The Owings Mills market can't handle major retail development at the former Solo Cup property and other sites along the Reisterstown Road corridor, according to studies commissioned by the developer planning to revamp the mall.

The market analysis and traffic studies released Wednesday by Kimco Realty come as Baltimore County begins a broad zoning review. As competition builds between developers, Owings Mills revitalization is expected to be among the most controversial topics.

Kimco is planning a $65 million redevelopment of Owings Mills Mall, now more than half-empty. It is one of three major projects in the area. Nearby, a large mixed-use development called Metro Centre is under construction; and at the site of the former Solo Cup factory, the firm Greenberg Gibbons wants to build Foundry Row, a retail development anchored by a Wegmans grocery store.

"This market only will bear so much retail," said Geoffrey Glazer, Kimco's vice president of acquisition and development.

Too much development could lead to "market deterioration," according to Kimco's retail study, conducted by the Bethesda firm Streetsense. It could saturate the market and scatter demand among too many stores and restaurants.

Greenberg Gibbons plans to release its own economic impact study next week.

The firm "is very bullish on Owings Mills and is excited by the opportunity to deliver a first-class retail project with Wegmans that will benefit the community," Tom Fitzpatrick, the firm's president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

"It seems [Kimco's] report was designed to paint a highly negative picture of the Owings Mills retail market. We do not share that view," Fitzpatrick said. "In fact, we believe that Foundry Row will complement other developments planned for the area and that a rising tide will lift all boats."

Glazer and Howard Brown of David S. Brown Enterprises developer of Metro Centre have contended that retail uses at the Solo Cup property would create traffic congestion and too much vacant space in the area.

About 600,000 square feet along Reisterstown Road could be approved for retail use this year, including the Solo Cup site. According to the study, granting those requests would lead to 19 percent more retail space than demand can support.

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Owings Mills Mall builder raises concerns about area market

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif., March 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Construction has commenced at the first village of the new ranch community of Rancho Mission Viejo, comprised of more than 17,000 acres of permanent open space and 6,000 acres of future residential and mixed-use development, according to Anthony R. Moiso, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rancho Mission Viejo, LLC.

Rancho Mission Viejo, Orange County's last working ranch, has been held in the O'Neill/Avery/Moiso family since 1882. Pursuant to a comprehensive County of Orange-approved open space preservation and land use management plan for the Ranch, approximately 75% will be preserved as part of a larger habitat conservation area known as The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo and 25% will be developed into multiple villages.

Combined with additional open spaces already dedicated by the Rancho Mission Viejo family, The Reserve will grow over time to nearly 21,000 acres. Ultimately, The Reserve will be combined with County-owned lands to form the 33,000-acre Southern Subregion Habitat Reserve, one of California's largest and most diverse habitat reserves.

"Our partners, DMB Associates, and all of us at Ranch Headquarters, are honored, proud and excited to make this announcement today," said Moiso. "For nearly fifty years, our family has kept our ranch intact, perpetuating our ranching and farming heritage while helping the region meet and manage its growth through the establishment of the planned communities of Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Las Flores, and Ladera Ranch. Today, with the start of construction at this new village on the Ranch and the phased enrollment of land into The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo, this legacy of land stewardship continues."

Multiple villages are planned to be developed on a total of 6,000 acres of the Ranch. Collectively, over the next two decades, these villages are expected to offer 14,000 homes (including 6,000 active adult residences) and five million square feet of non-residential uses. In addition, schools, parks and recreational facilities, shopping and employment centers will be developed, as well as an inter-connected system of arterial roadways and hiking/biking trails carefully integrated with some of the Ranch's agrarian spaces and natural habitat.

"Since 1882, our family has understood that the blessings of landownership are matched by our obligation to be a good neighbor and a responsible contributor to the community," said Moiso. "This culture of care has been at the heart of every community we've created. It is the foundation of the ongoing development of Rancho Mission Viejo."

