Development/Redevelopment

Cincinnati — Saks Fifth Avenue has signed a letter of intent to relocate its downtown Cincinnati store to The Kenwood Collection, which Phillips Edison & Co. is transforming from a regional destination to a super-regional destination that will draw shoppers from three states.

According to the letter of intent, Saks will lease 80,000 sq. ft. of retail space over two levels of a building that fronts I-71. Plans call for the store to open in the spring of 2016.

Chapel Hill, N.C. — Silverspot has signed a lease for a 52,500-sq.-ft. movie theater at University Mall in Orange County, N.C. Four new boutiques, a high end sporting goods store and a new fine dining option have also signed leases recently.

The new tenants are part of a redevelopment plan being carried out by owner Madison Marquette.

Silverspot at University Mall, a theater and casual dining concept, will be the fifth U.S. location for the company, a division of Cines Unidos, one of the largest theater companies in South America.

New York — Prada has renewed the lease for its New York City flagship store at 724 Fifth Avenue, according to SL Green Realty Corp. and Jeff Sutton, a partnership that owns the building.

The early lease renewal — the existing lease will not expire until 2017 — will keep one of the world’s iconic fashion and accessory houses at the prime Manhattan location through 2028. Prada occupies 15,540 sq. ft. on four levels, plus another 5,200 sq. ft. of office space on the fifth floor of the building.

Rue21 has opened store number 1000 in the Enid Crossing Shopping Center in Enid, Okla. The location is one of the company's new RueGuy format stores and features an expanded assortment of young men's apparel and accessories in addition to the girls' apparel, jewelry, footwear and beauty products.

LG Electronics has started construction on its new $300 million environmentally friendly North American headquarters project in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

More than 300 supporters, including elected officials from New Jersey as well as neighbors, local businesses, union leaders and LG employees, gathered at 111 Sylvan Ave. for the official start of demolition.

Dallas -- Corner Bakery Cafe announced the company has signed two new multi-unit franchise agreements to open new restaurants in Arizona and introduce its first restaurants in Wisconsin beginning in 2014.

The fast-casual brand's new franchise partners include Blue Mountain Cafes, which plans to open 13 restaurants in Phoenix over the next seven years and Neo Fourno Inc., which plans to open ten new restaurants in Madison and Milwaukee over the next five years

Conshohocken, Pa. -- Ikea announced solar energy is planned for its store under construction in Sweetwater, Fla., which is in the Miami-metro area. Pending permits, installation of solar panels on the store’s roof will begin in several months, with completion by grand opening in summer 2014. Ikea contracted with REC Solar for the development, design and installation of the 416,000-sq.-ft. store’s customized solar power system.

Covington, La. — Sam’s Club will join the tenant lineup at Stirling Bossier Shopping Center in Bossier City, La., according to an announcement by Stirling Properties. Construction of the new club store is underway. It is scheduled to open in the summer of 2014.

New York — Adding to existing locations in Manhattan and Miami Beach, Big Drop, the women’s clothing retailer, has leased a third New York City storefront at 253 Columbus Avenue in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The new store has 650 sq. ft. on the ground floor plus a 400-sq.-ft. storage basement.

Winick Realty Group represented Big Drop in the long-term lease transaction. Parkway East Properties LLL, the landlord negotiated on its own behalf.

Big Drop’s other Manhattan stores are in SoHo and the Upper East Side.

O’Connor Capital Partners, a privately owned, independent real estate investment, development and management firm, has named Glenn J. Rufrano as chairman and CEO.

Rufrano was a founding partner of the O’Connor Group, the firm’s original incarnation, and has served on the board since 2010. He has also acquired a full partnership stake in the firm.