Real Estate

Slidell, La. -- Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties announced new tenants and updates to Phase II of Fremaux Town Center in Slidell, Louisiana.

Newly signed tenants include: Books-A-Million, moving from its current location at Northshore Square Mall, will occupy 7,500 sq. ft. and is expected to open on March 3; Five Below will occupy a 8,024 sq. ft. space and is expected to open April 6; Allure Nail Spa, and LensCrafters are opening spring of 2016.

A brand best known for its whimsical neckties and smiling pink whale logo is opening a flagship in the Big Apple.

Vineyard Vines will open a 6,000-sq.-st. store in Grand Central Station. The company is also slated to open stores at Somerset Collection, Troy, Michigan, in early May, at Hyde Park in Tampa, Florida, in August, and at Stanford Town Center in mid-March and The Village of Corte Madera in mid-June (with the latter two locations in California).

South Korean electronics giant Samsung on Monday opened what it calls a “consumer technology playground” in the trendy Meatpacking District of Manhattan.

Named for its address, 837 Washington Street, the 55,000-sq.-ft. Samsung 837 is packed with eye-popping features, from a three-story array of televisions made up of 96 Samsung 55-inch TVs to a truly futuristic, fully-immersive virtual reality experience. There is also a café, art gallery and theater.

Photo: Matthew Tice (left) and Mark Cosenza (right)

Boise, Idaho-based discount grocer WinCo Foods will develop a new ground-up 82,077-sq.-ft. anchor store at Trinity Valley Shopping Center in Carrollton, Texas.

The new WinCo will be developed at the site of a former Target anchor store at the center. Following the closure, the ownership of the center, Josey Trinity Mills Ltd., acquired the vacant building in October 2015. The site will be demolished starting around April 2016, and the newly developed WinCo is scheduled to open in early 2017.

To further differentiate commercial space the trend among architects, restaurateurs, retailers, and developers has been towards sign packages that seamlessly marry the building facade and family of signs.

Denver -- OliverMcMillan in partnership with Invesco Real Estate has purchased the retail portion of Clayton Lane, a mixed-use center located in Denver. The retail project consists of more than 182,000 sq. ft. of retail in six buildings with underground parking.

The property sits in the heart of Denver’s Cherry Creek North and is anchored by Crate & Barrel and Whole Foods Market. Feature retailers include Orvis, HW Home, North, White House | Black Market, Bose and more.

Oklahoma City -- GBT Realty Corp. announced the acquisition of 30 acres in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The site was purchased in January for $2.95 million. The company broke ground on development of the first phase of the $50 million The Market at Czech Hall, a 450,000-sq. ft. regional neighborhood center last week.

Phase one includes the construction of 180,000-sq. ft. of retail, along with seven outparcels. The first tenant expected to open fall 2016.

The commercial real estate community is somewhat of a paradox. For an industry that is literally built on the premise of creating new and exciting destinations, there is a tendency to do things the way they have always been done.

The nation’s gambling capital is getting another high-end retail center, this one with Paris accents.

Wynn Las Vegas announced the development of Wynn Plaza, a 75,518-sq.-ft. luxury retail center. Debuting fall 2017, the complex will support the existing luxury retail collection at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore, as well as bring the shopping experience to the high traffic area bordering Las Vegas Boulevard.