The first village on the Ranch will be Sendero, currently scheduled to open in summer 2013. Encompassing approximately 690 acres and offering approximately 940 attached and detached homes and 200 apartment units, Sendero will include the gated active adult enclave of Gavilan, providing 285 single-level residences adjacent to a private clubhouse and recreational facilities. Among the amenities planned for all Sendero residents are a centrally located community hall, clubhouse and recreational core, a 15-acre community park, neighborhood parks, hiking/biking trails accessing Reserve trails and a County Regional hiking and biking trails network, a 10-acre retail plaza, fire station, and a child day care center.

Sendero and Gavilan homebuilders include Meritage Homes, Ryland Homes, SeaCountry Homes, Shea Homes, Standard Pacific Homes, The Pulte Group, TRI Pointe Homes, William Lyon Homes, and Western National Group.

"We are very enthusiastic to begin developing homes in Sendero on the Ranch," said Bert Selva, President and Chief Executive Officer of Shea Homes. "The superb, scenic and coastal-close south Orange County location combined with quick and easy proximity to both urban centers and regional parks, makes the Ranch a prime location for a new community in Orange County. We look forward to the grand opening of Sendero and Gavilan next year."

Rancho Mission Viejo and the first village of Sendero are located in the heart of south Orange County, just 2.3 miles from downtown San Juan Capistrano and five miles from the coastal attractions of San Clemente and Dana Point Harbor.

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Construction Commences at First Village on Rancho Mission Viejo

Despite concerns from a handful of residents, environmentalists and others that a proposed mega-retail center on one of the last major swaths of open land in San Jose will negatively affect traffic and quality of life, the San Jose City Council on Tuesday night easily approved rezoning the area for such a project.

In a 7-to-1 vote, the council agreed to change the designation of about 45 acres of land on the northeast corner of Highway 85 and Almaden Expressway to commercial use only.

The council also denied a recent appeal of the project's environmental impact report by an adjacent landowner concerned about a new traffic median that he thinks will affect some nearby businesses.

Only Councilman Kansen Chu was opposed each time, siding with the affected business owners.

Councilwomen Rose Herrera, Nancy Pyle and Madison Nguyen were absent.

Saying the appellant's traffic issues were not significant enough to halt the project, Mayor Chuck Reed supported the zoning change because he believes the new retail center will help boost retail sales tax revenue in the city. Reed estimates the city loses up to 20 percent of retail sales tax revenue that now goes to other cities where San Jose residents shop.

"We've asked staff to aggressively pursue that (issue). ... This is a project that will help us do that," Reed said. "When you compare this project to what is across the street, I would say it's vastly superior to most of the

Early on, the city's planning staff had successfully pushed for changes to the project, including more landscaping, fewer parking spaces, smaller tenant buildings and a family-friendly "village green" area. City Councilman Don Rocha, who represents the area, also responded to neighbors' concerns by getting preliminary funding approved for a pedestrian bridge that will provide access over the nearby Guadalupe River.

Rocha praised the doggedness of the nearby neighborhood associations for their suggestions for improvements, calling their work "impressive." But he also gave a public nod to Gerry DeYoung, president of Ruth and Going, which is designing the site, for responding to the public's concerns, as well as the engineering firm's willingness to invest in San Jose "at this economic time."

"Not a lot of folks are putting up private dollars to make an investment as significant as this," said Rocha.

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San Jose City Council approves mega-retail center in Almaden area

Regulatory News:

Today, Klpierre (Paris:LI) and its partners, SNCF and Spie batignolles, inaugurate ST.LAZARE PARIS, the Saint-Lazare train stations brand new retail space. It will open to the public at the end of March 2012.

Ideally situated in the heart of one of the largest retail and business neighborhoods of the French capital, ST.LAZARE PARIS features 3 mid-sized units and around 80 shops, services and restaurants. Located in an exceptional architectural setting, the new complex covers 10 000 sq.m. of GLA1, totally integrated over the stations 3 levels (train platform, street and subway). ST.LAZARE PARIS also offers underground parking for 250 vehicles.

