Published: Monday, October 1, 2012, 12:01 a.m.

Even on a recent work day, plenty of shoppers strolled up and down the covered outdoor promenade between stores and munched in the food court. Construction work to add more than 100,000 square feet of retail space ground on nearby. The work is visible to drivers whooshing past on I-5.

The outlet center in Quil Ceda Village has performed so well -- even in this sputtering economy -- that its owner, Simon Property Group, is adding around 14 stores' worth of retail space.

The project is expected to be completed by the middle of 2013. A new parking garage is already finished.

The success of the outlet center is a stark contrast to the fortunes of some of the owners of Everett Mall, who faced foreclosure earlier this summer.

"The appeal is our large collection of designer labels and name brands at great savings," said Mark Johnson, general manager of Seattle Premium Outlets.

Or, to put it another way, in good days, consumers enjoy a bargain and in bad times, they need it, said Linda Humphers, the editor of Value Retail News, an outlet industry trade publication based in Clearwater, Fla.

"Outlets have always done well in a difficult economy," she said. "They seem to be resistant to flattening."

The outlet industry is a small segment of the retail industry but it's growing. Nationally, there are 185 outlets, according to Value Retail News' State of the Outlet Industry report for 2012. Ten of those have opened in the past 18 months. Compare that to around 100,000 shopping centers in the U.S.

Even now when times are tough, outlet sales continue to grow. The trade publication estimates total industry sales at $25.4 billion this year. That's $3 billion higher than the estimate for 2011.

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Big addition to Seattle Premium Outlets to open next year

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Several major developments in recent years have increased the population and vibrancy of East North Avenue, a commercial corridor at the heart of Milwaukee's East Side neighborhood.

1150 North

Now, three more major residential projects are in the works for the East North Avenue area, which could further increase the population of the area and boost businesses in the neighborhood.

HD Development Group, led by Todd Davies, recently began site work for construction of a 122-unit apartment building at 1150 E. North Ave., which will be called 1150 North. Once the site work is complete there will be a brief pause before construction of the building begins, Davies said. Construction of the building will take about a year. He declined to comment on the financing status for the project. Most to all of the apartments will be rented at market rates, but details have yet to be determined, Davies said.

Town of Brookfield-based HSI Properties plans to build a 99-unit market rate apartment building, called The Standard @ East Library, at the site of the East Library at 1910 E. North Ave. The project will include a new 17,000-square-foot space for the library and 3,000 square feet of retail space. HSI is seeking a loan guarantee for the project from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's 221(d)(4) program. Construction could begin in early spring of 2013 and be complete in 12-15 months. The five-story building will replace the existing one-story library building.

Milwaukee-based Joseph Property Development LLC and Milwaukee-based Boulder Venture LLC are planning a redevelopment project at the former Prospect Mall site, located just off North Avenue, west of the Prospect Avenue and Ivanhoe Place intersection. The project will have 52 market rate apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail space. The existing building will be gutted to create the retail space and indoor parking space. Four levels of apartments will be built on top of the existing building. Boulder Venture will own the retail space and Joseph will own the apartments. Construction is expected to begin by next spring. It will take about one year to complete the project.

Joseph and Boulder Venture are "very close" to getting financing locked in for the project, said Robert Joseph, founder of Joseph Property Development.

The developers for these projects say their apartments will be leased by people, particularly young professionals, who want to live in the dense, pedestrian-friendly, active North Avenue corridor.

Continued here:
More development heading to East North Avenue

WEST MILFORD After four years of revisions, expansion plans for the townships primary retail center have now cleared most regulatory hurdles and may begin to take shape as soon as this winter.

The Planning Board unanimously approved the ShopRite centers multimillion-dollar expansion plan Thursday night, paving the way for an additional 4,000 square feet to the supermarket and another 9,000 square feet in new retail space. A large chunk of the new space will come from a 7,500-square-foot building that will replace a long-defunct movie theater.

