Hospitality

O’Connor Capital Partners, a privately owned, independent real estate investment, development and management firm, has named Glenn J. Rufrano as chairman and CEO.

Rufrano was a founding partner of the O’Connor Group, the firm’s original incarnation, and has served on the board since 2010. He has also acquired a full partnership stake in the firm.  

Washington, D.C. – Eight-in-10 (80.6%) shoppers will purchase gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation’s Gift Card Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. Holiday shoppers will spend an average of $163.16 on gift cards, up 4.0% over the $156.86 they spent last year and the highest amount in the survey’s 11-year history. Total spending on gift cards will reach $29.8 billion.

Fairfield, N.J. -- Amerlux CEO/president Chuck Campagna has announced that Chris McQuillan has joined the management team as VP of sales. Amerlux is a global leader in innovation, manufacturing and creative lighting solutions for a broad range of commercial, retail, hospitality and institutional environments.  

Issaquah, Wash. — Construction is nearing completion on Issaquah Highlands’ new shopping and entertainment district, Grand Ridge Plaza. The Regency Centers Corp. center, which broke ground in the summer of 2012, is in the midst of its busiest rollout stretch, which features the grand opening of a Safeway grocery store.

West Orange, N.J. — Retro Fitness and Chipotle have signed long-term leases at West Orange Plaza in West Orange, N.J., according to Levin Management, which represented the landlord in the transaction.

Retro Fitness took 14,115 sq. ft. and was represented by Katz & Associates. Represented by Winick Realty Group, Chipotle leased 2,557 sq. ft.

Chicago — Four new tenants have joined the Glen Town Center in Glenview, Ill., according to CBRE, the broker in the transaction.

Fast-casual burger chain MOOYAH made the center its 60th location in a roll-out with the goal of 100 restaurants by 2014. Pinot’s Palette, a national paint and sip franchise, is opening its third Illinois location and 48th overall. Mingle Juice is the third new tenant. Finally, The Curragh Tradition Irish Pub will make Glen Town Center its fourth location.

Virginia Beach, Va. — Peter Chang’s Chinese Bistro has leased a 6,030-sq.-ft. restaurant space at Landstown Commons in Virginia Beach, Va. Divaris Real Estate represented the landlord, Inland Diversified Real Estate, in the transaction. This will be Peter Chang’s sixth location in the region.

Chicago — Employment growth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the continuing recovery in the U.S. housing market have begun to affect all sectors of commercial real estate, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s “Cross Sector Outlook.”

Total sector commercial real estate volumes in the first three quarters of 2013 have reached $208.82 billion, an increase of 30% over the same period in 2012, said the report.