Uniqlo opened its first West Coast flagship store, in a three-story, 29,000-sq.-ft. location at 111 Powell Street in San Francisco.
The store, positioned in the city’s Union Square area, features high-beamed ceilings, a basement to roof skylight, a central glass case housing rotating mannequins and a LED-illuminated rainbow staircase, as well as 77 LCD screens lining the perimeter of the store.
In addition, Uniqlo’s San Francisco store will include “Magic Mirror” technology, a “virtual dressing room” developed by Dai Nippon Printing.
“We are very pleased with the beautiful design and stunning architecture of our flagship San Francisco store,” said Uniqlo USA COO Yasunobu Kyogoku in a statement. “We’ve preserved the historical façade while completely remodeling the interior, rejuvenating the space with a modern contemporary twist. We’ve also infused the latest state-of-the-art technology to create a marquis shopping destination.”
IKEA Submits Plans for New Store in Kansas
IKEA submitted plans to local officials for a 349,000-sq.-ft. store in Merriam, Kan. The retailer plans to buy the land on which the store will be built from DDR Corp. If the plans are approved, the store is scheduled to open in the fall of 2014.
Brixmor Announced Multiple Leases
Tony’s Finer Foods signed a lease with Brixmor Property Group for a 67,163-sq.-ft. store at Westview Center in Hanover Park, Ill.
Kohl’s signed a lease for a 55,068-sq.-ft. store at Brixmor’s Killingly Plaza in Killingly, Conn. Peter Considine and Scott Black, of The Dartmouth Company, represented Kohl’s in the transaction. Charles Davis represented Brixmor in-house.
Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet signed a lease with Brixmor for a 13,800-sq.-ft. restaurant at Rollins Crossing in Round Lake Beach, Ill. Peilin Li, of Keller Williams Success Realty, represented the tenant in the transaction. Dana Meadowcroft represented Brixmor in-house.
Blink Fitness Takes Location at Concourse Plaza in the Bronx
Blink Fitness signed a lease with The Feil Organization for an 18,119-sq.-ft. facility at the Concourse Plaza in the Bronx. Randall Briskin represented the landlord in the transaction. Bill Miller, of Blink Fitness, and Peter Levine, of Charter Realty, represented the tenant.
Other Notable News
CBL & Associates Properties started construction on a 12-screen Cinemark Theatre at Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, Pa. The theater is scheduled to open in late 2013.
Oppidan Investment Co. started construction on a 20,600-sq.-ft. Goodwill store in Maple Grove, Minn. Construction is scheduled to be completed in January 2013.
The Sembler Co. hired Charlie Heard as vice president of development and Southeast market leader. Heard will be based in the company’s Atlanta office and will be responsible for pursuing new shopping center development opportunities in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. He has more than 25 years of experience in real estate. In the past, his clients included Publix, Kroger, Target, Home Depot, Best Buy, CVS and Walgreen’s.
Continental Real Estate Cos. hired Chris Barney as senior leasing associate. Previously, Barney worked as director of tenant representation with High Street Retail USA and as a leasing associate with Woolbright Development.