Investor, developer and manager of shopping centers, Klpierre is the artisan of this new retail space in the heart of Paris. After winning the competition among retail real estate specialists launched by SNCF in 1996 as part of the metamorphosis of the oldest train station in Paris, the Group will have invested almost 160 million euros in this project. In July 2008, it signed a 40-year temporary occupation permit (AOT - Autorisation dOccupation Temporaire) with SNCF, going into effect on the retail spaces opening date. Klpierre handled the leasing of the space and is managing it via its subsidiary Sgc.

The space was fully leased up several months before the doors were ready to open, attesting to its appeal for retailers, won over not just by design and conception factors but also by its exceptional potentialthe result of the combined effect of the commuter traffic flow, the catchment area and the location.

"Commuter hubs and structural elements of urban planning, train stations shopping centers have certain things in common. Saint-Lazare train station is truly exceptional, in terms of the number of visitors it attracts daily as well as its location in the heart of Paris, commented Laurent Morel, Chairman of the Klpierre Executive Board. "Thanks to the singular nature of the site and the architectural qualities of the historic edifice, we were able to create a magnificent retail space and design a retail mix made of brands that respond to different buying preferences of the thousands of visitors the station draws each day. ST.LAZARE PARIS features a retail offer that combines utilitycomposed of food shopping and serviceswith pleasure, including a culture and leisure retailer, and a broad range of retail names in ready-to-wear and beauty, he adds, concluding that "this is also the story of a successful partnership with SNCF and Spie batignolles, which spanned more than fifteen years and ensured the success of this complex and ambitious project.

An exceptional retail space in the heart of Paris

DGLa and AREP were the architects of the full reconfiguration of the station and the creation of its retail space. Spie SCGPM, a subsidiary of the Spie batignolles group, carried out the construction work on this unusual project, without ever closing the station, which continued to operate normally throughout.

Modern, comfortable, functional and opening out to the city, the new Saint-Lazare train station is more transparent, offering greater insight into its spaces and their functions and a more fluid traffic flow thanks to new vertical liaisons: 4 vast shafts house 20 escalators (compared with the 8 that existed previously) and allow the natural light to bathe the entire space, all the way down to the subway level.

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Klépierre inaugurates ST.LAZARE PARIS, the new Saint-Lazare train stations retail space: 80 retailers sharing an ...

Former theater-turned-church space at White Oaks Mall will convert to use for retail outlets once a major remodeling project is finished this summer.

Conversion of the former White Oaks Cinema space at the south end of the mall will take a couple of months longer than the rest of the mall renovation because of the unusual configuration, general manager Maureen Bluhm said Tuesday.

Work on the mall commons area, food court and exterior are scheduled for completion in May. The former theater space should be finished in July.

The (theater) chairs had been removed, and thats about it, Bluhm said during an update tour of the mall on Tuesday. The walls were still here, all the screens. Some projectors were here and some sound systems were here.

Bluhm said the sloping floors of the former theater must be raised in some spots and lowered in others to match the level of the rest of the mall. The work, which will include new west-side entrances, also required installation of new support columns,

Taking this floor out is a big project, said Bluhm. She said the conversion would add about 42,000 square feet of retail space to the mall.

White Oaks Cinema closed in 2008. The iWorship Center of Springfield used the space from early 2010 to the fall of 2011.

Bluhm said mall officials are in discussions with potential retail tenants, but that the construction must first be completed.

The first major renovation of the mall in 18 years started last summer, and marketing director Christine Lahmann said the exterior work, mall commons and food court work is on schedule for completion in May.

She said the current lineup of food-court tenants would remain the same, but that the area would have a new layout.

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Former theater-church space at White Oaks Mall to go retail

Epping House N Home, a bulky goods centre with a difference will be a feature of Northpoint Enterprise Park.

Legislative changes are helping bulky goods outlets, writes Philip Hopkins.

A BULKY goods centre to be built at Epping in Melbourne's north has been given a fillip by recent Baillieu government planning changes.

