New developments
Chula Vista, Calif. — Construction recently began on Phase I of Gateway Chula Vista, which is being billed as South County's largest luxury mixed-use project. The $58 million, 346,000-sq.-ft. development, situated on 4.5 acres, will include three Class-A buildings to be constructed in three phases to include approximately 62,000 sq. ft. of retail and 285,000 sq. ft. of office space.
The project will also include a retail promenade on the ground floor of each building that will feature an upscale dining facility and a four-tiered parking structure. Phase I is due for completion in February 2002, while Phases II and III will be completed in early 2003 and 2005.
Developed by locally based Gateway Chula Vista LLC, the center is designed by McCabe Harris Architecture. DPR Construction and Facility Solutions will handle general contractor duties. San Diego-based Business Real Estate Brokerage Co./NAI will handle leasing.
Opelika, Ala. — Gateway Crossing, a 350,000-sq.-ft. power center, is being developed by Montgomery, Ala.-based McClinton & Co. Inc. The center will be anchored by a 100,000-sq.-ft. department store and will include five junior anchors ranging in size from 25,000 to 60,000 sq. ft. Scheduled to open in 2003, Gateway Crossing will be designed by the Coral Gables, Fla., office of Beame Architectural Partnership.
Las Vegas — Montecito Town Center will encompass 10 million sq. ft. when its 30-year buildout period is complete. The $2 billion, 200-acre project will include a Main Street concept, Class-A office space, community retail, high-density housing, an entertainment core and a regional mall.
Developed by umbrella organization Montecito Cos., the project will lie within a 10-minute commute of more than 650,000 residents in the city's Northwest quadrant. Construction on the 60- to 70-acre first phase, which will include the regional mall component, begins later this year and will be completed in June 2003. Baltimore-based RTKL is masterplanning the project.
Myrtle Beach, S.C. — Belk, Dillard's and Sears have committed to anchor The Mall of South Carolina, a 1.3 million-sq.-ft. regional mall set to open in fall 2003. Developed by Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL in a joint venture with Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc., the mall will also include two as-yet-unnamed department store anchors.
Palm Desert, Calif. — Desert Gateway Shopping Center, a 700,000-sq.-ft. power center, is being developed by Indian Wells, Calif.-based Malcolm Riley & Associates and Carver Cos. The center will be anchored by a 148,759-sq.-ft. Wal-Mart and a 153,000-sq.-ft. Sam's Club. Designed by MCG Architects, the center will open in spring 2003.
Expansions
Riverdale, Utah — Winter 2002 will see the grand opening of the east phase of The Family Center at Riverdale, a 489,474-sq.-ft. power center developed by Beechwood, Ohio-based Developers Diversified Realty. Anchored by Sam's and a Wal-Mart Supercenter, the east phase is the third in a retail complex featuring a tenant roster including Super Target, The Home Depot, Circuit City and OfficeMax.
Pittsburgh — Forest City Enterprises Inc. recently celebrated groundbreaking on Bessemer Court, a 59,000-sq.-ft. addition to its mixed-use Station Square development. Bessemer Court, a freestanding plaza located between Station Square and the Monongahela River, will be anchored by an 8,100-sq.-ft. Hard Rock Café. Other tenants at the center will include Joe's Crab Shack, Starbucks, an upscale nightclub, several bars and restaurants, a comedy club and a floating seasonal boardwalk/marina.
Thanks to the U.S. Senate's FY 02 Transportation Appropriation Bill, the project will receive $1 million in public funds to construct the Station Square River Landing and Boat Docks. In addition to providing boaters and water taxis with access to the project, the new docks will provide Pittsburgh with its first public riverfront connection from the Monongahela River to the South Shore. Bessemer Court is scheduled for completion in mid-summer 2002.
Denver — Equity Office Properties Trust is spending $25 million in renovations and expansions on Tabor Center, its downtown mixed-use development. After the renovations, Tabor Center will include 136,000 sq. ft. of retail space. The project also features a 30-level tower with 669,000 sq. ft. of office space, a 433-key Westin Hotel and a 1,700-space parking garage.
Significant construction and remodeling are being used to create new pedestrian links between the center's shopping component and the office tower and hotel components. The retail portion will also undergo reconstruction of its façade on the 16th Street Mall to create prominent individual storefronts for tenants. A 23,000-sq.-ft. ESPN Zone will act as anchor when the dust settles in fall 2002.
Redevelopments
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — King of Prussia, Pa.-based Kravco Co. is planning $50 million worth of expansion and renovation for The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale. Atlanta-based architects TVS & Associates is masterplanning the project, which will include a dramatic new exterior identity and a reconfigured interior.
The 1.3 million-sq.-ft., 47-year-old mall is currently anchored by Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Burdines, Dillard's and Lord & Taylor. The redevelopment begins July 2002 and will be completed in November 2003.
Orange, Calif. — Irvine, Calif.-based Wohl Investment Co. recently recycled an aging light industrial park and adjoining retail site into two new shopping centers — Katella Center and Katella Plaza. Located on either side of an intersection that sees 60,000 automobiles per day, the two properties now have heightened and renovated façades, tower elements for anchor tenants and new landscaping.
Auto Zone signed a seven-year lease to anchor the 47,000-sq.-ft. Katella Center, while Quizno's, Hobby People, Elite Communications, Pep Boys, Marie Callender, McDonald's and Chevron occupy the 63,000-sq.-ft. Katella Plaza. Wohl's total investment in upgrading the projects exceeded $2 million.
Major tenant happenings
Newport Beach. Calif. — Sporting goods superbrand Nike will open its first-ever NIKEgoddess store at The Irvine Co.'s Fashion Island center next month. The 6,000-sq.-ft. prototype focuses on womens' sports apparel, footwear and equipment.
Grapevine, Texas — North Texas' first Last Call From Neiman Marcus store will soon join Arlington, Va.-based The Mills Corp.'s 1.5 million-sq.-ft. Grapevine Mills. The 32,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in Spring 2002.
Philadelphia — Sunbelt Management Co.'s The Shops at Liberty Place is juggling tenants to make way for new additions. The center's Sunglass Hut, Footlocker and April Cornell shops are moving into new digs to make way for the construction of new AnnTaylor Loft and Aveda stores.
During first quarter 2002, Crabtree & Evelyn will relocate to a streetfront position, while a new Illuminations store will be constructed. Baltimore-based Williams Jackson Ewing handles leasing and management of the 150,000-sq.-ft. property.
Business
Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel — The board of directors for grocer Blue Square-Israel Inc. asked Yossi Kucik to join the company as a director. Kucik has served more than 25 years in senior positions for numerous Israeli ministries and agencies. Most recently he held the position of director-general of Israel's prime minister's office under Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
Blue Square pioneered modern food retailing in Israel. The company has 167 supermarkets, varying in format, services and prices. The percentage of food purchases made in Israeli supermarket chains has grown to 40% compared to 65% in Europe and 70% in the United States. In order to increase its gross profit margins, the company launched a private brand program offering customers a wider range of exclusive products.