Also as part of the plans, the supermarket will receive a face-lift, and its parking lot will be beautified with new landscaping and trees.

Its going to provide a major improvement, said John Wyciskala, an attorney for Inserra Supermarket Inc., which owns most of the retail center. Hopefully, with all these changes to the faade and overall appearance and experience, it will attract more business into West Milford.

The shopping center first submitted its growth plans in 2008; those plans drew Planning Board approval a year later. But Inserra ultimately found them infeasible for construction because a water tank would have to be relocated and possibly close the supermarket for some time, Wyciskala said. So the company decided to scale back, choosing only to extend a portion of the back of the supermarket while adding 10 feet to the front.

Mayor Bettina Bieri, who sits on the Planning Board, said the expansion is long overdue and residents have been eagerly awaiting the changes.

Itll be more beautiful, itll be more modern, the parking lot itself wont be as much as an eyesore, she said. Im excited just like all the rest of the residents.

Bieri said that many residents will be disappointed by the demolition of the old movie theater building. But after many failed business attempts, it is clear the township doesnt have enough residents to keep a cinema afloat, she said.

The supermarket will use its new floor space to change its layout and have a larger area to prepare fresh foods, Wyciskala said.

In addition to using the theaters space, the shopping center will add 1,500 square feet for retail on its far right end. No businesses have yet expressed interest in renting the space.

Continued here:
ShopRite in West Milford gets green light for expansion

Photo by Sam Yu

Construction at Market Square at the intersection of Md. 26 and Wormans MIll Road in Frederick continues, but some businesses plan to open this month.

The retail center, sitting on 49 acres at the intersection of Md. 26 and Worman's Mill Road, includes 194,000 square feet of commercial space and 400 residential units.

The center was named "Best New Mixed Use Development" by the Frederick County Building Industry Association at its annual awards presentation.

"Market Square represents the strength and depth of the Frederick market in terms of new housing and retail blended to create a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood," wrote Richard Griffin, director of the city's economic development office, in an email.

"This new center will provide needed services and products to residents and employees in north Frederick."

Frederick Alderwoman Shelly Aloi said the new center will add to the city's economy through tax revenue.

"One of the exciting things is that this group (developers of the center) came in for a text amendment to complete the project on a faster scale," Aloi said. "The group has been very successful in leasing space. For me, that is a sign it will be a positive impact on the economy."

Bank of America and McDonald's are scheduled to open this month, according to Theresa Vivona, a spokeswoman for developer JBG Rosenfeld Retail.

Syed and Sadia Anderabi, owners of the new McDonald's, said it will have a custom design featuring unique colors, the latest in kitchen technology and a focus on recycling.

See original here:
Market Square retailers to open

Published: Monday, October 1, 2012, 12:01 a.m.

Even on a recent work day, plenty of shoppers strolled up and down the covered outdoor promenade between stores and munched in the food court. Construction work to add more than 100,000 square feet of retail space ground on nearby. The work is visible to drivers whooshing past on I-5.

The outlet center in Quil Ceda Village has performed so well -- even in this sputtering economy -- that its owner, Simon Property Group, is adding around 14 stores' worth of retail space.

The project is expected to be completed by the middle of 2013. A new parking garage is already finished.

The success of the outlet center is a stark contrast to the fortunes of some of the owners of Everett Mall, who faced foreclosure earlier this summer.

"The appeal is our large collection of designer labels and name brands at great savings," said Mark Johnson, general manager of Seattle Premium Outlets.

Or, to put it another way, in good days, consumers enjoy a bargain and in bad times, they need it, said Linda Humphers, the editor of Value Retail News, an outlet industry trade publication based in Clearwater, Fla.

"Outlets have always done well in a difficult economy," she said. "They seem to be resistant to flattening."

The outlet industry is a small segment of the retail industry but it's growing. Nationally, there are 185 outlets, according to Value Retail News' State of the Outlet Industry report for 2012. Ten of those have opened in the past 18 months. Compare that to around 100,000 shopping centers in the U.S.

