Real Estate

Houston -- Baker Katz, an X Team International partner and full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm, announced the acquisition of the former Baytown Seafood establishment situated on 30,000 sq. ft. of land in Houston.

The property is located at the cross streets of I-10 East and Haden Road. Baker Katz plans to demolish the current building to construct an 8,000-sq.-ft. building occupied by a combination of restaurant and retail tenants.

Indianapolis -- Simon Property Group has put out feelers to acquire The Macerich Company, confirmed by a letter from Simon chairman and CEO David Simon to Arthur Coppola, chairman and CEO of Macerich.  

Macerich has not responded to the offer, although the letter from Simon references prior discussions that include a proposal by Simon to acquire all of the outstanding stock of Macerich for $91.00 per share in cash and Simon shares. The total value of the proposed transaction is approximately $22.4 billion.
 

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Stores recently opened 32 Ross Dress for Less stores and five dd’s Discounts locations across 15 different states. The openings are part of the off-price retailer’s 2015 expansion plans to open a total of approximately 90 stores in 2015 (70 Ross and 20 dd’s Discounts).

Philadelphia -- Tween and teen retailer Five Below will open three stores in Alabama, its first ever in the state, on March 13.

The stores, which average 7,500 sq.-ft. each, are located in Huntsville, Florence and Gadsden.

"Entering Alabama is an important next step as we continue to grow our footprint across the country," said Joel Anderson, CEO of Five Below. "We're excited to open the first of what we hope to be many stores in this great state.”  

New York -- New concepts remain the lifeblood of retail. Here are four currently in the works:

1. 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, followed by a second location in the fall, in the Minneapolis area.

Baltimore -- Under Armour has opened its largest store to date, on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. With nearly 30,000 sq. ft. of retail space, the store is designed to provide an immersive and interactive brand experience.  It features the latest in video and digital technology, and also includes a section dedicated to wearable fitness devices.  And for a local feel, a large wall is covered in ivy, inspired by the Wrigley Field ivy.
 

Cary, N.C. -- The Pantry moved one step closer to its merger with Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard as Pantry stockholders approved the merger agreement at a special meeting on March 10.

The stockholders cast 19,725,407 votes for the deal and 71,442 votes against the deal, with 34,806 abstaining, according to documents The Pantry filed with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).