HAMPTON ROADS RETAIL BRIEFS

 Food Lion Expands To 38,272 Square Feet In Elmhurst Square, Portsmouth
PORTSMOUTH, VA: Food Lion signed a lease with Divaris Real Estate to nearly double the size of its current 20,800 square-foot grocery store, located in the Divaris leased and managed Elmhurst Square Shopping Center on Portsmouth Boulevard in Portsmouth, Virginia. Food Lion will be expanded by 17,400 square feet for a total of 38,272 square feet.

"The expansion of Food Lion will add a major draw to Elmhurst Square. Also, it will coincide with a general facelift of the facade, parking area, and lighting," said Michael Divaris, who represented both the Landlord and the Tenant, in the Food Lion negotiations. Leasing is being handled by Carol Melatti of DRE's Virginia Beach office. 

The MarketCenter At Harbourview Hosts Food Lion Grand Opening
SUFFOLK, VA: A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony was held for a state-of-the-art 37,172 square foot Food Lion grocery store at The MarketCenter, in the Divaris leased and managed Harbourview Shopping Center, located at the intersection of Town Point Road, Respass Beach Road and College Drive in Suffolk, Virginia. The MarketCenter is located in the heart of the new town center, the rapidly developing 3,000 acre planned community of Harbourview. 

This 50,000 square foot shopping center is the first of a four-phase retail development to be built on 55 acres of commercially zoned property. Its high-end architectural features, landscaping and intricate brickwork will be carried through each new phase of the retail complex. An active leasing program is underway through the services of Alex Stern of DRE's Newport News office and John Knibb of its Chesapeake office. Harbourview is owned by CTR Associates. LandDev, Inc., a Divaris affiliate, is fee developer for the property owner. 

Newport Crossing Shopping Center Adds Two Tenants
NEWPORT NEWS, VA: Portside Imports signed a lease for 15,000 square feet of retail space in Newport Crossing Shopping Center, located on Denbigh Boulevard at Oriana Road in Newport News, Virginia. Portside Imports is a retail store specializing in imported decorative home furnishings, accessories and unique gifts. This is their second location in the Hampton Roads area, the first being at Regency Hilltop in Virginia Beach. DRE's Virginia Beach office represented the Tenant in the negotiations. 

Also new to Newport Crossing is A.J. Wright, a value-oriented retail chain recently launched by the TJX Companies, Inc. A.J. Wright signed a lease for 27,063 square feet of space. The retail division of DRE's Hampton Roads offices negotiated the lease with A.J. Wright.

The first three A.J. Wright stores opened in Massachusetts in September, 1998. It follows the same off-price philosophy of TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods. 

Jefferson Plaza Welcomes Just For Feet to Newport News
NEWPORT NEWS, VA: Just For Feet signed a lease for 18,000 square feet of retail space for a new store in the Divaris leased and managed Jefferson Plaza.  Jefferson Plaza, situated at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Oyster Point Road in Newport News, Virginia. 

Just For Feet, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a retailer of brand-name athletic and outdoor footwear and apparel. It operates over 150 stores nationwide. In July of 1998, Just For Feet acquired 39 Sneaker Stadium superstores, 21 of which re-opened as Just For Feet superstores during the 1998 Thanksgiving period.

Just For Feet is located between Jefferson Plaza's two other major tenants Costco and CompUSA. A new outparcel building has also been completed and leased to Starbucks Coffee and PrimeCo. The project was developed by Interface Properties of Boca Raton, Florida.

Just For Feet's lease was negotiated by Gerald Divaris of Divaris Real Estate and Leslie Mayer of the Mayford Group, national tenant representative for Just For Feet. The Starbucks and PrimeCo leases were negotiated by DRE's Missy Martinovich and Linda Robey of its Newport News office. 

Jo-Ann Fabrics Signs Lease At Riverdale Plaza
HAMPTON, VA: Jo-Ann Fabrics signed a lease for 14,000 square feet of retail space in the Divaris leased Riverdale Plaza, located in the Mercury Central corridor of Hampton, Virginia.

Jo-Ann, headquartered in Hudson, Ohio, is the nation's leading retailer of fabrics and crafts supplies and operates over 1,000 stores nationwide. Alex Stern of DRE's Newport News office handled the negotiations on behalf of the Landlord and the Tenant. 

State-Of-The-Art Fitness Center Signs Lease For 12,800 Square Feet
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA: Inlet Fitness, a new state-of-the-art health and fitness center, signed a lease for 12,800 square feet of space located on Long Bay Pointe, on Old Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Inlet Fitness is a new venture, founded by Rick Reed and Phil Curtin of Virginia Beach. Reed has been a personal trainer for ten years and has worked with such sports celebrities as Thomas Smith of the Buffalo Bills and Darren Perry of the San Diego Chargers. Curtin has been in the athletic business for over 15 years. Prior to Inlet Fitness, he managed Warings Gym in Virginia Beach.

Situated on the water at Long Bay Pointe Marina, the property will be developed to include a total fitness facility, which will have three different gyms, under one roof. The first will be a large gym which will include free weights, state-of-the-art circuit training equipment, including Hammer Strength and Cybex machines, and a cardio theater. The second gym will be a private women's gym which will feature free weights and equipment used more often by women, and will also include a cardio theater. The third will be a smaller free-weight gym. In addition, Inlet Fitness will feature the latest in aerobic exercise: spinning classes, Tae-Bo, kick-boxing, step aerobics, and ocean kayaking classes.

John Duffy of DRE's Virginia Beach office represented the Tenant in the negotiations. 

Hilltop Plaza Welcomes Office Depot
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA: Office Depot signed a lease for 24,000 square feet of retail space located in the Divaris leased and managed Hilltop Plaza Shopping Center, at 551 Laskin Road in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Office Depot occupied the space formerly leased to Sears Hardware.

Since 1986, Office Depot, founded in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, has become the world's largest seller of office products, operating a total of 779 stores throughout the United States, Canada, France and Japan. In 1998, they acquired Viking Office Products, which owns 26 facilities in 11 countries. Office Depot has several stores throughout Hampton Roads, including Crossways Center in Chesapeake, Riverdale Plaza in Hampton and Military Crossing Shopping Center in Norfolk.

Hilltop Plaza Shopping Center is a 156,380 square foot neighborhood shopping center and is home to such tenants as: North Carolina Furniture, Outback Steakhouse, Dive Quarters and Jo-Ann Fabrics.

Divaris Real Estate represented the Landlord, Hilltop Plaza Associates, in the negotiations. This is the fourth Office Depot lease negotiated by Gerald Divaris of DRE's Virginia Beach office. 

Piccadilly Cafeteria Signs 10,000 Square Foot Lease
HAMPTON, VA: Piccadilly Cafeteria, a national family-style restaurant, signed a lease for 10,000 square feet of retail space in the Divaris leased Newmarket Center located in Hampton, Virginia. 

Piccadilly, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, operates over 250 cafeterias, 13 quick-service restaurants, and seven Ralph and Kacoo's seafood restaurants throughout the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. 

Vicki Siokis and Jonathan Guion, of DRE's Newport News office, represented the Landlord, ESG Companies, in the negotiations.