REAL ESTATE

Chicago -- Commercial real estate services firm DTZ announced that Cassidy Turley and DTZ are now operating as a single global firm following the completion of the acquisition of Cassidy Turley by the private equity investment consortium backed by TPG Capital, PAG Asia Capital and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

New York -- Brazilian athletic wear retailer Track & Field has opened its second U.S. store, in Brentwood, California. The retailer operates 122 stores in Brazil and opened its first U.S. store, in New York, approximately four years ago. It plans to open about 10 new stores in the United States in 2015 as part of its next phase of growth, according to Women’s Wear Daily.

Seattle -- Nordstrom plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at Ambassador Town Center in Lafayette, Louisiana.

The 25,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in spring 2016. The more than 425,000-sq.-ft. Ambassador Town Center is a joint development of Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties.

Oklahoma City – Fast food chain Sonic is heading upstate. Sonic has signed a new agreement for franchise development of eight new drive-ins in the Albany, New York area during the next seven years, with the first restaurant opening in Latham this spring.  

CHICAGO - Top commercial construction trends for 2015 include an increase in retail and restaurant ground-up construction and a rise in shopping mall renovations, according to national general construction firm  Englewood Construction.       

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Dutch specialty fashion retailer Mexx, which operates 800 stores across 55 countries, has retained Gordon Brothers Group and Hilco Merchant Resources to begin going-out-of-business sales at all Mexx retail locations throughout Canada. Mexx currently operates 95 retail locations across Canada.    

Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois - Mid-America Real Estate Corporation recently announced the promotions of two employees to Principals and two employees to Senior VPs.   Joe Girardi is a member of Mid-America’s Shopping Center Investment Sales team, and has been promoted to a Principal of Mid-America Real Estate Corporation. He has been with Mid-America since 2003, and has been directly involved in the completion of over $2 billion of retail investment sale transactions.   

Las Vegas - Through Dec. 31, Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is broadcasting a series of special holiday greetings from prominent Las Vegas personalities, headliners and show cast members on its LED screens at the heart of Las Vegas Boulevard.