In The News

The growing appeal and prevalence of fixed CAM. At a time when so much of the retail industry is changing in very visible and sometimes dramatic ways in response to post-pandemic pressures and opportunities, one of

Few retail landlords like the idea of vacant space in their centers. But sometimes a tenant defaults or vacates early, leaving behind dark space. One way to avoid this is when the tenant turns into a

Woodside, a Fort Worth-based real estate fund manager, bought 12012 Wickchester, a 110,000-square-foot office building on 3.7 acres in the Energy Corridor. Marty Hogan and Kevin McConn of JLL Capital Markets represented the seller, CapRidge Partners.

Someburger, a hamburger restaurant with locations in Baytown and the Heights, is expanding to Mont Belvieu. Somerealty purchased a 0.75-acre site on the northeast corner of Langston Drive and Edgeton Avenue in Mont Belvieu for the

Inflationary pressures are altering the retail development landscape It is not exactly breaking news to point out that inflation was one of the biggest economic storylines of 2022. At one point over the summer, the 12-month

The pandemic was supposed to kill brick-and-mortar retail, which had struggled for years against online competitors. As stores shuttered and malls emptied, online shopping only became more entrenched, and customers only more accustomed to clicking, buying

by Katherine Feser Primo Fitness, a supplier of new and used high-end fitness equipment, has purchased a 71,438-square-foot office/warehouse on 4.6 acres at 701 Sycamore Road in Fresno. The company will relocate its operations from Santa

Houston is big and getting bigger, says one of the top retail real estate brokers in the market. Retailers looking to expand in the Lone Star State think Dallas first. The rampant corporate and residential expansion

by Jake Magee – Community Impact Commercial developer Baker Katz in late June announced the company had acquired a shopping center adjacent to the planned Riverview development at I-45 and Wesley Drive in League City. The

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, a chain patterned after a Rocky Mountain lodge serving comfort food, handcrafted cocktails and craft beers, is expanding in the Houston area. After opening in Cypress in 2019, the restaurant announce

It’s been a busy week for Restaurant Roundup, with new concepts entering Houston as well as local favorites and recent newcomers expanding. Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar expanding in Houston area California-based Lazy Dog Restaurant &

By Florian Martin – ReporterHouston Business Journal Houston-based commercial real estate firm Baker Katz has acquired a shopping center adjacent to League City’s planned 70-acre Riverview mixed-use development. The firm purchased the 108,000-square-foot Pecan Park Plaza

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the commercial real estate landscape, and retail has been no exception. Over the past two years, Americans have flocked to rural and suburban communities on the outskirts of major cities, seeking

Brenham Building Permits for the month of February are ahead of last year both in the number of permits issued and the dollar total of them. A total of 47 permits were issued by the city

HOUSTON — Northern Tool + Equipment has signed a lease to open a 31,000-square-foot store at Woodforest Shopping Center in East Houston. Shawn Ackerman and Jason Du of Henry S. Miller Brokerage represented the undisclosed landlord in

The Covid-19 pandemic has continued to be a challenge for the restaurant industry. Omicron, the most recent strain of the virus, has been the latest threat to restaurants due to high transmissibility resulting in an explosion

In advance of today’s big ICSC Here We Go 2021 conference, GlobeSt.com caught up with a few attendees on what they look forward to at this year’s live event. LAS VEGAS — “I’m Thrilled to have

Bluestone Lane, an Australian-inspired coffee roaster and neighborhood café base din New York, leased a 4,400-square-foot building at 115 W. 19th St. in the Heights neighborhood for its first Texas location. The building, now owned by

Houston-based Baker Katz, an X Team International partner and full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm specializing in retail tenant representation, investment sales, project deveopment and leasing, announced that they have completed recent deals for six storefront

By Steve McLinden, Contributor | Commerce + Communities TodayOctober 15, 2021 The first fully air conditioned mall in Houston has a new kind of cool. The 60-year-old PlazAmericas, one of the city’s first fortress malls is

