REAL ESTATE

In 2000, the population of Conroe, Texas, north of Houston, was under 40,000. Today, the city named the fastest-growing in America (per U.S. Census Bureau) counts more than 80,000 citizens and newcomers are spilling over into neighboring communities.  

The town managers of New Lenox, Illinois, needed a new train station, so they bought a shopping center.   It was three years ago that Mayor Tim Baldermann and New Lenox purchased the Rock Island Station Shopping Center, according to the Chicago Tribune.  It invested more than $3 million in the site, which included buying out the businesses of the four stores there, demolishing them, and doing an environmental clean-up.    

“Ridgmar…has always had a good regional location, and that’s not something to give up on,” Weitzman broker Bob Young told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.     A fixture in the central Texas city since the 1970s, Ridgmar Mall is is replacing shuttered Neiman Marcus and Macy anchors with a SeaQuest Aquarium in an attempt to escape the fate of two other malls that have closed in Tarrant County: North Hills Mall in North Richland Hills and Six Flags Mall in Arlington.  

A new Publix-anchored center has brought 200 jobs and new shopping and dining opportunities to the 14,000-plus residents of Moultrie, Georgia, according to The Moultrie Observer.   “We’d had 26 ribbon cuttings through March. There’s a lot of new businesses expansions, adding a few people here and there. Our unemployment rate continues to drop.” said Darrell Moore, president of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority.   

Eloquii is making the leap to physical retailing — with more than one location.    The plus-size fashion brand is set to open a store at The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, Arlington, Va., followed by a location in downtown Chicago, and one at Easton Town Center, in Columbus, Ohio, which will open in September, reported The Columbus Dispatch.   

CBL has named Alan Lebovitz senior VP of management to succeed Jerry Sink, who has retired after a 25-year career at the company. Lebovitz will oversee the staff and operations at the company’s 123 properties, a responsibility that encompasses some 300 employees and 77 million sq. ft. of retail.  

Camping World Holdings has given an update on its plans for Gander Mountain.   Camping World, which acquired the assets of Gander Mountain and boating division Overton's in a bankruptcy auction in May, said it plans to operate 57 locations — assuming details can be worked out with landlords and final acceptable leases agreed to. Liquidation sales started in May at all 160 Gander stores.   

Gathering places and green spaces must be in the designs every new shopping center on the boards today. If you want people to come to a place to shop, you must first make them want to come to the place.