Private developer, the McMullin Group, will build the centre, dubbed Epping House N Home, in the Northpoint Enterprise Park, a 120-hectare estate in the commercial and industrial heart of the City of Whittlesea.

McMullin's development director John Purdey said the centre would tap into Whittlesea's forecast population growth of 10,000 new residents per year for the next six years. Epping's catchment is now estimated at 209,000.

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The centre will be located on the corner of Edgars Road and Cooper Street, about 1.5 kilometres from High Street and Epping Plaza.

The establishment of the bulky goods centre was given a shot in the arm by amendments to retailing legislation by Minister for Planning Matthew Guy.

The policy changes revised the bulky goods definition, broadening the scope of retail activities that could be included in such centres. Further, the previously restrictive minimum floor space requirement of 1000 square metres was dissolved.

Jones Lang LaSalle's director of retail leasing Jaycen Willox said the move brought flexibility and clarity to both current and prospective tenants. ''Restrictive minimum floor space requirements under the previous scheme were thwarting the capacity of growth within the bulky goods sector,'' he said.

Original post:
Retail lift for Epping centre

wwltv.com

Posted on March 20, 2012 at 6:20 PM

Updated today at 6:37 PM

Katie Moore / Eyewitness News Email: kmoore@wwltv.com | Twitter: @katiecmoore

NEW ORLEANS -- After sitting vacant for years, crews began construction Tuesday on a big, new development in the heart of Mid-City.

So far, the developer has leased the space to a mix of retail and restaurants, and it borders plans for the Lafitte Greenway.

The property at the intersection of North Carrollton Ave. and Bienville Street is one of the hottest pieces of commercial real estate in New Orleans, and a $38 million new development is breathing life back into the once-sleepy site.

I think it's gonna be a big opportunity to really anchor this commercial area on Carrollton Avenue for Mid-City. It's gonna be a hub of activity, said Townsend Underhill, vice president of Stirling Properties.

It's the site of an old Ford dealership, and thats one of the reasons it's taken years to get it re-developed. The land had more than 10 gas tanks underground.

This was an environmentally contaminated site. So, before we could do anything we had to clean up the environmental contamination. So, that was a risk, Underhill said.

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Developer breaks ground on Mid-City Market

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved plans Tuesday to convert parking lots into apartments and senior housingat the Marina del Rey harbor.

The plan calls for changing the zoning of two parking lots into housing - a 526-unit apartment complex and a 114-unit senior citizens facility, which will include 3,500 square feet of retail space, said Michael Tripp, planning specialist for the county Department of Beaches and Harbors.

The plans also will reduce docking spaces in the harbor for boats to accommodate the construction of space for larger boats and to comply with standards on wider docks to meet the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act, Tripp said.

There will be about 9% fewer wet boating slips, from 4,761 to 4,349. But the number of dry slips will rise from 817 to 1,114. Overall, the total number of boat slips will decrease by about 2%.

The countys strategy of redeveloping Marina del Rey, led by Supervisor Don Knabe, has drawnstrong criticism from a group of residents, who argue the county is moving the marina away from being dedicated to public recreation.

Bruce Russell, a consistent critic of the countys marina plans, told the supervisors Tuesday that the marina was not built for the several thousand well-heeled apartment dwellers the county wants to shove in there. It was built for the 10 million residents of the county, and they need and deserve their public park and public access parking."

County officials, however, assert that the marina is aging and needs to be revitalized. The marina is also a valuable piece of property whose lease revenues help fund the county budget.

In addition to adding these housing units, were also adding 10 acres of open space, Tripp said. The marina was built in the 1960s, and many of these buildings are getting old. Theyre past their prime." He added: Housing in West Los Angeles is in short supply.

Tripp said the plans approved Tuesday also permit the construction of a 1.46-acre wetland park on Via Marina, will expand Burton Chace Park, and convert a parking lot and trailer lot that houses county workers into a dry-dock warehouse where boats can be stored.

Continued here:
L.A. County supervisors OK new apartments in Marina del Rey

BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwire -03/20/12)- Williams Scotsman, a leading provider of modular space and storage solutions in North America, today announced the opening of Atlanta South, its third branch in Georgia.

