REAL ESTATE

Houston – Growth in the Houston retail estate market is expected to follow strong residential real estate growth in 2014. According to a report from NewQuest Properties delivered at the recent BoyarMiller Real Estate Forum, there are about 15 new shopping centers planned or under way in Houston.

In addition, the Houston retail sector is struggling to keep up with growth in the city and experiencing very low vacancy and default rates

Tucson, Ariz. — Floor & Décor has signed a long-term lease for a 58,205-sq.-ft. space at ABC Retail Center in Tucson, Ariz. It will be the specialty retailer’s first location in Tucson.

CBRE represented Floor & Décor in the transaction. The landlord, ABC Broadway/Kolb Center LLC of Tucson represented itself.

New York -- Whole Foods Market has inked a deal for a new location in the Bryant Park area of Manhattan – on Sixth Avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets.

A Wall Street Journal report, which cited unnamed sources, said that the grocer has agreed to take 10,000 sq. ft. on the ground floor and 22,000 sq. ft. on the second floor at 1095 Sixth Ave., a building owned by a Blackstone Group fund.

Algonquin, Ill. — Fuddruckers has opened a 6,600-sq.-ft. fast casual restaurant in the Algonquin Commons lifestyle center in Algonquin, Ill., a northwest suburb of Chicago. The new restaurant replaces a Cheeseburger in Paradise, according to Luby’s, Inc., the parent company of both brands and the owner of the site.

The Algonquin Commons restaurant will showcase Fuddruckers’ new interior scheme, which pays homage to the chains roadhouse look, while refreshing the look to cater to today’s more sophisticated tastes.

New York -- Swiss watchmaker Bovet 1822 will open a New York City flagship, just its fourth boutique in the world.

The 50 Central Park South store in the heart of midtown Manhattan is in the base of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The classic yet modern space incorporates walnut furniture lined with suede.

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack will open its newest Fairfax, Va. location as a concept store on Dec. 14. The new store is the first concept store in this area.

All concept stores in the company's portfolio feature an upgraded shopping experience, which showcases the company's new look, and incorporates interactive areas designed to help shoppers improve their technology profile. Some features include:

New York — Nearly 7,600 attendees packed into the International Council of Shopping Centers New York National Conference and Deal Making, a 9.6% spike over last year and the largest year-on-year increase since 2009.

“The New York Conference acts as a strong bellwether for industry growth in the year to come,” said Michael P. Kercheval, president and CEO of ICSC. “When the conference sees an increase in attendance, the industry grows the following year; if attendance contracts, so too does the industry.”