Real Estate

Charlotte, N.C. --Westwood Financial Corp. announced that Publix Super Markets has now opened as the new anchor tenant at Steele Creek Crossing in Charlotte, N.C. This lease marks one of seven Bi-Lo locations Publix has taken over in the Charlotte area.

Redmond, Wash. -- Guitar Center and four additional new retailers and restaurants are slated to open at Redmond Town Center, in Redmond, Wash., later this year and into next spring.  

San Francisco--JLL announced that it has expanded its retail brokerage practice in Northern California with the addition of Jamie Kendall as VP. Kendall will be based in the firm’s San Francisco office, and will partner with the firm’s existing retail, agency leasing and investment sales teams to help maximize the value of retail assets for JLL’s growing client base in downtown San Francisco.

Los Angeles -- Real estate investment and services firm Kennedy Wilson has negotiated a 10-year retail lease for Panera Bread, the chain’s first location in Culver City, Calif. The 5,100-sq.-ft. property is located at 10990 Jefferson Blvd. within the Studio Village Center.  

Austin, Texas -- Whole Foods Market reported that its net income rose a better-than-expected 5.8% to $128 million in its fiscal fourth quarter, ended Sept. 28, 2014, from $121 million in the year-ago period.  The company also said it plans to open 38 to 42 stores, including five to six relocations, in fiscal 2015. 

New York -- British fast-fashion retailer Topshop, a unit of Arcadia Group, opened a flagship on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, close to Rockefeller Center.  

Brussels, Belgium -- Delhaize Group has signed an agreement to sell its Bottom Dollar Food stores to deep-discount grocer Aldi Inc. for approximately $15 million, including the assumption of associated lease liabilities. The transaction, which involves  66 Bottom Dollar stores in the greater Philadelphia and Pittsburgh markets, is expected to result in an asset impairment and other charges for Delhaize Group of approximately $180 million.  

New York –- Walgreens has reportedly filed for an eight-part benchmark bond offering to help finance its planned $5.3 billion purchase of U.K. drugstore retailer Alliance Boots GmBH. According to Bloomberg, Walgreens has filed with the SEC for three-, five-, seven-, 10-, 20- and 30-year fixed-rate bonds, as well as 18-month and three-year floating-rate notes.  

ALDI is accelerating its growth and dramatically increasing its presence in the Northeast with the acquisition of 66 Bottom Dollar Food stores from Delhaize Group.

Delhaize said it reached an agreement to sell its 66 Bottom Dollar stores in the greater Philadelphia and Pittsburgh markets for $15 million and associated lease liabilities. Delhaize said it would take an asset impairment charge of $180 million in conjunction with the sale.

Columbia Sportswear launched it’s first-ever flagship Performance Fishing Gear (PFG) concept store at the Avalon Mall in Alpharetta, Ga. 

Inspired by the performance, style and comfort needs of professional and recreational anglers, Columbia’s PFG collection is being embraced as a lifestyle brand by consumers of all ages in temperate and tropical climates across the Western Hemisphere, according to the company.