New developments Montgomery, Ala. - Locally based companies Jim Wilson & Associates and Alfa Real Estate Investments are jointly developing EastChase, a master planned mixed-use development in Montgomery. The development will include entertainment venues, multifamily housing, business sites, and retail, with construction due to begin soon on Phase I, a 350,000 sq. ft. open-air lifestyle retail center. Wilson has experience with mixed-use developments, such as Riverchase Galleria in Birmingham, Ala.
Atlanta - Locally based Paces Properties plans a new mixed-use development called Oakdale Park in the Vinings area. The project will feature 49 homes in the $400s by Capital Design, in addition to 150,000 sq. ft. of open-air retail and 30,000 sq. ft. of second-story office space. The village concept will include an amphitheater and park and is reminiscent of Vinings Jubilee, an earlier development by Paces in the same area. Homebuilding is currently underway at the site.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - Baltimore-based RTKL, an international architecture and planning firm, has completed design development for the 750,000 sq. ft. Mega Centro. The center, developed by Centros del Caribe, will be anchored by Hypermarket Questa and department stores Americana and La Gran Via. Mega Centro, which uses a racetrack layout and a bold color scheme, is slated to be completed by November 2001. Among its more interesting features will be a one-third size replica of a baseball field to reflect Dominicans' love of the game.
Port Chester, N.Y. - G&S Investors of Old Bethpage, N.Y. have broken ground on The Waterfront at Port Chester in Port Chester, NY. The project will feature a 140,000 sq. ft., two-level Costco, as well as smaller retailers, a supermarket, and a cinema. The project should take about two years to complete.
Arlington, Va. - Chicago-based McCaffery Interests Inc. hosted a groundbreaking ceremony recently for its new development, The Market Common. The project includes 240,000 sq. ft. of streetfront retail, 87 townhomes, 300 Class-A apartments, and 22,000 sq. ft. of office space.
Las Vegas - Laurich Properties Inc. has opened the first phase of its new Silverado Ranch Centre, a 200,000 sq. ft. neighborhood center. Anchors include Albertson's, Blockbuster Video, and Sav-on Drug. Construction on the project finishes later this year.
Chicago - Vicenza, Italy-based retailer Bottega Veneta has signed a lease for a two-level 4,500 sq. ft. flagship store in the U.S. Equities Realty Inc.'s new Park Hyatt Hotel on the Magnificent Mile. The high-end leather goods retailer helps add to the upscale flavor of the hotel, which in March saw Giorgio Armani sign a lease on a 10,000 sq. ft. space. The Bottega Veneta store will replace the current Chicago location at 840 North Michigan Avenue.
Major tenant happenings Lynwood, Wash. - Nordstrom of Seattle recently announced that it will be expanding its presence in General Growth Properties' Alderwood Mall. The new space, which was formerly a Lamont's department store, will be 167,000 sq. ft., 32% larger than the mall's current Nordstrom location. Demolition of the Lamont's building will begin in Fall of 2001. Nordstrom will stay in its current location until the new store is completed.
Athens, Ga. - Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL & Associates Properties recently announced that they are adding a food court to Georgia Square Mall in Athens, Ga. The new food court will occupy approximately 11,000 sq. ft., will feature five eateries, and will have common seating for 250. Completion is set for early April 2001.
Redevelopment Alexandria, Va. - Chicago-based General Growth Properties has announced a two-phase redevelopment of Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Va. Phase one includes purchasing a 192,000 sq. ft. space currently occupied by JCPenney and revamping it for use by Lord & Taylor. Phase two will include the opening of several new retail tenants.
Renovations Walkill, NY. - Construction and renovation has begun on Orange Plaza, a 900,000 sq. ft. power center by Purchase, N.Y.-based National Realty & Development Corp. The existing 1 million sq. ft. Orange Plaza Mall will be demolished to make room for the new one, which will be anchored by Wal-Mart and Kohl's, and will keep a Home Depot and Big Kmart from the previous project. Company officials expect the area's strong demographics to contribute to its success.
Willow Grove, Penn. - New York-based CREATE Architectural Planning & Design has been awarded the commission to design renovations for the Willow Grove Park mall. The mall's owner,Philadelphia-based PREIT, has announced a comprehensive $25 million overhaul of the 18-year-old facility, and will be adding a Macy's and a new parking deck, in addition to the aesthetic improvements that CREATE will put in place.