REAL ESTATE

Inventrust Properties acquires Virginia shopping center
Richmond, Va. - InvenTrust Properties Corp. has acquired Westpark Shopping Center, a 176,935-sq.-ft., 95% leased shopping center located in Glen Allen, Virginia, for $33.75 million.
Futuristic retail-tech space, Bespoke, opens at Westfield San Francisco Centre
San Francisco -- Westfield Corp. and Forest City Enterprises on Thursday unveiled Bespoke, a coworking, event and tech-demo space designed to foster a retail-tech community and support retail innovation at Westfield San Francisco Centre. Bespoke is designed as a space where entrepreneurs, brands and retailers can come together to research, create, collaborate, refine, showcase and debut work within the confines of the shopping center, which features more than 200 retailers and restaurants.

Starbucks coming to mixed-use center in Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa - Two leases have been signed for ground-floor retail space at The Foundry in Ames, Iowa, including Starbucks. Committed tenants for the luxury student housing complex near Iowa State University also include Barefoot Campus Outfitter.
Saks’ Off 5th to open first downtown store, in San Francisco

New York -- Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th will open its first metro downtown store, on Market Street in downtown San Francisco. The new 40,500-sq.-ft. store will celebrate its grand opening on May 28.

“This store is the first Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th store in a city center, and we believe San Francisco is an ideal location as we begin to expand into metropolitan markets,” said Jonathan Greller, president of outlets, Hudson’s Bay Company, parent company of Saks.
Gander Mountain opens a second store in St. Louis metro area

O'Fallon, Ill. -- Gander Mountain will open a store in O'Fallon, Illinois, on May 28.

The new 61,000-sq.-ft. Gander Mountain store features an exterior and interior layout that reflect its new store design, featuring innovative interior elements, displays and fixtures.

"We are excited to open our second Gander Mountain location in the St. Louis Metro and provide the countless outdoors enthusiasts with the gear they need," said Gander Mountain president and COO Mike Owens.
Hooters will expand globally with Colliers International

Atlanta - Hooters of America LLC has finalized an agreement with global commercial real estate services firm Colliers International to have the firm advise Hooters on real estate needs and provide strategic counsel as the brand expands domestically and internationally. Colliers International’s Bob Browning, VP for retail services, and Robert Hantgan, senior VP, are managing the exclusive assignment.
Retail Rap: Seeing and Being Seen at ICSC

I just got back from the International Council of Shopping Centers’ (ICSC) 2015 RECon Convention in Las Vegas, and I came away feeling as good as I have about the state of the industry in some time (and it wasn’t just the weather, which was delightfully on the cool side). Judging by the buzz on the floor at the convention center, the action was definitely heating up.
ONES TO WATCH

Beyond the 10 retail real estate pros highlighted as our Under 40 Rising Stars, we handpicked another 10 as the “Ones to Watch.” Following is an alphabetical list:

Crystal Allen, age 31, VP, Transwestern

D.J.
Krispy Kreme to open 11 stores in central U.S.

Winston-Salem, N.C. - Krispy Kreme has signed development agreements to open 11 Krispy Kreme shops in Arkansas, Montana, Illinois and Kentucky in the next several years. An agreement with Dennis Porter,pPresident of DTL of the Emerald Coast, includes four additional shops to open in Arkansas.
Bareburger enlists Buxton to find new markets

Astoria, N.Y. – Bareburger has signed up to use Buxton's Scout platform to identify the best market opportunities for growth in the U.S. and Canada. Buxton's custom analytic solutions will allow Bareburger to quantify growth potential and select the best sites for new locations.