Development/Redevelopment

Shrewsbury, Mass. -- Charter Realty & Development said it has arranged six leases, totaling 33,191 sq. ft., in the White City Shopping Center located in Shrewsbury, Mass.

Planet Fitness will open a 19,079-sq.-ft. facility, Elements Massage will open a 3,520-sq.-ft. unit, which was co-brokered with Blake Commercial, and Two Ovens will open a 3,532-sq.-ft. restaurant, which was co-brokered with Gallivan & Co.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers has acquired Balboa Mesa Shopping Center, a 189,321-sq.-ft. infill shopping center anchored by a 42,247-sq.-ft. Vons grocery store.

Regency purchased the San Diego property for $59.5 million from Balboa Realty LLC.
 
Built in 1969, Balboa Mesa Shopping Center is also anchored by a 77,000-sq.-ft. Kohl’s and a 24,000-sq.-ft. CVS/pharmacy.

The folks at Echochamber.com, a London-based consultancy, have a knack for rooting out hot retail concepts around the globe. Here’s a recap of the retailers who make up their latest “Top 10 Unmissable New Stores” report:

Bentonville, Ark. -- Despite its interest in making a New York City debut in a new Brooklyn neighborhood shopping center, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Friday it was unable to agree to economic terms for a new store. Instead, developer Related Cos. struck a deal with ShopRite to open a new grocery store at the 630,000-sq.-ft. Gateway II shopping center planned for Brooklyn.

TORONTO — Nordstrom is partnering with Cadillac Fairview to open its first full-line stores in Canada beginning fall of 2014. The company will lease four stores at premier shopping centres located in Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.

Nordstrom will be moving into space that will be vacated by Sears and then renovated at Pacific Centre in Vancouver, Calgary's Chinook Centre, Rideau Centre in Ottawa, with a new-construction store opening in Toronto's Sherway Gardens.

Dallas -- Fast-casual bakery concept Corner Bakery Café said Thursday it has executed a deal with a franchise group to open the chain’s first restaurants in the Pacific Northwest beginning in 2013.

Northwest Bakery Cafe, a group of restaurant operators that owns 95 Jack in the Box locations, is slated to open 18 Corner Bakery franchised restaurants in and around Seattle over the next seven years.

Seattle -- It’s official: Nordstrom is expanding into Canada. The department store chain on Thursday announced that it will open its first full-line stores in Canada, starting in fall 2014. It named veteran Nordstrom executive Karen McKibbin, most recently VP president and regional manager of Northern California and Hawaii, as president of Nordstrom Canada.

Nordstrom said is partnering with commercial real estate company Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited to lease four stores at shopping centers in Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- Ace Hardware Corp. has reported substantial growth and expansion in priority markets across the country.

“Our aggressive, long-term growth strategy features a total package of resources and support to ensure a successful future for our retailers,” said Mike Berschauer, director, retail development for Ace Hardware. “After a prosperous second quarter focused on store activations and conversions, Ace is on-track to achieve its goal of opening 170 new domestic stores in 2012.”