By Josh Blaschke Construction at the site of the Baker Katz shopping center in Brenham is proceeding on schedule. Baker Katz co-founder Kenneth Katz said work is progressing nicely at the development, located on 35 acres

Phenix Salon Suites leased 7,500 square feet in Gateway Memorial City, at 947 Gessner, from MetroNational. It will be the second location for franchisees Greg and Susan Gordillo after opening in Katy in 2019. The business

Bel Furniture has purchased the former location of Star Furniture. Officials with Baker Katz, a Houston-based commercial real estate brokerage firm, announced July 26 that Bel Furniture purchased the former Star Furniture located at 7111 FM

Florida-based PopStroke Entertainment Group will open a Tiger Woods-designed golf entertainment facility on 3.2 acres in Katy Grand, a project of NewQuest Properties at Interstate 10 and the Grand Parkway. The venue will include two 18-hole

Not much has changed – yet – on the mask front for retailers, many of which were re-evaluating their mask policies on Friday, a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its guidelines.

Houston-based Baker Katz announced expansions for several restaurants. Chipotle, represented by Traci Holman of Baker Katz, signed leases at 4045 Little York Road in Houston, 2555 East League City Parkway in League City and at Interstate

Seventy-foot spaceships and intergalactic tunnels now occupy a 40,000-square-foot space in Village at the West Oaks that once housed shelves brimming with bedding and home goods. Gone is traditional big-box retailer Bed Bath and Beyond, and

While the pandemic has made it impossible for some retailers to stay in business, a new report suggests tens of thousands of retailers could disappear in the coming years. The problem, according to investment bank UBS,

(Cover Photo: Carl Carlock, left, goes through the order line at Cleburne Cafeteria on Thursday, March 18, 2021 in Houston. The Restaurant has seen an increase in business by about 20 percent over the last month.)

HOUSTON – As oil prices inch back up from a terrible year, and Covid vaccines offer hope that the pandemic will be beaten, Houston’s commercial real estate business is far from recovered. The city has more

Charming Charlie, a women’s apparel and fashion accessories chain retailer, announced plans to open 14 locations in March and April in Texas, California, New York and the Midwest. The openings include stores to open March 12

BRENHAM, TEXAS — Houston-based development and leasing firm Baker Katz has broken ground on Brenham Crossing, a 163,518-square-foot retail project in Brenham, located about 75 miles northwest of Houston. Baker Katz is developing the property, which

Brenham, Texas — Baker Katz has broken ground on Brenham Crossing, a 50-acre retail development located at the southwest corners of Highway 290 and Chappell Hill Road in Brenham. Five retailers are sset to open within

Baker Katz, a full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm specializing in retail tenant representation, investment sales, project development and leasing, partnered with the City of Brenham to host a groundbreaking ceremony today to celebrate the construction

A milestone years in the making was accomplished today (Monday) for the Baker Katz shopping center project in Brenham. Representatives from the City of Brenham and Washington County met this morning with Baker Katz and Arch-Con

Due to COVID-19, the need for school supplies this year is even greater. The Alliance is partnering with PlazAmericas to host its 13th Annual Back to School Drive this morning at 9a.m. The drive is aimed

Volunteers distribute backpacks Tuesday during The Alliance and PlazAmericas’ Back to School drive in Houston. This is the 13th annual drive for the nonprofit and mall. Photo: Houston Chronicle / Elizabeth Conley / Staff Photographer

The Alliance partnered with PlazAmericas to host the 13th Annual Back to School Drive on August 18, 2020. We distributed school supply bags to 3,000 students in the Southwest Houston area and gave out over 500

VIETV Coverage of The Alliance & PlazAmericas Back to School Drive-Thru event on August 18. Watch the Coverage Here

HOUSTON – Travelers around Houston will notice a growing number of buildings and storefronts that are empty, and the pandemic slowdown is likely to change where and how we spend our money. By comparison: in March,

As COVID-19 disrupts the American economy, healthcare system and way of life, retailers and restaurants — the commercial real estate users whose very profitability and essence thrive on social congregation — have already been pegged as

