Development/Redevelopment

The Von Maur department store chain was founded 140 years ago and less than a month from now the company will open its 27th store in Coralville, Iowa.
 
The 80,000-sq.-ft. freestanding store will be located at the Iowa River Landing retail development and feature the company’s signature exterior entrance and resident ambience.

Williamsville, N.Y. -- Tops Friendly Markets has officially unveiled 12 former Grand Union stores in eastern and northern New York under the Tops banner at grand re-opening ceremonies.

The new Tops branded stores include stores in Saratoga, Warrensburg, Warren, Franklin, Essex, Clinton and Fulton counties.

By Chuck Hundley, [email protected]

Atlanta -- Developer OliverMcMillan has secured a $167 million syndicated construction loan, led by PNC Capital Markets, LLC, to finance construction of Buckhead Atlanta, the mixed-use retail, residential and office development located in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood.

The loan will cover the full construction of the six-block, 8-acre complex. Five lenders are involved, including PNC Bank, N.A., CIT Finance LLC, Compass Bank, Regions Bank and SunTrust Banks.

Chicago -- The Macy’s store in the recently renovated Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville, Ohio, has begun its first full-store renovation since opening in 1979. The single-level 100,000 sq. ft. store will receive new flooring, wall treatments, paint and additional accent lighting. In addition, the renovation will reconfigure the aisles to improve flow and sight lines. Macy’s will remain open throughout the renovation, which will finish up in time for the holiday season.

New York -- Teen apparel retailer Aeropostale will enter Mexico through a licensing agreement with Distribuidora Liverpool, S.A. de C.V. ("Liverpool").

The agreement includes the opening of branded Aeropostale shop-in-shops in Liverpool department stores across Mexico beginning this summer, in addition to rolling out freestanding stores. The first standalone is scheduled to open this summer, in Mexico City’s Sante Fe Mall.

Miami -- Three new retailers opened at The Palms at Town and Country in Miami during May. They include a 23,070l-sq.-ft. Total Wine & More, a 2,518-sq.-ft. Voodoo BBQ & Grill, a New Orleans-style barbecue restaurant, and a 2,119-sq.-ft. Crazy 8, a kids’ line retailer from Gymboree Corp.

Under construction now and opening in November is a 47,982-sq.-ft. DICK’s Sporting Goods.

Tampa, Fla. -- Madison Marquette Retail Services has announced the opening of five new retailers with five more to come this year at its Hyde Park Village shopping center in Tampa, Fla.

The five open retailers include a 1,430-sq.-ft. Francesca’s Collections and four local and regional names: Betty with 1,000 sq. ft., a 939-sq.-ft. Don Me Now Styling & Clothing Lounge, FITniche with 2,251 sq. ft. and Piquant, a French restaurant and bakery, which took 5,397 sq. ft.

The mantra of “move, nourish, believe” occupies a prominent spot on the blue walls of Lorna Jane, Santa Monica, Calif. With its bright colors, fashionable accents, and welcoming atmosphere, the store has an upbeat, sporty-girl vibe that is very much in keeping with the Australian active wear brand’s positioning. Motivational expressions can be found throughout the space.

Secaucus, N.J. – The Children’s Place is partnering with Israeli fashion chain Fox-Wizel Ltd. to open stores in Israel, starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. The two companies inked a 10-year franchise agreement.