"Based on a variety of factors including industry analysis and customer surveys, we realized our southeast customers would greatly benefit from another full-service Williams Scotsman branch," said Joseph Vecchiolla, senior vice president of US Field Operations for Williams Scotsman. "There is great demand for our products and services in this area and our Atlanta South branch improves our proximity to many customers in the southern part of the city."

The Atlanta South branch is located at 8105 Williams Road in Palmetto, Ga. The branch officially opened on March 1 and allows Williams Scotsman to operate more efficiently, resulting in better support for its customers.

Williams Scotsman currently has more than 100 locations throughout the US and serves a diverse array of sectors.

About Williams Scotsman Williams Scotsman, an Algeco Scotsman company, offers space solutions for the construction, education, energy, industrial, commercial/retail, healthcare, and government markets, with operations in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Williams Scotsman serves customers' modular space and storage needs through a network of nearly 100 locations throughout North America. In addition to its core leasing business, the company manages and develops permanent modular structures. For more information visit http://www.willscot.com.

Algeco Scotsman is a leading global business services provider focused on modular space and storage solutions. Operating as Williams Scotsman in North America, Algeco in Continental Europe, Elliott in the United Kingdom and Eurobras in Brazil, the company and its affiliates manage a fleet of more than 320,000 units, with operations or affiliates in 37 countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States. The company has a reputation for exceptional customer service, flexibility in meeting customer needs, innovative products and services, and efficient business operations. Algeco Scotsman's global scale and local market expertise enable it to provide exceptional value to its customers.

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Williams Scotsman Continues US Expansion

Morrisville, NC (PRWEB) March 19, 2012

CASTO, one of the countrys leading real estate organizations, announced today that Phase II construction of the mixed-use lifestyle center, Park West Village, will begin. Park West Village is located at the southwest corner of Cary Parkway and NC-54/Chapel Hill Road.

Another 200,000 square feet of retail space will commence this month, stated Shannon Dixon, VP of Development, Leasing & Asset Management for CASTOs Southeast operations.

Joining Park West Village is a 55,000 square foot, state-of-the-art 14-screen cinema, operated by Stone Theatres, formerly Consolidated Theatres. This location will be one of several new theatres opened by the founder of Consolidated Theatres, Herman Stone. Mr. Stone commented on his choice of this location by saying, The Raleigh market has always been a strong market and when it came time to choose one of our first locations after the sale of Consolidated, it was key for us to find the best site with great demographics, upward movement in population and a strong developer. Park West hit on all three for us. The architecture of the project will lend itself to unique design for the theatre with a prominent water feature at the entrance; a signature item consistent with Stone Theatres throughout the eastern United States.

Additionally joining the project includes Gander Mountain and The Wine Guy Bistro. Gander Mountain, the outdoor superstore, will occupy 52,000 square feet. The Wine Guy Bistro, based out of Columbus, Ohio, will be 6,000 square feet and plans to offer wine samplings with a retail wine shop and great, savory food selections.

About Park West Village Ideally situated at the heart of one of the most desirable locations in the country, Park West Village is a new 100-acre mixed-use development that includes a town center district, a community center with sought-after major retail anchors, upscale casual restaurants and a movie theater, all of which will be mixed with residential, office and hospitality. For more information, please visit http://www.parkwestvillage.net.

About CASTO CASTO, a fully integrated real estate organization since 1926, is a recognized leader in the ownership, management, acquisition and development of commercial shopping centers and multi-family residences, office buildings and corporate parks. CASTOs growing portfolio currently includes over 23 million square feet of commercial property and nearly 4,000 residential units located primarily throughout the Midwestern and southeastern United States and Puerto Rico. CASTO currently has more than three million square feet of retail in development. To learn more about CASTO call (888) 400-0878 or visit http://www.castoinfo.com.

Originally posted here:
CASTO Announces Phases II and III to Commence Construction at Park West Village