REAL ESTATE

Noted industry veteran rejoins R.J. Brunelli
When Michael Murphy started his career as a mall marketing director with Ernest W. Hahn in California, the Beatles had just recently broken up and enclosed malls were the new wave in retail. Now, after four years as director of retail services at Cushman & Wakefield, Murphy has returned to R. J. Brunelli & Co.to take up his former position as senior sales associate.
Starwood names new leasing chief
Michael J. Powers, a leasing veteran and principal in a progressive hair salon concept, has been promoted to senior VP and head of leasing at Starwood Retail Partners. Prior to joining Starwood as VP of leasing in 2013, Powers helped found Salonspace, a concept that seeks to provide hair stylists with a workplace environment they can approach on their own terms. He is a leasing veteran of Simon Property Group, Steiner + Associates, and Glimcher Realty Trust.

Dollar General acquires small chain

Dollar General is set to grow its already considerable footprint through an acquisition. The discounter will acquire all 323 stores from Dollar Express, according to the Charlotte Observer.
New York town calls on big data to find retailers for $4 billion project

Officials in New Rochelle, New York, want the right kind of retail partners for an aggressive redevelopment of its downtown, and it’s counting on big data to ferret them out.

The town has engaged Fort Worth-based Buxton to employ its Scout real estate analytics platform to identify restaurants and stores that will best synch with the dining and shopping habits of its residents.
Racine advances $16 million mall rescue plan

Trusted national news sources such as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times continue to augur the fall the mall, but many American towns won’t give them up without a fight. One such is Racine, Wisconsin, whose City Plan Commission advanced a scheme to revitalize the failing Regency Mall by forming a tax increment district (TID) around the 134-acre site that includes out-lots housing Target, Home Depot, Toys R Us, and the High Ridge Center.
CBRE firms up Seattle brokerage team

Going local is the big trend in retail center food and beverage options, so why not for retail brokerage houses? That’s the tack CBRE is taking in its Seattle office with the hiring of two long-time leasing pros from Washington State-based Wallace Properties, which lays claim to scouting out the best locations from “Olympia to Bellingham and from Seattle to Spokane.”
Supermarket retailer taps 24-year-company veteran to head real estate

A Publix Super Markets associate who started his career with the company as a part-time meat cutter has been named VP of real estate strategy. Publix promoted Bob Balcerak to the top real estate post, effective April 3, 2017. As VP, he will oversee the selection of new sites and management of leased properties for Publix stores.
Merchants gaining more leverage over landlords in Manhattan

Plummeting retail occupancy rates have Manhattan landlords in a generous mood. According to a Bloomberg report, Manhattan landlords are offering their retail clients such giveaways as interior redesigns and moving expenses to keep storefronts from going dark.
Virtual reality 'Justice League' film is coming to malls

A few select malls will be the benefactors of what might prove to be the entertainment sensation of the year — a virtual reality version of "Justice League 2017." IMAX Corp. and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment have announced a virtual reality co-venture that will issue three interactive VR versions of upcoming Warner Bros. blockbusters. "Justice League" will be the first, scheduled to hit IMAX cinemas for the holiday season, to be followed by "Aquaman" and a yet-to-be-determined film franchise.
Colliers names North Jersey leasing director

Colliers International has announced the hiring of Wayne L. Kasbar as managing director in its Parsippany, New Jersey, office. He will focus on the retail sector. Kasbar comes to Colliers from Silbert Realty & Management Company, where he oversaw the brokerage team covering New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Prior to that, he spent five years at Trammel Crow, now part of CBRE, leaving there as VP of brokerage services.