Crosland Inc. and Biltmore Farms LLC have formed a joint venture to develop the Town Square at Biltmore Park, a $140 million mixed-use regional destination in south Asheville, N.C. The joint venture also announced a lease with Consolidated Theaters for a 57,000-square-foot facility. Site work for phase I will begin this spring and the first tenants will open in November 2007.
Mills Corp. opened 110,000-square-foot The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass at its 2.3-million-square-foot Sawgrass Mills project outside Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The expansion includes high-end luxury outlet retailers, a day spa and restaurants.
JCPenney, Target and Best Buy all opened in March at the 830,000-square-foot Providence MarketPlace, a part of the broader 1,000-acre Providence master-planned community being developed outside of Nashville, Tenn. The project is a joint venture between Carolina Holdings and Crosland Inc.
Forest City named Lauren Navarro as national director of specialty leasing for Forest City Enterprises. Prior to joining the company, Navarro was the owner of Trilogy Consulting, an independent shopping center marketing and specialty leasing firm.
Nordstrom, Inc. signed a letter of intent with Westfield Group to open a new 149,000-square-foot store at Westfield Palm Desert in Palm Desert, Calif., scheduled to open in spring 2009. Also, JCPenney reached an agreement to take a 145,000-square-foot former Robinsons-May at Westfield MainPlace in Santa Ana, Calif.
The Sembler Co. named Chase Wolf Vice President of Operations. Wolf is responsible for the property management and accounting services for Sembler's portfolio of shopping centers across the southeastern United States. Wolf previously was president of Pegasus Development.
NewMark Merrill Cos. Broke ground on the 207,000-square-foot Marketplace on Grove in Ontario, Calif. The center will be anchored by a 169,643-square-foot Lowe's Home Improvement, several restaurants and retail pads, and 270 apartments. The project is slated to open this fall.
Cabela's has signed on for its first location outside the U.S. at Gordon Group Holding's Lac Mirabel project north of Montreal. It will open a 175,000-square-foot store at the 2.2 million-square-foot retail project. It will open between fall 2007 and spring 2008.
CBL & Associates Properties Inc. named Jim Ward its new director of corporate sponsorship and branding. Ward previously served as the general manager of both Georgia Square in Athens, Ga., and Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville, N.C.
MulvannyG2 Architecture hired Lawrence Yuan to serve as Principal and Technical Design Lead of their Shanghai International Group based in Bellevue, Wash. The Group also has a regional office in Shanghai, China. Yuan has over 30 years of architectural experience. He founded his own design firm in 1987, Yuan Nesland & Associates (YNA), where he was managing principal.
Malcolm Riley & Associates and Michael Asheghian, formed a joint venture called Riley/Asheghian Associates to develop the 270,000-square-foot Hesperia Plaza power center in High Desert, Calif. Construction of the project will begin this fall with completion planned for April 2008.
Champion Development Group broke ground on the The Burbank (Calif.) Collection, the second phase of the Burbank Entertainment Village, a $90 million urban infill mixed-use development. The project will feature 118 condominiums, including 60 luxury lofts, along with 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Construction is expected to be completed in 2008.
Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund is partnering with Fidelis Realty Partners to redevelop the 360,000-square-foot Marq*E Center in West Houston, Texas. Fidelis will manage the center day-to-day and work with Canyon Johnson to reposition the center.
Staubach Retail appointed James E. Reilly as Vice President for the Northeast Region. Reilly is based in Staubach's Philadelphia office. Most recently, he was Vice President and Director of Retail at Corporate Realty Solutions, Inc.
North American Properties has begun demolition at the 220,000-square-foot Merchant's Festival outside Atlanta as part of redevelopment of the project. About 75 percent of the center is being demolished to make way for a Target-anchored neighborhood center that will includes 50,000 square feet of restaurant and small shop space. Redevelopment will be completed by Fall 2007 with Target opening in July 2007.
The Related Cos. Broke ground on the $56.7 million, 170,000-square-foot Hub Retail and Office Center in the Bronx, N.Y. Tenants will include Staples, Rite Aid and Forman Mills, an apparel retailer. The Department of Finance also will relocate 225 employees to the new facility.