Hospitality

Dallas –- Bar Louie will open its newest location at the Shops at Park Lane in Dallas. Bar Louie will occupy the 7,332-sq.-ft. former Park Tavern space and open mid-November.   UCR’s Stan Lotridge represented the tenant, BL Restaurant Operations, and UCR’s Ashley O’Malley represented the landlord, Northwood Retail.  

Beijing, China -- Alibaba Group is rebranding its Taobao Travel online travel business as an independent business and brand named “Alitrip.” Alitrip will be another marketplace platform under Alibaba Group with a new independent web domain, www.alitrip.com.   

In announcing its new mobile ordering service, Starbucks referenced a "seismic shift in consumer behavior in which many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers experienced a decline in foot traffic compared with significant growth in online shopping" during the 2013 holiday season. Indeed, consumers are increasingly comfortable with bypassing physical stores and purchasing goods online, especially when facing the prospect of holiday crowds and traffic.  

New York -- Harvard Business Review released its annual list of the 100 best-performing CEOs in the world, and heading up the list is Amazon chief Jeff Bezos.    

Construction is currently underway at Jefferson Commons, a regional shopping center in a booming area of Louisville, Ky. Developed by GBT Realty Corp., based in Brentwood, Tenn., the 230,000-sq.-ft. Jefferson Commons will feature Academy Sports + Outdoors, Five Below, Mattress Firm, Mens Wearhouse, Hancock Fabrics and Avalon Nails.  

Louisville, Ky. -- Brentwood, Tennessee-based GBT Realty Corp. announced an expanded tenant line-up that brings a Louisville, Kentucky, regional shopping center to over 90% leased.     Middletown Commons will see its first tenants opening in November; construction is currently underway.  

Sparks, Nev. -- BH Properties, a Los Angeles-based firm that specializes in acquiring and repositioning challenged or distressed real estate properties, has purchased Los Altos Crossing, a retail center located at Sparks Boulevard and Los Altos Parkway in Sparks, Nev., for $6 million.  

New York -- Winick Realty Group has secured two retail leases at the base of the 177-unit PowerHouse Condominium, located at 50-09 Second Street in Long Island City, N.Y.   The 6,422-square-foot space, which landlord V Partners refurbished following Hurricane Sandy-related flooding, was divided to accommodate incoming tenant Tiger J Taekwondo and an expansion by existing building tenant Brighter Babies.