Real Estate

Sweaty Betty

There’s a new high-end fashion activewear brand in town, and this one speaks with a British accent. London-based Sweaty Betty opened its first two U.S outposts last year, one in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, and one in Greenwich, Conn. A third is expected to open in 2014.

New York -- Uniqlo will continue its expansion in the United States by entering the Los Angeles market. The Japanese retail powerhouse announced it will open five stores in the Los Angeles area, starting in August, at South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, followed by a location at Glendale Galleria, Glendale, in September.
   
In October, the company will open at the Beverly Center, Los Angeles, and Northridge Fashion Center, Northridge. In spring 2015, Uniqlo will open a store at Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos.  

Fort Worth, Texas — Whole Foods Market has leased a 45,000-sq.-ft. location in Waterside, the new 63-acre master-planned, mixed-use property being developed by Trademark Property Co. Slated to open in the spring of 2016, it will be Whole Foods first grocery in Fort Worth.

Located on the Trinity River, Waterside will offer retail, restaurants, office, hotel and residential uses in a walk-able setting that will include a new extension of the Trinity Trail.

Houston, Texas — Baker Katz has acquired four retail properties throughout the greater Houston area — in the neighboring cities of Port Arthur, Lake Jackson, Beaumont and Tomball.

The Port Arthur property is a 90,000-sq.-ft., single-tenant building purchased from the Sutherland Lumber Co. for an undisclosed amount. Baker Katz plans to renovate the building and convert it to a multi-tenant space. Hobby Lobby has signed a 58,000-sq.-ft. lease, and Party City has signed a lease for 13,000 sq. ft.

Eleven centers opened last year, with 50 more on the drawing boards

The recession lit the fuse that has produced an explosion of outlet center development.

New York -- Uniqlo debuted a new flagship with the opening of its fifth location in Paris, in the city’s Marais area.

Located in a 19th century building that once housed a foundry, the three-level, 8,800-sq.-ft. store combines such historic details as a 115-ft- red-brick chimney with a modern layout and high-tech accents, including video screens and LED displays.

It was designed by Tokyo architects Wonderwall, a longtime collaborator with Uniqlo.

Dallas — LA Fitness has signed leases for four new spaces, two in Austin, Texas, and two in San Antonio, Texas. Venture Commercial Real Estate represented LA Fitness in each transaction.

In Austin, LA Fitness plans to begin construction immediately on a 40,000-sq.-ft. facility at 2020 Anderson Lane and a 46,200-sq.-ft. facility in the Lamar Oaks Shopping center on Lamar Boulevard. Retail Solutions and The Weitzman Group represented the landlords for the Anderson Lane and Lamar Boulevard locations, respectively.

Glendale, Calif. — The health juice café, Earthbar, has leased a 1,168-sq.-ft. location on the third level of Glendale Galleria. Earthbar offers a range of juices and cleansers, vitamins and supplements, shakes and healthy snacks.

Omaha, Neb. — A private California buyer has purchased a 20,134-sq.-ft. Natural Grocers in Omaha, Nebraska. Mid-America Real Estate Corp. represented the seller, a private developer, in the transaction.

Mid-America Real Estate Corporation is a member of Mid-America Real Estate Group, a ChainLinks affiliate headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. The company is the Midwest’s leading full-service retail real estate organization with offices in Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Detroit.