Real Estate

Dallas -- Venture Commercial Real Estate said it has represented rue21 in lease negotiations for two new store locations that opened in November in Paris, Texas and Chickasha, Okla.

The Paris store is in a 7,162-sq.-ft. space in Paris Towne Center, and the Chickasha store is located in the Southland Shopping Center.
 

Los Angeles -- CBRE said Friday that Michael F. Smith has been promoted to president of the company’s Western Division. Smith, who has led CBRE’s San Francisco Bay area operations since 2002, succeeds Steven Swerdlow, who has been appointed COO of the Americas.

In his new role, Smith will direct CBRE’s operations in more than 46 offices in nine states, with responsibility for all lines of business. He will continue in his role as Bay Area market leader until a successor is named.
 

Commerce, Mich. -- LaVida Massage announced the opening of its first center in Pittsburgh, slated to open in late December at Shadyside Shops.

The 2,800-sq.-ft. location will feature nine regular massage rooms, two couples massage rooms and an aesthetics room. It will be owned and managed by brothers and franchisees Gary and Michael Kohanbash.

Tarrytown, N.Y. – DLC Management Corp. announced a new deal signed with Wal-Mart Stores to open a 44,271-sq.-ft. Walmart Market at DLC’s Bethesda Walk Shopping Center in Lawrenceville, Ga.

The deal, which was finalized on November 21, marks the grocery-only concept’s first store in the Atlanta metro area.

New York City -- A Friday report by Reuters said that restaurant veteran Tilman Fertitta has added to his restaurant holdings by reaching a $117 million deal for Morton's Restaurant Group Inc., which operates high-end steakhouses nationwide.

Fertitta, who expanded his stake from in Morton’s from the 5% he already held, has outlined plans to modernize the struggling chain.

This latest deal marks Fertitta’s second acquisition in two months, as in November he acquired seafood chain McCormick & Schmick's.

Garden City, N.Y. -- Sabre Real Estate Group said that Scott Sher has been named senior VP of the retail real estate brokerage firm.

Formerly director of real estate-northeastern region at Katz & Associates Corp., of Pearl River, Sher specializes in tenant and landlord representation in the New Jersey, Manhattan, Outer Boroughs, Westchester and Long Island markets.
 

Cherry Hill, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said that Brookstone has opened at Cherry Hill Mall, in Cherry Hill, N.J.

The 2,600-sq.-ft. store is located by the Grand Court.
 

Seattle -- REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) announced that it will open its first location in Ohio next fall at Rockwood Commons in Cincinnati. The one-story location will occupy 22,000 sq. ft. and will serve more than 5,000 active REI members as well as other outdoor enthusiasts in the community.

The company also announced that it will open a store in Medford, Ore. The 23,500-sq.-ft., one-story location will open next fall in Alba Village and help outfit approximately 7,300 local active members and other adventurers.