Development/Redevelopment

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Meijer will open its first supercenter in the city of Detroit, at the Gateway Marketplace shopping center, on July 25. The 190,000-sq.-ft. store will include fresh produce and a full-service, drive-thru pharmacy walk-in health screenings, immunizations and specially trained diabetes-care pharmacists.

Indianapolis — Kite Realty Group has leased a 31,541-sq.-ft. location in El Paso’s Sunland Towne Center.

Kite Realty and RJL Realty Advisors represented the landlord, KRG Sunland. Venture Commercial represented Sprout’s.

Pittsburgh — GNC Holdings has announced that it is expanding its retail presence in China with the opening of its first stand-alone store in Shanghai. GNC plans to open an additional 25 locations in China over the next 12 months.

The company currently operates more than 60 store-within-a-store locations in eight grocery, convenience and health and wellness chains in China.

Parma, Ohio — Phillips Edison & Company has broken ground on The Shoppes at Parma — formerly Parmatown Mall. Phase I will focus on infrastructure. Work will include new lighting, new sidewalks and the restoration of the parking lots. In addition, the contractor will prepare out-parcels for development. Phase I will wrap up this fall.

Erie, Pa. — Zoom Tan has leased a 1,559-sq.-ft. space for a tanning parlor at Liberty Center II in Erie, Pa., according to Levin Management. Flaum Management Co. Inc. represented the tenant in the transaction.

The 7,443-sq.-ft. Liberty Center II is directly across the street from the 227,000-sq.-ft. Liberty Center, which is anchored by Top’s Markets and Peebles department store.

Chattanooga, Tenn. — CBL & Associates Properties has announced that Dunham’s Sports has leased a 60,200-sq.-ft. space in Randolph Mall in Asheboro. N.C. Scheduled to open for the 2013 holiday shopping season, the new Dunham’s will replace Dillard’s, which closed in late July.

Belk, J.C. Penney, Sears and Cinemark theatre anchor the 380,000-sq.-ft. regional Randolph Mall.

New York -- A buyout of Saks could further downgrade the retailer’s already low credit rating. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, credit rating provider S&P has placed Saks’ already non-investment-grade rating on watch for potential downgrade because any buyout would likely be leveraged with a large amount of debt. S&P currently gives Saks a credit rating of BB, the second-highest “junk bond” rating, which affects Saks’ loan interest rates.

Chicago — OfficeMax has leased a 4,942-sq.-ft. space at the Shops of Sherman Plaza in Evanston, Ill. The CBRE Group represented the landlord, Inland American Retail Management, in the transaction.

OfficeMax will join other Sherman Plaza brands including The North Face, Ann Taylor Loft, Barnes & Noble Booksellers and LA Fitness.