Real Estate

Seattle -- Green-building consulting firm Paladino and Co. said Wednesday it has acquired S.D. Keppler & Associates, a green consultancy out of Rockville, Md.
 
The two firms have joined to establish a comprehensive consulting offering focused on elevating the impact of green real estate programs within business.

York, Pa. -- The Bon-Ton Stores said Wednesday it will close its Elder-Beerman store in Springfield, Ohio. The company will not renew the lease, which terminates January 31, 2013.
 
Bon-Ton acquired the leasehold interests in the Springfield store as part of the Elder-Beerman acquisition in 2003.

Matthews, N.C. -- Family Dollar Stores reported Wednesday that net income for the quarter ended Aug. 25 inched up to $80.9 million, from $79.8 million in the same period last year. Results were impacted by an $11.5 million litigation charge stemming from the preliminary settlement of a lawsuit in New York.

Sales for the quarter rose 10.8% to $2.36 billion, a record for the company, and same-store sales increased 5.4%.

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Regional grocer Meijer said Tuesday it will hire 12,000 new employees in preparation for the 2012 holiday shopping season. Most positions will be part-time.

According to Janet Emerson, executive VP of operations for Meijer, “Our goal is to deliver the best customer experience and the lowest prices, and as we continue to grow it's so important that we have the right levels of staff and the right people in those roles."

NEW YORK — Saks Inc. has opened its first Saks Fifth Avenue store in Kazakhstan, in the city of Almaty.

New York -- Data released Monday by the Associated General Contractors of America revealed that construction spending declined between July and August to an annualized rate of $837 billion, but increased compared with August 2011 driven largely by growing demand for residential, lodging and education construction.

Boston -- Boot and leather goods manufacturer Frye Co. will open its second U.S. retail location – on Newbury St. in a historic building in Boston’s Back Bay. It joins Frye’s only retail store in the Soho area of New York City.

The 11,000-sq.-ft., three-level flagship store is slated to open spring 2013. It will reflect a fresh vision of Frye’s heritage and commitment to craft, and house specially designed areas showcasing the brand’s product.

Monroeville, Pa. -- Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL & Associates Properties announced that, on the heels of the grand opening of a 110,000-sq.-ft. J.C. Penney store, construction has commenced on a state-of-the-art 12-screen Cinemark Theatre.  Both are part of CBL’s redevelopment of Monroeville Mall, located near Pittsburgh in Monroeville, Pa.

The grand opening for Cinemark Theatre is anticipated for late 2013.

Beachwood, Ohio -- DDR Corp. announced Monday the acquisition of $328 million of prime assets and the disposition of $12 million of non-prime assets during the quarter.

Year to date, the company closed $2 billion of acquisitions, including the joint venture with Blackstone's flagship real estate fund, and disposed of $137 million of non-prime assets.

As of the third quarter, DDR said it has raised gross common equity capital of $435 million through the issuance of 31.7 million new common shares to fund investments and lower leverage.

Philadelphia -- Charter Realty & Development said that it has arranged for a 9,887-sq.-ft. lease for Planet Fitness in the Mayfair Shopping Center in Philadelphia.

The shopping center is anchored by, Shop N Bag, Dollar Tree and Wells Fargo.