PlazAmericas, Houston Premium Outlets, Katy Mills and Galleria are ready for patrons Nine Houston-area malls are planning to reopen in early May after being closed for more than a month to slow the spread of the

Even after shelter-in-place mandates, Dallas-based Weitzman closed several retail leases using digital aids, spokesman Ian Pierce said. For example, Weitzman and a national insurance tenant signed a lease in March using digital signing tools, including digital

“No one had a pandemic plan in place, but they are quickly developing them in terms of deep-cleaning methods and controlling crowds at essential-services retailers, which are actually thriving,” said Jeff Pandolfo, a leasing director for

The Sears at Deerbrook and Willowbrook malls are reportedly closing, opening up a rare opportunity for the malls to redevelop a large portion of its retail space. The closures would join Sears locations that have shuttered

By Katherine Feser | houstoncrhonicle.com Dallas-based Crow Holdings purchased a retail development housing several popular restaurant chains in southeast Houston near Baybrook Mall from Baker Katz. The development totals 15,600 square feet in two buildings. Houston-based Baker Katz, which broke ground

For Nolan Morrison, regional manager with American Furniture Warehouse, expanding the company from its locations in Colorado and Arizona to Houston was a numbers game. Houston offered a lot of advantages to the Englewood, Colorado-based company,

American Furniture Warehouse completed the purchase of a 30-acre tract at Interstate 45 and River Plantation Drive in Conroe for its third Houston-area location. The site will house a 443,375-square-foot store, including 150,000 square feet of

American Furniture Warehouse, an Englewood, Colorado-based furniture retailer, has acquired a 30-acre tract in Conroe for its third Houston-area store, according to a press release. The store, just south of the Grand Central Park master-planned community,

Born and raised in Texas, a graduate of Texas A&M, and having spent 15 years serving retailers in the Houston market as a principal of the Baker Katz real estate brokerage, Jason Baker knows the Lone

Developers of a new shopping center here say they are receiving positive responses from major retailers about opening stores there. Kenneth Katz of Houston-based developer Baker Katz said the company is “actively negotiating with a number

Academy Sports + Outdoors on Monday opened a store in Richmond with a revamped floor layout and design, part of the Katy athletic retailer’s initiative to improve customers’ shopping experience amid increasing brick-and-mortar and online competition.

Bellaire Town Center, a redevelopment project of SDI Realty Advisors under construction at Bellaire Boulevard and South Rice Avenue, has signed Salata and JuiceLand as its latest tenants. Salata, represented by Wade Greene of Transwestern, signed a 2,804-square-foot lease. JuiceLand,

After months of waiting, numerous restaurants made their debut this week, and some local barbecue joints received national accolades in this week’s restaurant roundup.  Latest Goodnight Hospitality restaurant opens Rosie Cannonball opened Aug. 29. The restaurant,

GlobeSt.com catches up with Baker Katz executives on the popularity of utilizing geofencing to assist retailers with site selection and for shopping center awareness among other things in preparation for the upcoming ICSC RECon conference later

The 2018 edition of ICSC’s colossal RECon convention is gearing up and GlobeSt.com chats with a few expert sources on their expectations and predictions for the show. “At neighborhood strip malls and power centers, big box

Winner: H-E-B’s Land Purchase at Kirby Boulevard and West Alabama Street Developer: Midway/H-E-B Seller: Tommy Dickey / Tom Lipincott Attorney: Greg Erwin Broker: Tim Dosch and David Marshall (represented seller); Baker Katz (represented H-E-B) San Antonio-based

Open-air landlords report strong growth among mom-and-pops Small-shop tenants took a hit when credit dried up after the 2008 financial crisis. Now, a decade later, some landlords are reporting record-high occupancies and rents for these operators,

H-E-B opened a multistory location in the Heights this week, and it is expected to significantly increase the appeal of the Shepherd corridor. The new 92K SF store, at 2300 North Shepherd Drive, includes a two-story parking structure, 50 bike-rack