Even now when times are tough, outlet sales continue to grow. The trade publication estimates total industry sales at $25.4 billion this year. That's $3 billion higher than the estimate for 2011.

Read the rest here:
In downturn, expansion

The retail space at Grand River Station has remained empty since the transit center opened in August 2010. But the co-owner of the company now marketing the buildings lower-level storefronts says hes confident a tenant will surface soon, perhaps by years end.

The two retail spaces, 4,800 and 7,300 square feet, have drawn considerable interest since Access Commercial Real Estate began listing them late last year, Casey Weiss said.

Most have been start-up businesses that could not gain financial backing, Weiss said. He blamed the banks reluctance on the economic climate, but said recent activity downtown leads him to believe thats about to change.

Just one of them needs to finally pull the trigger and take the plunge, Weiss said.

We have a really willing landlord down there, Weiss said of Gorman & Co., which partnered with the city to build the $30 million transit center. Whoever goes in there first will probably get quite a deal.

The residential units in the upper levels have had no such problems, maintaining a 95 to 98 percent occupancy rate, said Denise Loveland, president of Horizon Management Group, which oversees the apartment rentals.

Of the 92 units in the center, 58 are part of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, with rents adjusted for income. Rents can range from about $300 to more than $1,000, she said.

Grand River Station has also become part of the emerging arts district, Loveland said. I think we found our niche in the downtown, she said.

The failure to fill the retail space led Madison-based Gorman & Co. to balk at making its monthly rent payments to the city, arguing potential tenants were driven away by a lack of parking due to Riverside III ramp construction. But it remains current on rent since paying $44,000 in September, city officials said.

Ted Matkom, Gormans Wisconsin market president, did not return calls for comment.

Read more from the original source:
Station still lacks retail tenants

ORLANDO, Fla., June 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RedChip Companies, Inc. ("RedChip"), an international, small-cap research and investor relations firm, has completed the build-out of a full HD television studio in Orlando, Florida.

The studio is equipped with Sony HD video cameras, a professional-grade lighting system, and a full editing suite with Final Cut Studio Pro, Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, and Premiere. The studio also has live broadcast and green screen capabilities.

RedChip will broadcast its upcoming financial television show, "The RedChip Money Report," from the studio. Hosted by Dave Gentry, President and CEO of RedChip, the weekly program will deliver insightful commentary on small-cap investing as well as executive interviews from companies soon to be discovered by major Wall Street firms. The show will air on ValCom, Inc.'s MyFamilyTV Network beginning in August. The network's 84 stations reach 39 million households across the U.S. To find the station in your area, visit http://www.myfamilytv.tv/affiliate_map.htm.

"Our new state-of-the-art studio will prove invaluable as we launch our weekly television program. From script to finished product, the studio is fully equipped to deliver top-quality productions," stated Mr. Gentry. "We encourage viewers to tune in and experience our exciting lineup of small-cap opportunities."

About RedChip Companies, Inc.

RedChip Companies, an Inc. 500|5000 company, is an international, small-cap research and investor relations firm headquartered in Orlando, Florida; with affiliate offices in Beijing, Seoul, Hong Kong and Singapore. RedChip delivers concrete, measurable results for its clients through its extensive global network of small-cap institutional and retail investors. RedChip has developed the most comprehensive platform of products and services for small-cap companies, including: RedChip Research(TM), Traditional Investor Relations, Digital Investor Relations, Institutional and Retail Conferences, RedChip Small-Cap TV(TM), Shareholder Intelligence, Social Media and Blogging Services, Webcasts, and RedChip Radio(TM). To learn more about RedChip's products and services, please visit: http://www.redchip.com/visibility/productsandservices.asp.

"Discovering Tomorrow's Blue Chips Today"(TM)

The RedChip Companies, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2761

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RedChip Completes Construction of New Television Studio

A onetime Hayes Valley freeway off-ramp turned parking lot/community garden can get yet another life as a new development with retail space and 182 rental units.

