Tenant Update

Location: Ashburn, Va. 

Size: Approximately 100,000 sq. ft.    

Developer: Regency Centers 

Major tenants: Whole Foods Market will anchor the project. Regency is currently negotiating with prospective specialty retail, restaurant and health and wellness tenants.

Status: Proposed start is spring 2014, with completion planned for fall 2014.    

Optimizing retail store portfolios and optimizing shopping center portfolios seem like two different things. In fact, the two tasks have similarities.

“To retailers, optimization is getting store deployment across the marketplace right,” explained Mike Makinen, COO with MPI, Mall Properties Inc., New York City. “We have a similar strategy. We have a mix of retailers within our shopping center portfolio, and we try to optimize the assortment of retailers, restaurants and service tenants within each center.”

Location: 8801 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, N.Y.

Size: 445,000 sq. ft.

Developer: Forest City Ratner Cos.

Major tenants: Target, Best Buy, Macy’s Furniture, DSW, Skechers, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster

Status: Opened in 2001

Location: 101 S. Route 73, Marlton, N.J.

Size: 333,255 sq. ft.

Developer: Brixmor Property Group

Major tenants: T.J. Maxx, DSW, HomeGoods, Michaels, Burlington Coat Factory, Five Below 

Status: Completed

Purchase, N.Y. — Old Navy has taken a 13,500-sq.-ft. space in Orange Plaza, an 815,000-sq.-ft. power center in Middletown, N.Y., according to National Realty & Development Corp.

A Wal-Mart Supercenter, Kohl’s Department Store, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, Bed Bath & Beyond and The Home Depot anchor the center. Orange Plaza draws shoppers from a 25-mile circle including the Hudson Valley and areas in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Highland Park, Ill. — Executives with Renaissance Place are working with officials from the City of Highland Park, Ill., to identify the best use for a 49,000-sq.-ft. building that Saks vacated at the close of 2012.

One possible use is healthcare, which may involve interventional cardiology, MRI/radiology and other outpatient services. The Renaissance Place team is also considering national, regional and local retailers.

Deerfield, Ill. — Fresh Thyme Farmers Market and Studio A Salon have taken space at Cadwell’s Corners in Deerfield, Ill., a northern suburb of Chicago. Mid-America Asset Management Inc. represented the shopping center in the transaction.

Virginia Beach, Va. — Dollar General, Lily’s As Seen on TV, Sunrise Pizzeria and General Nutrition Corporation have all signed leases for retail space in Virginia, according to Divaris Real Estate, which represented the shopping centers in the transactions.

Dollar General renewed its lease for 6,720 sq. ft. in the Divaris-leased and –managed Glenwood Shoppes in Norfolk.