From first-to-market concepts to established chains, eateries and bars are propelling retail absorption in each of Texas’ major markets, say retail brokers. Over the past couple years, retail investors and developers have begun paying special attention

Margaret Mitchell has lived in Sharpstown for nearly her whole life, watching in dismay as stores closed in the neighborhood’s main shopping center and the property slid into disrepair, despite efforts by owners to make the

HOUSTON — Houston-based retail firm Baker Katz has purchased PlazAmericas Mall, an 850,000-square-foot shopping destination in Houston. Formerly known as Sharpstown Mall, the property was built in 1961 and has undergone several renovations over the years.

Analysts worry the high amount of investment in self-storage properties may have outpaced demand for self-storage space, reports the Wall Street Journal. Forbes offers a 2019 real estate investment preview. These are among today’s must reads

Nancy Sarnoff reports in the Chronicle that the former Sharpstown Center, more recently known as PlazAmericas has been soldto Houston commercial real estate firm Baker Katz. Well, most of it has: The purchase, she writes “does not include any of

PlazAmericas, the former Sharpstown shopping center that has struggled to find its footing as regional malls have fallen out of shoppers’ favor, has a new owner that wants to turn around the property while maintaining the

Houston’s oldest enclosed mall has a new owner. Houston-based commercial real estate firm Baker Katz bought PlazAmericas Mall, formerly known as Sharpstown Mall and Sharpstown Center, from Philadelphia-based RAIT Financial Trust (OTCQB: RASF), according to a

Lidl is tweaking its U.S. expansion strategy – By Beth Mattson-Teig   It has been nearly 18 months since German grocery giant Lidl opened its first U.S. stores and boldly announced plans to have about 100

Mendocino Farms, a casual restaurant based in Southern California, will become another dining option in Uptown Park, a project of Edens undergoing a renovation at Post Oak Boulevard and West Loop 610. The 3,205-square-foot restaurant will

Rtic Outdoors has designed a flagship store that’s just begging to be Instagramed. Customers are greeted by a 24-foot “R” inlaid with a polar bear, the company’s logo. A Ford F-150 truck, displaying coolers, is parked

HighTower Texas signed a 16K SF lease for its headquarters to 4400 Post Oak Parkway in Houston. The wealth management firm committed to an eight-year lease to occupy the 26th floor and plans on expanding services in Houston. HighTower Texas

The Houston grocery chain Randalls will shutter three more local stores by year’s end as the company continues to struggle in the region’s hyper-competitive market. Randalls, a unit of the national supermarket company Albertsons, said Tuesday

Amsterdam-based coworking company Spaces inked a 53K SF lease for the first three floors of Two Post Oak Central. This marks the second Spaces’ location in Houston, a market that is starting to pick up the pace

Coming on the wave of an energy resurgence, one natural gas producer is expanding its footprint in Houston. BP Lower 48 inked a 91K SF lease at West Memorial Place at 15375 Memorial Drive in Houston. The company, wholly

Sears, an icon of American retail for more than a century, filed for bankruptcy protection early Monday morning, the latest casualty of the headwinds facing brick-and-mortar retailers. The embattled department store chain, once the world’s largest,

HUMBLE, TEXAS — Houston-based Baker Katz has completed the remodeling and sale of a 52,744-square-foot retail center in Humble, a northern suburb of Houston. The property is anchored by 24 Hour Fitness. Neal Wade of Baker

Houston developers wrestle with complex regulatory issues in the 100- and 500-year floodplains. By Kenneth Katz & Neal Wade of Baker Katz The Houston metropolitan area was hit particularly hard by Hurricane Harvey, with a tropical

As the industry goes into a new hurricane season, retail property owners and tenants have had nearly a year to evaluate their responses to last year’s trio of hurricanes, which caused a record $202 billion in

For decades, Mardie Paige drove 10 minutes out of her neighborhood to shop at Kroger stores in nearby Heights and Oak Forest. There were no major grocery stores in the traditionally African-American neighborhood off the North Loop,

