REAL ESTATE

Beachwood, Ohio — DDR Corp. has announced that a joint venture formed with an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII L.P. has closed on the acquisition of a portfolio of seven prime shopping centers totaling 2.4 million sq. ft. The assets are located in supply constrained MSA’s including Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington D.C., Portland, Harrisburg, Pa., and Cincinnati.

New York — Luxury apparel retailer 3.1 Phillip Lim has leased a 5,800-sq.-ft. store at 48 Jones Street in New York City’s Bowery district. The space includes a 3,500-sq.-ft. ground floor and a lower level with 2,300 sq. ft. The store is expected to open in the first quarter of 2014. 3.1 Phillip Lim also has a store in SoHo on Mercer Street as well as a third U.S. location in Los Angeles.

In the transaction, RKF www.rkf.com represented the landlord, 48 Tenant’s Corp., and Town Real Estate represented 3.1 Phillip Lim.

New York — Noble Roman’s, the franchisor of Nobel Roman’s Pizza and Tuscano’s Italian Style Subs, has announced signed agreements for eight more stand-alone locations, brining the total of signed locations to 29.

To date, eight locations are open and 21 are under development.

Lafayette, La. — Hungry Howie’s has opened a new pizza shop in Lafayette, La., near the University of Louisiana campus.

It is the third store for the young franchise. The other two stores are in nearby Baton Rouge.

Greenwood Village, Colo. — Red Robin Gourmet Burgers will open its first location in Peoria, Ill., on Sept. 2. To help celebrate the grand opening, Red Robin will donate the new restaurant’s sales of Freckled Lemonade for the first week of operations to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding cures for all kids with cancer.

Pomona, Calif. — The Cal Poly Pomona Foundation plans to open a Shop24 automated convenience store at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, in September.

The store will serve residents at the University Village, a student housing facility with more than 1,300 residents. Shop24 is a totally automated and refrigerated convenience store designed for 24/7 access.

New York — CBRE Group announced today that Patrick Arangio, co-leader of CBRE’s Capital Markets’ National Loan Sale Advisory Group, has been promoted to vice chairman. The 13-year industry veteran has participated in the advisory and placement of more than $18 billion in loan sales during his career. At age 34, he will become Capital markets’ youngest vice chairman.

In 2012, Arangio earned a spot on The Mortgage Observer’s Top 20 Under 35.

Omaha, Neb. — Westroads Mall has begun work on a major, two-phase renovation and remodeling of the three-level, enclosed, 1.2-million-sq.-ft. super-regional shopping center in Omaha, Neb.

Phase I is underway with mall-wide painting plus interior and exterior LED lighting installation. Phase I will also upgrade the malls energy management system. Plans call for Phase I to finish before the holiday season.