Real Estate

McLean, Virginia-based S2 Capital Partners has purchased an 8-acre center on the outskirts of Richmond with plans to build it out to its full potential.   The company paid $12 million for the 52,000-sq.-ft. Stonebridge Marketplace, and principal Rob Seidel told Richmond Biz Sense that it plans to add 7,200-sq.-ft. and 8,400-sq.-ft. buildings to fill out the strip that fronts a 123,000-sq.-ft. Kroger Marketplace.   Current tenants include Firestone, Panda Express, Mattress Firm, Qdoba, and AT&T.

University Towne Center in Gainesville, Florida, has been sold at auction to Pacific West Land for $2.8 million. Crossman & Company negotiated the deal on behalf of the seller, a south Florida special servicer.   The 18,496-sq.-ft. center is close to the University of Florida campus and to Butler’s sprawling retail complex, which is itself expanding with a town center called The Neighborhoods at Butler.   

VEREIT has purchased a 10.5-acre Sam’s Club property in Timonium, Maryland—just north of Baltimore — for $18.3 million in cash.   “The seller was able to secure an early lease extension prior to the sale, which created a well-positioned, long-term passive investment for the new ownership,” said Jon Busse, Senior VP at Colliers International, which handled the deal on behalf of the seller, Diamond Timonium LLC.  

Move over Lululemon and Athletica, Sweaty Betty is moving onto your turf.   The London-based retailer of stylish activewear for women opened its ninth U.S. store — and third location in the Los Angeles area — on Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood, reported The Los Angeles Times, with a location in San Francisco up next.  

The ICSC New York Conference is one of the larger gatherings of retail real estate professional’s on the calendar – and is an important touch point for professionals in the NYC market. Ahead of the show, Bob Gibson, retail vice chairman of JLL, based in New York, shared his take on this expansive and important retail market.  

After Neiman Marcus announced it would open its first New York store at Hudson Yards — the biggest development in that town in recent history — retail leases are being signed at a torrid pace.   According to developer Related Urban, The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards are 60% leased more than two years before their scheduled opening in fall 2018.  

Kimco Realty Corp. takes the top spot in Chain Store Age’s 12th annual Top Redevelopers survey, with 2,669,999 sq. ft. redeveloped. Kimco’s redevelopment reach in 2015-2016 spanned 19 states and Canada, as the company touched 39 projects in all. (The survey analyzed redevelopment work from mid-year to mid-year in the 12-month period from June 2015 to June 2016.)

A new solar project will make Ikea the largest non-utility solar owner in the state of Ohio.   The home furnishings giant plans to install solar panels atop its future store in Columbus, Ohio, due to open in summer 2017.  It will be the second Ikea solar array in Ohio. The chain installed a 1.026-MW rooftop array at its Cincinnati-area store in 2012.   REC Solar will develop, design and install the solar power system at the Columbus store, which is being built by Pepper Construction.