REAL ESTATE

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Stores recently opened a total of 30 Ross Dress for Less and seven DD’s Discounts stores in 14 different states. These openings are part of the off-price retailer's 2014 expansion plans for about 95 new stores, which will include continuing to build presence in existing markets and grow in the newer markets initially entered in 2011.

Ross believes that long-term expansion opportunities include 2,000 Ross Dress for Less stores and 500 DD’s Discounts stores.

Ann Arbor, Mich. - Domino's Pizza is opening its first store in Paraguay. Grupo Vierci, master franchisee for Domino’s Pizza Paraguay, plans to open three new stores in the Asuncion area of the country by the end of May 2014.

Minneapolis - The Tile Shop has expanded its presence into New Mexico with the opening of its Albuquerque store. The Tile Shop’s new 22,000-sq.-ft. Albuquerque location features fully decorated, room-size displays — kitchens, baths, and other spaces within a home, as well as premium lighting and plumbing fixtures that allow homeowners to see what their Tile Shop tile and stone will look like installed in their home.

New York -- A new white paper from Austin, Texas-based Accruent offers retailers insights into key project management challenges.

Called “The Business Case for an Automated Project Management Solution,” the paper discusses ways to maximize store profitability by reducing the time and cost required to open new locations. It also summarizes research findings that support automating project management toward portfolio-wide visibility and maximum real estate asset value.

Los Angeles — A private buyer has acquired Huntington Plaza, a 57,148-sq.-ft. shopping center in Monrovia, Calif., in the San Gabriel Valley. Anchored by Sprouts Farmers Market and Walgreens, the center was 96% leased at the time of the sale. The tenant roster includes McDonald’s, Jersey Mikes, Flame Broiler, Great Clips and Pacific Dental.

The owner engaged Studley and Colliers International to offer the property for sale. The two companies have jointly handled the leasing of Huntington Plaza for more than six years.

Los Angeles — The Lipsey Company has named CBRE Group the top global brand in commercial real estate for the 13th consecutive year.

A training and professional development firm specializing in commercial real estate, Lipsey has surveyed commercial real estate professionals on their perceptions of the industry’s leading brands since 2001. More than 100,000 U.S. and international professionals participated in the 2014 survey. Respondents included property owners, investors, lenders, occupiers, brokers and property managers.

Framingham, Mass. – Cumberland Farms is reportedly selling 27 stores in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, to Petroleum Marketing Group, based in Woodbridge, Va. According to the Boston Globe, the stores will continue to operate as convenience stores and all roughly 600 affected employees are expected to keep their jobs.

Cumberland Farms will focus on its nearly 600 remaining stores in New England, New York, and Florida. Both companies are private and terms were not disclosed.

TAIPEI -- Gap will officially open its first Taiwan flagship store on March 8 as part of its ongoing strategy to expand Gap’s global footprint. With plans to open about 30 Gap stores across its Greater China region, including three in Taiwan, the brand expects to have more than 100 stores by the end of fiscal 2014.