Markets has signed two leases for its first stores in Virginia.

The first Publix locations in that state will be in Bristol and in the greater Richmond area of Glen Allen. The Bristol store, at 54,000 square feet, will be located at the northeast corner of Lee Highway & Clear Creek Road in Washington County. In the greater Richmond area, the Glen Allen store, at 49,000 square feet, will be located at the northeast corner of Nuckols Road & Twin Hickory Road in Henrico County.