The Planning Commission gave its unanimous approval to the project's conditional use permit Thursday, clearing the way for the development. While the city still owns the property, a sales agreement has been reached with the developer.

The project is bounded by Oak Street, Laguna Street, Octavia Boulevard and Hickory Street, an unimproved right-of-way. Since the Central Freeway off-ramps were removed in 2003, plans have been in the works for adding housing on the property.

"This is an incredibly wonderful example of how to creatively reuse the freeway space," said Commissioner Kathrin Moore.

Plans call for 29 percent studios, 31 percent one-bedrooms and 40 percent two-bedroom units. Sixteen of the largest apartments will be two-story family-friendly town homes.

While community groups like the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association have endorsed the plan, some neighbors complained Thursday that the 91 parking spaces planned for the development weren't enough and would cause parking problems in the neighborhood. Others complained that the development was too dense for the neighborhood and didn't provide affordable housing.

But the city has been tightening parking requirements, especially in transit-rich spots like the Octavia-Hayes Valley area, and the project also includes parking spaces for 85 bicycles. The developer also agreed to pay $9.6 million to the city's affordable housing fund.

- John Wildermuth

Show us the money: The 49ers are going to court to collect some $30 million in redevelopment money the city of Santa Clara promised them for their new stadium.

Problem is, the city doesn't have that money after the state dissolved all local redevelopment agencies earlier this year. And the Santa Clara County agency now responsible for doling out any leftover redevelopment funds decided the community had more important uses for the cash than the planned $1.2 billion stadium.

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S.F. Hayes Valley off-ramp site set for housing

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) The red carpet was rolled out amidst the construction site as The Outlets at Traverse Mountain announced an expansion and new retailers, Thursday, June 28, 2012.

Retailing Outlets at Traverse Mountain set for November opening.

Calvin Klein, Izod, Coach, Polo Ralph Lauren and dozens of other retailers and restaurants are set to open in November in a new 225,000-square-foot outlet shopping center under construction in Lehi.

Outlets at Traverse Mountain is being built on 50 acres off the Interstate 15 at the Alpine/Highland exit. The expected 52-store project is a joint venture between Newport Beach, Calif.-based Craig Realty Group and Lehi-based Legacy Retail LLC. The general contractor is Layton Construction of Salt Lake City.

Outlets at Traverse Mountain

The mall at 3700 North Cabelas Blvd in Lehi eventually will have 52 stores. Tenants that have signed leases so far:

Auntie Annes Pretzels

Banana Republic Factory Store

Bass

More here:
New outlet mall to feature tenants new to Utah

by Gary Nelson - Jun. 26, 2012 10:01 PM The Republic | azcentral.com

Mesa's Fiesta District might as well be the Chernobyl of Valley retail areas.

With the exception of Fiesta Mall itself, most of the centers near Alma School Road and Southern Avenue are either dead or nearly so, relics of a boom that flickered and then died as shoppers fled to newer, glitzier venues.

Mesa has fought for years to revive the area, though nobody at City Hall thinks it ever will return as a retail mecca. The thinking now is urban mixed-use, with new buildings hewing to design standards that Mesa laid down several years ago but seldom used.

Now, the city itself is stepping up to lead the way.

It broke ground Tuesday for an ultramodern police substation that not only will put people in the neighborhood but, the city hopes, showcase the neighborhood's potential.

The site, a barren patch of dirt southeast of the Bank of America tower, will be teeming with construction workers for the next year.

"This is a tremendous step in our effort to improve the Fiesta District," said Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh, who represents the area. "We see the Fiesta District on the road to revitalization."

That a police station would occupy the site was the last thing anyone dreamed of six years ago.

Back then, a Chicago developer was wowing City Hall with promises of a glitzy high-rise called Fiesta Towers, two buildings of 19 stories each and two with 10 stories, that would transform southwest Mesa.

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Rehab of Mesa's Fiesta District begins