Hospitality

Boston – A new headquarters complex athletic shoe manufacturer New Balance is constructing in the Brighton section of Boston will reportedly include 65,000 sq. ft. of retail space.

According to the Boston Business Journal, ground has been broken on the $500 million, 1.45 million-sq.-ft. site. In addition to New Balance corporate headquarters and retail space, the site will also include an athletic complex, NHL-regulation hockey arena, a hotel, office space, 1,750 parking spaces and its own commuter rail stop.

San Francisco — Investment and management firm Jamestown has acquired Ghirardelli Square, a 100,394-sq.-ft. lifestyle and entertainment-oriented retail complex located at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf for an undisclosed sum. The retail portion of the asset was 55 percent leased at the time of the sale, which includes the Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Company’s U.S. flagship location and numerous boutique shops and restaurants.

New York -- Governor Jerry Brown of California on Wednesday signed a bill approving a $2 hike in the state’s minimum wage, with the increase to be rolled out during the next three years. The increase will make California's minimum wage the highest in the country.

The wage increase will go into effect in two separate $1 increments, going from the current minimum of $8 to $9 on July 1, 2014, and then to $10, on January 1, 2016.

Chadds Ford, Pa. — Three more new retailers have signed leases at Glen Eagle Square. Gap’s national women’s athletic wear brand Athleta, took 5,100 sq. ft. Pet Valu leased 3,200 sq. ft. and Not Your Average Joes, a casual American-style restaurant will occupy more than 7,200 sq. ft.

Winston-Salem, N.C. – Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation has signed its first development agreement in South America with Bogota-based IRCC Ltda., a subsidiary of the VA! Group. Under the agreement, IRCC expects to develop 25 stores in major cities throughout Colombia, including Bogota, Medellin and Barranquilla, during the next five years.

Stratacache, a leading provider of scalable, high-performance digital signage, content distribution and enterprise video acceleration technologies, has announced its Optika specialty display division has opened a new, state-of-the-art optical bonding and display enhancement facility in Huber Heights, Ohio. 

The 25,000-sq.ft. facility will be home to Optika’s bonding, resizing, lighting and advanced testing operations, along with a new outdoor digital signage research and testing area. 

Rockville, Md. -- Mom’s Organic Market is opening its first Pennsylvania store, in Rosemont Square, Bryn Mawr, which is located outside of Philadelphia.

Alpharetta, Ga. – McAlister’s Deli has named Jeff Sturgis as chief development officer. Sturgis has more than 17 years of experience in the franchise industry, including working as a consultant as well as senior management and development positions with Fantastic Sams Hair Salons and Focus Brands.

Sturgis will lead development functions including franchise sales, real estate, store design and construction.