REAL ESTATE

Los Angeles — CBRE Group announced that it has acquired CBRE | Louisville, a commercial real estate services firm that has served as CBRE’s affiliate in metropolitan Louisville, Kentucky and southern Indiana since 1996.

The firm has a staff of 34 and manages more than 10 million sq. ft. in the region.

Virginia Beach, Virginia — Tupelo Honey Cafe has leased 7,000 sq. ft. at Town Center of Virginia Beach, offering traditional Southern restaurant fare. This second Tupelo Honey Cafe in Virginia will be located at the corner of Constitution Drive and Main Street on the first floor of the newly constructed 4525 Main Street Tower, according to Divaris Real Estate, which leases and manages the center.

Houston — JLL announced it has expanded its retail capabilities into Houston with the addition of Mark Raines as a senior VP. Partnering with Dallas retail brokerage lead Clay Smith and Austin and San Antonio market lead Todd Wallace, Raines will focus on JLL’s retail business including tenant representation and agency leasing and will serve as Houston’s retail brokerage leader.

Atlanta — Participating JLL-managed centers across the country will be hosting back-to-school events in August, as part of a partnership with Teen Vogue.
Teen Vogue Back-To-School Saturdays (BTSS) feature teen-oriented retailer sales promotions, entertainment, fashion shows, music, food and giveaways. The multi-platform initiative involves all of Teen Vogue’s assets in print, digital, social, mobile and event marketing.

A city with a booming population, one of the nation’s lowest unemployment figures, and an expanding presence on the national and international stage, Houston, Texas is on this rise. Already the fourth largest city in America, Houston has been recognized in recent years as a social and economic powerhouse that deserves to be considered alongside iconic cities like New York and Chicago. Unsurprisingly, Houston’s retail development growth has been a big part of its ascendance.

Plano, Texas -- J. C. Penney Company will open its first-ever store in Brooklyn, further increasing its New York City footprint, on Aug. 29. The all-new 124,000-sq.-ft., single-level store, located in Gateway Center, will provide a look at Penney's updated store model, which includes a new footwear format.  

As an article that appeared recently right here in Chain Store Age noted, there is something interesting going on with back-to-school shopping this year.

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack is opening 23 new interactive remodel stores in the Washington, D.C., metro area. RadioShack began remodeling and opening highly experiential concept stores across the country in July 2013, and has refreshed its more than 4,000 U.S. company-owned stores.

Locally remodeled stores feature RadioShack's new Fix It Here service, a mobile device repair program that typically delivers same-day repair for mobile devices. Technicians will diagnose and repair the device at an in-store kiosk, often in as little as an hour.