Microsoft

Gavin Walsh has joined Trademark Property Co. as a senior leasing representative focused on mixed-use properties in Texas. They include Waterside in Fort Worth, Watters Creek in Allen, and Hillside Village in Cedar Hill.   Walsh arrives at the Fort Worth-based developer from The Shopping Center Group in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he handled a portfolio exceeding three million sq. ft. He also worked as a broker for Katz & Associates in the state.  

Kevin Scott is joining Microsoft in the newly created role of chief technology officer (CTO).   Scott most recently served senior VP of infrastructure at LinkedIn, which Microsoft purchased in June for $26 billion.   

Following its success in renovating another center in the Florida town of Jupiter, Elion Partners had embarked on a renovation of Jupiter Reserve, which will be re-christened as Pennock Square.   Plans for the 43,172-sq.-ft. center include a cosmetic makeover to a more contemporary look, new signage, and parking and landscaping upgrades.    Elion’s re-do of the nearby Fresh Market Village inspired the effort.  

Schostak Brothers has added six multi-tenant properties to its “Shadow Walmart” portfolio of retail space adjoining supercenters, bringing it to a total of 67. The new additions are located in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.   “In the last decade, we have pursued an aggressive growth strategy in order to assemble one of the largest Walmart Supercenter shadow-anchored shopping center portfolios in the United States,” said Schostak COO Warren Strietzel.  

Forest City announced it has closed on the sale of Shops at Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx to Urban Edge Properties for $32 million. The seller expects to net $9.2 million in the transaction.  

Cinemark and XD will be upgrading all 16 of its auditoriums at CooperTowne Center in Somerdale, New Jersey.    The renovated theaters will include electric-powered, oversized recliners, and movie-goers will be able to reserve them ahead of time via computer or smartphone. XD theaters feature wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling screen with enhanced JBL sound systems.  

DDR has purchased a new Chicago center anchored by a Mariano’s supermarket for $81 million. The 137,618-sq.-ft. property is located on 3030 North Broadway in the Lakeview section of town.   XSport Fitness, PNC Bank, and Starbucks are tenants in the center along with Mariano’s, a chain Chicagoland founded by former Dominick’s deli worker Bob Mariano, who grew it to nearly 48 stores. The chain is now owned by Kroger.  

A mixed-use project with 103,000 sq. ft. of retail in the western suburbs of Chicago has been purchased by Retail Properties of America for $88 million.   Main Street Promenade, a town center style development in Naperville, is 93% leased and includes tenants such as Ann Taylor, Sur la Table, White House | Black Market, and Anthropologie.   

Trion Properties, which is in the business of acquiring and turning around distressed properties, has sold its Valencia Town Center Plaza outside of Los Angeles for $9.8 million.   The 21,186-sq.-ft. Santa Clarita center was less than 50% leased when Trion acquired it for $6.8 million in 2013, according to Managing Partner Max Sharkansky, and now is near full occupancy. He said the center “presented an opportunity for us to increase net operating income through aggressive leasing and cosmetic upgrades.  

Though General Growth Properties has long been most commonly known as GGP in the retail industry, the big mall owner has now made it official.   Effective Jan. 27, the big mall owner with 126 properties in 40 states, officially changes its name to GGP. Founded in 1954 to develop grocery-anchored strip centers, GGP evolved into one of the largest providers of A-level mall space.