Real Estate

Mandeville, La. -- Stirling Properties announced the addition of Whole Foods Market to the tenant lineup at Premier Centre, a 273,000-sq.-ft. shopping center near the intersection of U.S. Highway 190 and North Causeway Boulevard in Mandeville, Louisiana.

Elmhurst, N.Y. --  Tom Rettaliata and Brian Schuster of Ripco Real Estate represented Darden Concepts and Ignite Restaurants in the lease of the site located between Queens Center Mall and the Long Island Expressway (I-495) in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. Olive Garden (8,297 sq. ft.), Longhorn Steakhouse (8,000 sq. ft.), and Joe’s Crab Shack (8,000 sq. ft.) now occupy a previously vacant location at the intersections of 92nd Street and 59th Avenue. All three restaurants face Queens Center.

Exeter, N.H. -- Ice hockey equipment manufacturer Bauer Hockey is throwing its puck in the retail arena. The company will open its first-ever store this summer, in the Boston suburb of Burlington, Massachusetts. It will be followed by a second location in the fall, in the Minneapolis area.

Tucson, Ariz. -- Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, will open its first store in Tucson, its fourth in Arizona, on Jan. 20.

The family-run company was built on the premise that "consumers should have access to affordable, high-quality foods and dietary supplements, along with nutrition knowledge, to help support their own health."

New York -- A.R.E. (the Association for Retail Environments) is predicting a 10% increase in spending on North American retail store construction and renovations in 2015. The forecast, based on a survey of A.R.E.’s nearly 750 member companies and input from the industry association’s economic advisors, represents the sixth consecutive year of industry growth.

Reuters is reporting a new complicating factor in the ongoing saga of efforts by Dollar Tree and Dollar General to buy Family Dollar.

Some 20 state attorneys general have joined the federal antitrust investigation of competing bids by Dollar General Corp. and Dollar Tree Inc. to buy Family Dollar Stores Inc., a development that potentially complicates the companies' efforts to win U.S. approval for a deal.

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New York -- Teen retailers had a “less dreadful” holiday selling season than was anticipated. That’s how analysts are tempering the news that banners such as American Eagle Outfitters, Aeropostale and Urban Outfitters posted stronger-than-expected holiday results, released by most on Thursday.

In fact, say industry watchers, the strong sales figures look pretty shiny because they are exaggerated by pre-season low expectations, which were dragged down by fears of aggressive discounting and waning mall traffic.

Long Beach, Calif. -- Nordstrom, Inc. announced plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at Marina Pacifica Mall in Long Beach, California. The 24,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in fall 2015. The property is managed by NewMark Merrill Companies.

The new Nordstrom Rack will occupy a former Loehmann's space and join a mix of tenants including Best Buy, ULTA Beauty, Pier 1 Imports, AMC Theaters, Barnes & Noble, Sports Authority and Ralphs.

Yonkers, N.Y. -- Tom Rettaliata of Ripco Real Estate leased 13,840 sq. ft. to Darden Concepts in the Cross County Shopping Center located at 8000 Mall Walk in Yonkers, New York.

The area previously used for parking is now occupied by two freestanding restaurants: Olive Garden (7,448 sq. ft.) and Longhorn Steakhouse (6,392 sq. ft.). Olive Garden opened on October 27, 2014, and Longhorn Steakhouse opened on November 17, 2014.

The landlord, Brooks Shopping Center LLC, was represented by Guy Mercurio of Macerich.

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. announced the appointment of John Griffith to its board of directors. Griffith fills the unexpired term of Tom DeRosa, resulting from his retirement from CBL's board effective Jan. 7.

Griffith served as executive VP of property development for Target Corporation until his retirement in May 2014. He joined Target in 1999, and played an instrumental role in its expansion and the development of new store prototypes and formats.