Real Estate

March promises to be a busy month for Shopko.

The retailer will open 10 Shopko Hometown stores in late March, bringing its total number of stores opened this year so far to 12.

The company plans to continue to accelerate the expansion of its Hometown format with additional locations through 2017. Developed over the past five years to augment Shopko’s larger store model, the concept is focused on serving the needs of smaller rural communities. Stores average 15,000 sq. ft. to 35,000 sq. ft.

Cato Corp., just delivered its highest earnings in company history and sales topped $1 billion, but chairman, president and CEO John Cato said the road ahead could be rocky.

Cato, operator of 1,372 stores in 32 states, said its fourth quarter sales increased 4% to $247.3 million and same-store sales increased 1%. Full year sales increased 2.4% to slightly exceed $1 billion, but the addition of 31 new stores was the primary driver of full year growth as same-store sales were flat.

Ulta Beauty is on fire — offline and on.

The specialty beauty retailer plans to open 100 new stores in 2016 while also pursuing new merchandising initiative to enhance the productivity of existing locations.

Ross Dress for Less opened a new store North El Centro, California on March 5. The opening is part of the retailer’s 2016 expansion program, totaling about 70 new locations during the year.

The 26,000- sq.-ft. store is located at Centro Commons, 11 miles north of the California-Mexico border, at the intersection of Imperial Avenue and Cruickshank Drive. With this location, Ross operates 277 stores in California, its largest state.

Converse found a perfect fit when it looked to renovate its 15,500-sq.-ft. flagship in Manhattan.

It was imperative that the store have as little downtime as possible, and Schimenti Construction delivered a solution tailor made for the iconic sneaker retailer. After only one month of shutdown, the flagship reopened in its landmark building in SoHo.

White Plains, N.Y. -- The Wilder Companies announced it was awarded the leasing and management contract for The Source at White Plains, a specialty shopping center in White Plains, New York.

The Source at White Plains is a 250,000 sq. ft., four-story shopping center with adjoining parking garage. The center feature retailers include: Whole Foods Market, Dicks Sporting Goods, Raymour & Flanigan, The Cheesecake Factory, Morton’s The Steakhouse, and Destination Maternity.

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- CBL & Associates Properties announced renovation plans for CoolSprings Galleria in Nashville, Tennessee. The renovation comes on the heels of a major anchor redevelopment completed in early 2015, the recent addition of dining destination Connors Steak & Seafood, and the opening of Kings Bowling and Entertainment in May.

Ikea on track to make its Nevada debut this spring.

The home furnishings retailer will open a store in Las Vegas, on Wednesday, May 18. It will be the Swedish company’s first location in Nevada, and 42nd in the United States.

The 351,000-sq.-ft. Las Vegas Ikea is being built on 26 acres along the northern side of the 215 Beltway at Durango Drive, near Sunset Road.

The store will host Nevada’s largest single-use retail rooftop solar array, consistent with the solar presence at 90% of its U.S. locations.