Real Estate

Youngstown, Ohio — Planet Fitness will open a new 24,000-sq.-ft. health club in The Mall of Monroe in Frenchtown Township, Mich., in March of this year. Planet Fitness boasts 700 locations nationwide and 4.5 million members.

Cafaro affiliated companies (www.cafarocompany.com) own and manage the regional Mall of Monroe.

 

Private equity firm Bain Capital concluded 2013 with the acquisition of Bob’s Discount Furniture, an operator of 47 stores in the Northeast that is intent on expansion.

Bain acquired a majority ownership position in the Manchester, Conn.-based company and said senior management will continue to own a significant stake. Current CEO Ted English will continue to lead the company whose first order of business for 2014 is entry into the Philadelphia market.

Louisville, Ky. — GBT Realty Corp. has closed on the purchase of approximately 32 acres along Shelbyville Road at I-265 for the development of Middletown Commons in Louisville, Ky. Plans call for the first tenants to open in late 2014.

The mixed-use power center will include more than 225,000 sq. ft. of retail space and six outparcels ranging from 0.6 acres to 1.88 acres. According to GBT Realty, total development costs will likely exceed $50 million.

St. Louis, Mo. — IKEA plans to break ground on a three-level, 380,000-sq.-ft. building in midtown St. Louis this summer, according to Pace Properties, the broker selected by IKEA to help facilitate the chain’s expansion into the St. Louis market.

The site is a 21-acre redeveloped tract at the intersection of Forest park and Vendeventer avenues within the 240-acre CORTEX Life Science District in midtown St. Louis.

Chicago, Ill. — Forman Mills, an off price apparel retailer, has leased 38,487 sq. ft. at Grand Plaza in Franklin Park, Ill., according to CBRE, the leasing agent. The new store plans to open next spring.

The Forman Mills lease completes the lease up of a 96,260-sq.-ft. former Kmart, which closed in 2011.  

CBRE began leasing the space in 2012. The first lease was with Big Lots for 29,000 sq. ft. Next came a 29,000-sq.-ft.- lease to Savers Thrift Superstore, which later took another 29,000 sq. ft.

Atlanta -- An affiliate of Roark Capital Group has acquired a majority stake in CKE Restaurants Inc., owner of Carl's Jr., Hardee's and various other quick-serve restaurant chains.

Virginia Beach, Va. — Kroger has acquired 12 acres at the Hampton Roads Crossing mixed-use project in Suffolk, Va., according to Divaris Real Estate (www.divaris.com), the broker that represented the seller, Terry/Peterson Investment Thirty, in the transaction.

Kroger intends to construct a 113,361-sq.-ft. Kroger Marketplace on the site.

North Plainfield, N.J. — Mattress Warehouse has leased a 21,404-sq.-ft. space at Crossroads Place in Falls Church, Va., according to Levin Management (www.levinmgt.com), the leasing and management agent for the 336,248-sq.-ft. shopping center. The lease signing brings retail occupancy at the center to 100%. JBG Rosenfeld Retail served as the tenant’s broker in the transaction. Plans call for the new store to open in March.