Development/Redevelopment

City of Commerce, Calif. – 99 Cents Only Stores opens two new stores in California on Nov. 21. The stores will be located in the towns of Menifee and Corona.

The Menifee store will measure 18,000 sq. ft., while the Corona store will measure 19,400 sq. ft. 99 Cents Only Stores currently operates 335 extreme value retail stores consisting of 241 stores in California, 44 in Texas, 33 in Arizona, and 17 in Nevada.

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

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.  

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.

Issaquah, Wash. — Construction is nearing completion on Issaquah Highlands’ new shopping and entertainment district, Grand Ridge Plaza. The Regency Centers Corp. center, which broke ground in the summer of 2012, is in the midst of its busiest rollout stretch, which features the grand opening of a Safeway grocery store.

Sidney, Neb. -- Cabela’s Inc. announced today plans to open a store in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

The 50,000-sq.-ft. is scheduled to open in 2015, and will be located in a new development being developed by Cordova Realty. It will be Cabela’s first location in the greater Atlantic Canada area.