Tenant Update

Charlotte, N.C. -- Lincoln Harris, which handles the leasing and management for luxury retail center Phillips Place, said that Brooks Bros. has moved from its current location in SouthPark Mall, in Charlotte, N.C., and opened a new store in Phillips Place.

The new 8,800-sq.-ft. store is located in the courtyard area of Phillips Place in space previously occupied by Modern Salon.

By Sandra Gold Slon

Who needs an exit strategy? In this economy, most of us are aware of tenants facing difficulties in meeting their lease obligations. If we weren’t thinking about it front and center, it was brought front and center when Borders declared bankruptcy, closing hundreds of stores.

Beaumont, Texas -- Conn's said Thursday that it lost $3.4 million in its fiscal fourth quarter, reflecting charges tied to planned store closings and other items.

Conn's, which sells consumer electronics, home appliances, furniture, mattresses and lawn and garden products, operates 76 stores in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. It plans to close five underperforming stores and let the leases expire for two additional locations.

Columbia, S.C. -- Edens & Avant announced it has appointed Peter Melmed as VP construction and development. 

Melmed will be based in Bethesda, Md., and will oversee the construction of large-scale development and redevelopments throughout the Edens & Avant portfolio.

Prior to joining Edens & Avant, Melmed was a real estate consultant at PJM Realty.

Washington, D.C. -- Combined Properties announced that Jessica Berets has joined the company as Assistant General Counsel. 

Berets will be responsible for drafting, negotiating and consummating a variety of legal documents, including lease agreements with tenants in the commercial retail real estate portfolio managed by Combined Properties, and providing advice and counsel to the company's leasing, construction and property management departments.
 

Bethesda, Md. -- Retail real estate alliance X Team International said it has named a new partner, Bethesda, Md.-based Streetsense.

Beyond traditional landlord and tenant representation, Streetsense offers architecture, interior design, branding, marketing and merchandising strategies to entrepreneurs, retailers, developers and public sector entities. 

New York City -- Robert K. Futterman & Associates said it has brought Gastón Acurio's Peruvian restaurant concept La Mar to New York City's Madison Square Park, as Acurio’s company has taken over the former Tabla space at 11 Madison Ave.

RKF recently arranged the retail lease assignment, including approximately 9,000 sq. ft. on two floors, in the Credit Suisse Building on the southeast corner of 25th Street.

The restaurant is slated to open in the fall.

Chevy Chase, Md. -- JBG Rosenfeld Retail said it recently inked a long-term lease on behalf of kitchen and bath tile manufacturer and distributor Porcelanosa for a 12,500-sq.-ft. storefront formerly occupied by Anthropologie.

The building, located at 11500 Rockville Pike, sits next to JBGR’s new North Bethesda Market development.

Porcelanosa currently occupies an 8,000-sq.-ft. showroom in the 700 block of Rockville Pike in the Marlo building. 

Bensalem, Pa. -- Charming Shoppes said it would close 240 unprofitable stores in 2011, or nearly 12% of its total outlets, and that more than half of those would be Fashion Bug stores.
 
The locations were not disclosed.

The company said all 30 of its Catherines Plus Sizes stores in outlet locations would be shuttered over a two-year period.
 

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores announced Sunday that it will re-open 12 of its Seiyu stores in Japan, which were affected by the earthquake. A company spokesman added that the retailer is hoping to open the remaining 12 impacted stores as soon as possible.

Wal-Mart has 371 stores and 43 deli outlets in Japan, of which 24 were affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Of Wal-Mart's affected stores, two were severely hit and were completely covered by mud, according to the company.