Nearly a year ago, Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston-area residents with historic flooding. Houston Strong, the city’s rallying cry for recovery efforts, held true through the year since Harvey hit Texan land on Aug. 26, 2017. The city

BuffBurger, a burger restaurant launched by Paul and Sara Burden in 2015, plans to open a location this fall in the CityWest Retail Center, 10550 Westheimer, in west Houston. Other locations are at 1014 Wirt Road

Several restaurant chains are heading out to southeast Houston near Baybrook Mall. Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, Mod Pizza and Main Squeeze Juice Co. inked leases at a new shopping center at 820 Bay

With off-price player like Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and Ross Stores entrenched as favored anchors for shopping centers, traditional anchors like Macy’s are finding it harder than they imagined to get in on the act. There’s more

Colorado-based American Furniture Warehouse has purchased land in Katy and Webster for its entry into the Texas market. Houston-based Baker Katz represented American Furniture Warehouse in the transactions. “We worked diligently to secure high-profile sites within super

BEAUMONT, TEXAS — Houston-based Baker Katz has signed Republic Chicken, a family-style restaurant serving Southern comfort food, to a new lease in Beaumont. Located at the corner of Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 96, the new

Luxury athletic clubs in the Houston area are bulking up in size and amenities, part of a national trend to capture the growth in fitness spending. Life Time just opened one of the region’s largest gyms,

Officials with the retail brokerage firm Baker Katz announced Pet Supplies Plus has signed a 10-year lease at 9431 Jones Road, Houston, the former location of Quiltworks. The 7,500-square-foot location will offer pet food, supplies and toys

Download   Randalls — once the go-to store for grocery shopping in Houston — has been edged out over the years by its competitors offering lower prices and wider selections. The homegrown company, now a subsidiary

RECon attendees detailed strategies for major renovations and reported renewed interest in the sector from institutional capital sources. Judging by conversations with a few of the developers and project managers at RECon on Monday, a steady

Many markets are seeing new concepts expand and grow. But are they doing it smartly? Here’s advice on working with expanding concepts to develop a smart plan of attack for a market. Interview by Randall Shearin

Savvy entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry are finding success by being ‘differentiators’ in product offerings and branding. From fast casual to fine dining, Americans’ appetite for more restaurant options is growing. The Bureau of

KATY, TEXAS — VillaSport Athletic Club & Spa, an operator of upscale fitness clubs, will open a 121,000-square-foot athletic facility within Stableside at Falcon Landing, a 270,000-square-foot retail development in Katy. The facility will feature NBA-size

Rent for Houston retail space has risen to an all-time high, despite a long-term decline in brick-and-mortar businesses. The average asking rent for Houston retail space during the first quarter rose to $16.90 per square foot,

VillaSport Athletic Club and Spa will kick off the next phase of the Stableside at Falcon Landing retail center in the Katy area with its third location in the Houston market. The private club has leased

Retail observers would be hard-pressed to name a loop, high street, highway or byway in any large American market that is a bigger hotbed of retail development than Greater Houston’s aptly named Grand Parkway. When completed

Global real estate investment management firm Heitman completed the acquisition of a 1.4M SF medical office portfolio composed of 17 buildings in seven states, with Texas taking the lion’s share. Sugar Land’s Medical Plaza I and II

What will 2018 bring to Houston’s bustling business community? We turned to some of our reliable sources for their observations and predictions for the year to come. Here’s a compendium of what we learned: Economy to

For retail tenants and developers alike, Houston’s Space City moniker could easily be interpreted as a kind of tongue-in-cheek double meaning, mainly because space is one thing Houston always has plenty of. Commercial developers have taken

Houston retail construction is tapering off as the rising popularity of online shopping gives developers some pause. An estimated 3.3 million square feet of new shopping centers are slated for completion across the Houston area this

SEATTLE — Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) has opened the first location of Amazon Go, an 1,800-square-foot mini grocery store in Seattle that allows customers to shop without waiting in checkout lines. The store was open exclusively