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Developers Diversified, Goldman Sachs Put CMBS Deals Back in Action
The first new-issue commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) supported by brick-and-mortar properties in nearly two years successfully sold this week. DDR Depositor LLC Trust 2009 Commercial Mortgage Pass Through Certificates, series 2009-DDR1...

Retail REIT Execs Encouraged By 3Q Leasing Activity
While still cautious and subdued, the commentary shared by retail REIT executives during the past few weeks of investor conference calls discussing third quarter financials was markedly more upbeat than in the previous two quarters. Overall, REIT...

UPDATED: Simon Hires Advisers to Consider General Growth Acquisition Possibilities
The country's largest retail REIT, Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG), is considering a bid for its bankrupt competitor, General Growth Properties. Simon media representative, Les Morris, confirmed for CoStar Group this morning that Simon hired investment...

Vornado Completes Revamp of Manhattan Mall
Vornado Realty Trust has completed its massive renovation and repositioning project involving the Manhattan Mall in New York City. The property is located in Herald Square and encompasses the full Avenue of the Americas block front extending from 32nd...

CoStar's Retail News Roundup: Nov. 15-21, 2009
This week in the Retail Roundup, CoStar reports on expansions or new concepts at Apple and Urban Outfitters; closings, cutbacks, defaults, or bankruptcy news at Trans World, InkStop, and Hacketts; acquisition, merger, loan, sale, or IPO activity at...

UPDATE: Chapter 7 Liquidation Follows InkStop's Abrupt Close of All 152 Stores
In Chapter 7, InkStop Retail Chain to Liquidate, published 11/15/09 Warrensville Heights, OH-based printer ink and toner chain, InkStop, abruptly closed all of its 152 stores on October 1, 2009. At the time, the company said the closures were temporary...

$84M Gets Volkswagen the Potamkin General Motors Building in Manhattan
The Volkswagen Group of America has closed on its acquisition of the Potamkin General Motors building and car dealership, located at 798-804 11th Avenue in Manhattan, for $84 million, according to CB Richard Ellis. According to CoStar Property, the...

Glimcher Hires Ward Kampf as VP of Leasing
Columbus, OH-based Glimcher Realty Trust (NYSE: GRT) recently hired Ward A. Kampf as Vice President of Leasing. Kampf most recently served as President of Retail Leasing for Newman, GA-based Thomas Enterprises, where he directed all aspects of retail...

Institutional Investors Throwing Big Money Around Class A Quality Retail Property
After what's seemed like an eternity of little or no action in the retail property investment arena, several major retail investment transactions north of $100 million have surfaced since October. Considering that news of retail property sale transactions...

In Chapter 7, Nature Coast Commons Subject to Bankruptcy Sale
On April 15, Bank of America filed a lawsuit in the Hernando County, Florida Circuit Court to foreclose on the $43 million loan Opus South had on Nature Coast Commons, a 325,000-square-foot shopping center located on US Highway 19 at Wendy Court in Spring...