Development/Redevelopment

El Segundo, Calif. -- A Thursday report by Supermarket News said that Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has eliminated as many as 40 positions at its corporate offices.

While the number of layoffs has not been confirmed, sources say it nears 40 jobs, mostly in real estate and store-opening support.
 

Toronto -- Canadian retailer Hudson's Bay Co. said Thursday it will shutter most of the remaining 64 Zellers stores that aren’t being converted to Target locations.

The Zellers parent sold the majority of the leases to Target Corp. last year. Many of the remaining 64 stores are expected to close by March 2013. Those that aren’t closed could potentially open under another retail banner, said Hudson’s Bay.
 

Walmart is used to encountering opposition to its new stores, just not in its own backyard.

However, that is what’s been happening in the sprawling master planned community of Bella Vista, Ark., where residents, some of them anyway, are up in arms over a planned Walmart Neighborhood Market. They say the location of the proposed stores is a poor choice and the 24-hour store with four gas pumps will bring additional traffic to an already busy road.

New Orleans -- New Orleans has rolled out the red carpet in order to assure the first Costco location in the state.

The city council on Thursday unanimously approved nearly $6 million in financial incentives for a planned Costco in the New Orleans suburb of Carrollton.  
 
The $45 million, 148,000-sq.-ft. Costco marks the warehouse club operator’s state debut, to reportedly be followed by a second in the capital city of Baton Rouge.

The New Orleans store is slated to open late summer 2013.
 

River Forest, Ill. -- Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based Mid-America Asset Management said that DSW has signed a lease for 28,000 sq. ft. at River Forest Town Center in Chicago’s west suburbs.

The shoe retailer is taking space vacated by Linens ‘n Things and plans to open in fall 2012 as a new anchor joining The Children’s Place, The Loft, Chico’s, Whole Foods, Panera Bread, Petco and Walgreens.   
 

Los Angeles -- CBRE Group said it has named Cal Frese as CEO of the company’s Americas business. In this role, Frese has responsibility for leading CBRE’s largest business segment, with more than $3 billion of annual revenue and more than 20,000 employees.

Ewing, N.J. -- North Plainfield, N.J.-based Levin Management Corp. said that Planet Fitness has opened a 17,380-sq.-ft. facility at Capitol Plaza, located in Ewing, N.J.

The 357,000-sq. ft. center is leased and managed by Levin Management.
 

St. Louis -- Build-A-Bear Workshop reported Thursday a loss of $8.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, compared with a $10.7 million loss in the year-ago period.

Retail sales dipped 1.8% and same-store sales declined 1.7%.

Chief executive bear Maxine Clark said she is focused on the future. “In just over a month, we will open our first newly imagined store design in St. Louis with five additional stores opening in major U.S. markets in the following weeks.”