Hospitality

Laguna Hills, Calif. -- The Hodgdon Group said it has completed construction on the conversion of a Circuit City building in Laguna Hills, Calif., for the grand opening of an Ashley Furniture HomeStore on Friday, April 20. 



The former Circuit City building was expanded to make way for a fully remodeled 51,000-sq.-ft. retail building, which includes the new 33,000-sq.-ft. Ashley Furniture HomeStore plus Total Wine & More in the remaining 18,000 sq. ft.

Virginia Beach, Va. -- Divaris Real Estate Inc. announced the following lease transactions were completed for several retail tenants:

A lease extension was signed with Tidewater Finance Co. for 25,516 sq. ft. of retail space in the DRE-leased and –managed Tidewater Plaza in Virginia Beach.

Oxford, Mich. -- X Team, an international alliance of retail real estate advisors, announced that Detroit-based partner Stokas Bieri Real Estate represented Center Management in the purchase of The Promenade at Waterside in Oxford, Mich.

Raleigh, N.C. -- Dallas-based Cypress Equities announced that Sally Beauty Supply will open a 1,354-sq.-ft. location at Plantation Point Shopping Center, located in Raleigh, N.C.

Sally Beauty Supply will be located between Rapid Refill and Dollar Tree at Plantation Point Shopping Center. The store is slated to open in spring 2012.

New York City -- Charter Realty & Development announced it has leased 15,000 sq. ft. for a five-screen Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Manhattan.

The location, 2626 Broadway, is in the upper west side and is owned by Bialek and Associates of Manhattan. Alamo will be occupying the former Metro Theater and intends on renovating it back to its former glory. The deal represents Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s first entry into New York City and the company is looking for further growth opportunities in the market.

On the banks of the Missouri River, in the northwest corner of the greater St. Louis metropolitan area, historic St. Charles is home to more than 65,000 people. At the gateway to this fast-growing area, a “mini-city” is emerging: The Streets of St. Charles, developed by Cullinan Properties of Peoria, Ill., will deliver an enticing 1 million-sq.-ft. mixed-use community.

To be truly fashion-forward, a closet must be refreshed periodically. This is equally true for premiere, class “A” regional malls that pride themselves on offering the hottest apparel and most fashionable retail the industry has to offer. If wardrobe success depends on what’s hanging in your closet, shopping centers hang their success on merchandising savvy and tenant mix.

Building collaborative relationships between design visionaries and construction teams was the fundamental theme underscoring the tips for success shared in the SPECS Planning & Design workshop session “Going from Prototype to Reality, Without Losing the Sizzle.”