REAL ESTATE

Chicago -- Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based Mid-America Asset Management Inc. said that Skechers recently signed a lease for 8,690 sq. ft. at Burbank Station in Chicago's west suburbs.

The new store is slated to open in the fall.

Burbank Station is a 303,566-sq.-ft. suburban retail center anchored by Food 4 Less, Sports Authority, Babies “R” Us, Office Max, PetSmart and HomeGoods.
 

Los Angeles -- X Team International said that Los Angeles-based partner Cypress Retail Group has completed a lease for the first full-service 24 Hour Fitness SuperSport in North Hollywood, Calif.

Toronto -- J. Crew announced Friday it will open its first Canadian store in August at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre, located in Toronto.

The approximately 5000-sq.-ft. store, which will offer women’s-only clothing and accessories, marks J. Crew’s international debut, joining recent market entries by retailers such as Target and Big Lots in leveraging Canada’s relatively strong economy.

McLean, Va. -- The Rappaport Cos. announced it has named Charlotte B. Strain as senior VP asset management. Strain will work directly with current clients and third-party accounts and oversee property management, asset management and lease administration functions. She will be responsible for a portfolio of 9 million sq. ft. of retail space and some 1,500 leases.

Strain was previously with Jones Lang LaSalle and AvalonBay Communities.

Parker, Colo. -- Westwood Financial Corp. said it has acquired the Stroh Ranch Retail Center, a 6,336-sq.-ft. property in Parker, Colo., outside Denver. Westwood Financial bought the distressed asset in a short sale and said it is currently eyeing similar opportunities in this sector.

The two-unit, 1999-built Stroh Ranch Retail Center currently counts Pizza Hut as its only tenant after Blockbuster vacated last year, leaving it 21% leased.
 

Franklin, Tenn. -- Centro Properties Group said that Big Lots will open a 40,000-sq.-ft. store at Watson Glen, located in Franklin, Tenn. 

The shopping center is owned by New York City-based Centro Properties Group.
 

Tucson, Ariz. -- Commercial Retail Advisors said that Ben's Speedy Two-Wheelers is opening the first bike store in the Rita Ranch area of Tucson's southeast submarket.

The new 2,500-sq.-ft. space is slated to open in July.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples has revealed plans to shrink its overall store footprint and grow its break rooms as a means to lower costs and increase sales productivity.

In a presentation to analysts at a Jefferies & Co. conference in New York City on Wednesday, Staples U.S. president Demos Pareros said new stores will be about 15,500 sq. ft. to 16,000 sq. ft., down from the current prototype of 18,000 sq. ft. and the 2000 prototype of 24,000 sq. ft.