Development/Redevelopment

Walmart this week opened its first small format convenience store branded as Walmart To Go in its hometown of Bentonville.

Covington, La. And Chattanooga, Tenn. — Phase I of Fremaux Town Center in Slidell, La., opened on Friday, according to the property’s joint developers Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties.

Kohl’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Best Buy and T.J.Maxx anchor the 352,342-sq.-ft. center, which is more than 95% leased.

Bloomfield Hills, Mich. — Jimmy Johns has signed leases for three new restaurants in the Detroit metropolitan area, two in Livonia and one in Northville.

In Livonia, Jimmy Johns signed a 2,277-sq.-ft. lease on Middlebelt Road. Mid-America Real Estate-Michigan (www.midamericagrp.com) represented Jimmy Johns and the landlord, CVS, in the transaction.

Ridgefield, Conn. -- Schimenti Construction Company is in the midst of building its first project for Canadian fashion apparel retailer Aritzia. Located at The Westchester in White Plains, New York, the new Aritzia store is a 5,520-sq.-ft new build-out in a premier shopping location.

Aritzia’s stores are all designed individually, with no two looking the same, but each has a sophisticated lounge-like atmosphere that boasts high-quality natural materials and luxurious finishes.

Queens, N.Y. — A CVS Pharmacy and The Boulevard, a new family restaurant, have leased space in the Francis Lewis Boulevard Shopping Center in the Whitestone section of Queens, N.Y.

The CVS transaction is a lease renewal for an existing 13,500-sq.-ft. pharmacy. The Boulevard has taken 4,000 sq. ft. and plans to open by the end of March.

The Francis Lewis Boulevard tenant lineup also includes McDonalds, First Savings Bank, Kumon and Aphrodite Sweets.

New York -- Nordstrom is going to be a big success in Canada, according to Antony Karabus, president, Hilco Retail Consulting. (Nordstrom has plans for six stores in Canada, with the possibility of adding a few more over time.) “Every one of the six stores they (Nordstrom) picked in Canada is a home run in terms of the location. It’s the perfect time, perfect sector and the perfect time in the sector,” Karabus said during a recent presentation on “The State of the Canadian Retail Market.”

New York -- When building an urban store, be prepared for anything, and make friends with your local Economic Development Corp. early, advised retailers and a developer at the “Setting Up Shop Downtown” session at Chain Store Age’s 50th annual SPECS conference in Grapevine, Texas (March 9 -12, 2014). The session was particularly timely given that more and more retailers are targeting urban areas for growth — and the trend is likely to accelerate going forward.

New York -- Dollar General, Ross Stores and Dick’s Sporting Goods are bullish on expansion. For 2014, Dollar General has budgeted $450 million to $500 million for capital expenditures, and plans to open 700 new locations. This follows a record year of square footage expansion during which the extreme-value discounter opened 650 stores. Ross Stores also continues to expand in 2014. The off-price apparel and home fashions retailer is on track to open about 95 new locations in 2014, comprised of about 75 Ross Dress for Less and 20 dd's Discounts.

Seattle -- Amazon said it will open a 1-milllion-sq-.ft. distribution center in Kent, Wash., which will be its fourth in Washington state. IDS Real Estate Group and Clarion Partners are building the site as part of a joint venture. Amazon’s other Washington fulfillment centers are located in Sumner and Bellevue, and a DuPont site is near completion.