REAL ESTATE

Alexandria, Va. -- Douglas Development announced that Anthropologie has signed a lease for 10,500 sq. ft. in the newly acquired Douglas Development property at 610-12 King Street in Old Town, Alexandria, Va.

Anthropologie will move into the former Hallmark store by the end of this year.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Ross Stores said Tuesday that it will simultaneously open 12 stores on Oct. 8, all located in the greater Chicago area.

The new Ross Dress for Less stores will open simultaneously in Algonquin, Arlington Heights, Bloomingdale, Crystal Lake, Matteson, Naperville, Niles, Orland Park, Rockford, Schaumburg, Skokie and South Elgin.

"We are excited to be entering the Chicago area, which will significantly expand our national footprint," said Michael Balmuth, vice chairman and CEO, Ross Stores.

New York City -- Manhattan-based Atco Properties & Management said it has purchased Crossroads Center, a 99,000-sq.-ft. neighborhood shopping center in Austin, for $14.25 million.

The center is currently 70% leased to a mix of national tenants such as Bennihana, Chili’s, West Marine, Cycle Gear, as well as locals Trudy’s, Plucker’s and Big Daddy’s Burgers. 

Naperville, Ill. -- Centro Properties Group US announced that Gordmans opened a 50,000-sq.-ft. store at Westridge Court, located in Naperville, Ill.
 
The new discount store opened on July 29, joining recently opened retailers Savers thrift store (38,490 sq. ft.) and Dots (4,466 sq. ft.).

Westridge Court is owned by New York City-based Centro.
 

Milford, Conn. -- Subway Restaurants said Monday that its franchisees have opened nearly 600 new locations in 48 countries, 42 U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces over the past three months, bringing the total of new Subway restaurants to just over 1,200 for the year so far.

The new restaurants account for 1.4 million sq. ft. of retail space.

New York City -- Whole Foods Market plans to open a store in Virginia Beach, Va.

The retailer recently signed a lease with S.J. Collins Enterprises for the construction of a 40,000-sq.-ft. store in the Hilltop section of Virginia Beach. It is scheduled to open by yearend 2013.

London -- A Friday report by the United Kingdom’s The Independent newspaper said that San Francisco-based Williams-Sonoma is planning a U.K. launch in 2012.

The report said that the company has appointed a U.K. retail property agent and plans to open its first store in the first half of next year.

Plans call for a London debut and the report said the retailer is seeking 5,000-sq.-ft. to 8,000-sq.-ft. spaces.
 

Los Angeles -- Westfield Group shopping center owner said in a statement that it has agreed in principle to joint-venture with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey the new retail precinct at the site of the New York World Trade Center.

Westfield, upon completion of the deal, would manage and lease out the retail space expected to open in early 2015.