Loft18 Coming to The Shops at Sawyer Yards in Houston, Texas
Stirling Properties serving as brokerage tenant rep in company expansion.
Loft18 Rendering
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is pleased to announce that Loft18 indoor golf and entertainment complex is joining the tenant lineup at The Shops at Sawyer Yards in Houston, TX. Stirling Properties is serving as the brokerage representative for the company in its national expansion efforts.
Loft18, founded in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an innovative, interactive golf concept featuring custom-built, state-of-the-art Full Swing Golf simulators that showcase nearly 100 championship courses to deliver precision play at its finest for golfers of all experience levels. And for non-golfers, Loft18’s full-service bar and restaurant offers gastro-pub fare, craft beer and cocktails, and New Orleans’ famous service and hospitality.
This marks the second retail location for Loft18. It will occupy approximately 6,950 square feet of space located at 2313 Edwards Street on the western endcap of The Shops at Sawyer Yards. Buildout is underway, and it is expected to open in the summer of 2019.
The Shops at Sawyer Yards is a 40,000-square-foot urban redevelopment project located at the corner of Edwards and Sawyer Streets, in the heart of the Washington Avenue Arts District. The Shops at Sawyer Yards features creative office space, retail, and entertainment spaces for lease. Other tenants in the project include Sticky Chicken, Awesome Bites, Pokeology, Bayou City Smiles, Polish Parker & Roe, Local Pho, Poitín, Satori Salon, and Orangetheory Fitness.
Sawyer Yards in Houston, Texas
“After researching and scouting various locations, we decided to expand the Loft18 concept to The Shops at Sawyer Yards because of the unique property offerings and access to the growing local population,” said Greg Whitman, President/Owner of Loft18. “We are excited to open our doors next summer and to deliver the ultimate indoor golfing experience—complete with award-winning golf simulators and club-level dining and drinking—to the Houston area. Whether you like golf or not, you will have a good time at Loft18.”
The Loft18 concept came about four years ago by three long-time friends with backgrounds in hospitality, sales and entertainment and a fervent love for the game. Seeing a niche in the golf entertainment industry, the group opened its first location on Metairie Road in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans last fall.
Now, the company is planning expansion in several major markets across the country, as well as developing external partnership opportunities in other areas such as Dallas, Nashville, Chicago and Atlanta to name a few.
Lauren Ryan and Thomas Bryan, Sales and Leasing Executives with Stirling Properties, represented Loft18 in securing the historic Houston location, along with Bruce Wallace and Radkey Jolink with CBRE out of Houston, TX.
“Stirling Properties is thrilled to represent Loft18 in their expansion efforts, and to help facilitate the process of identifying and establishing relationships with co-brokers in other markets to scout out the ideal locations for this exceptional company,” said Ryan. “Loft18 was the first locally-owned golf simulation and entertainment complex in the New Orleans area, and they are setting the course for a unique entertainment experience that will be highly successful in any market.”
For leasing information, please contact Lauren Ryan at lryan@stirlingprop.com / (504) 620-8124 or Thomas Bryan at tbryan@stirlingprop.com / (504) 620-8138.
Club 4 Fitness Expanding in the Gulf South
Image www.club4fitness.com
Stirling Properties is pleased to announce that Club4Fitness, an all-inclusive fitness facility, is expanding in the Gulf South market with the addition of four new locations in Alabama and Louisiana. Justin Toomey, Broker Associate with Stirling Properties, and Kenneth Herring, broker with Kerioth Corporation worked with The Club to identify and secure the latest retail locations:
- The Club will occupy 20,000 square feet of retail space in Hillcrest Plaza located at 813 Hillcrest Road in Mobile, AL. Club 4 plans to open this facility first quarter of 2019. Cummings and Associates, Inc. represented the property owner in the lease transaction.
- In addition, the company is leasing 29,696 square feet of space in Schillinger Place located at 2502 South Schillinger Road in Mobile, AL. Angie McArthur with Stirling Properties represented the landlord in the transaction. Club 4 plans to open this facility in the first quarter of 2019.
- In Louisiana, The Club has recently secured a 27,805-square-foot retail space in Caffery Center located at 4510 Ambassador Caffery Parkway in Lafayette. Jarrett Adame with Realm Realty represented the landlord in this transaction. Club 4 plans to open this facility in the first quarter of 2019.
- The Club has also just secured a 30,907-square-foot retail space at The Pavilion Shopping Center in Kenner, Louisiana, and plans to open in the first quarter of 2019. John Moss with LA Retail represented the landlord in this transaction.
The Club offers a wide array of health and fitness equipment that allows members to achieve their health and fitness goals through regular exercise programs. From the building design to the variety of services, The Club offers a truly unique experience. With the mission of improving the physical, medical, spiritual and emotional health of local communities, Club 4 Fitness is excited to bring its concept to local markets.
Club 4 Fitness currently operates ten fitness clubs in Mississippi. This marks the 1st location for both Alabama and Louisiana.
For leasing information, contact Justin Toomey at jbtoomey@stirlingprop.com or (251) 342-7229.
Chipping In For Charity
Local charities score big during
Stirling Properties’ Annual Stirling Invitational Golf Tournament
Stirling Properties hosted its 18th Annual Stirling Invitational Golf Tournament on Monday, October 8th at University Club Plantation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This year’s tournament successfully raised more than $25,000 for local charities!
113 participants enjoyed a variety of friendly competitions in addition to 18 holes of scramble golf tournament play. Congratulations to the 1st Place Low Net winners, Stuart Bonaventure, Ryan Juneau, BJ Branigan and Trent Sandahl. The Low Gross winning team included Andy Coleman, David Laizer, Tommy Buckel and Dennis Shill.
The Longest Drive award went to Marc Bourgeois, and Closest to the Pin prizes were presented to Eric Landry, Paul Geyer and Chip Songy. Additional awards were given for 2nd, 3rd and 4th Low Gross and Low Net. A special shout out to the Highest Gross scoring team, William McKnight, Beau Egan, Elliot Turner and Neal Choppin.
However, the real winners of the day were the local nonprofit organizations that benefited from the tournament proceeds. Ochsner Foundation received $10,000 from the proceeds, and the remaining profits will be distributed to various local charitable causes.
Representatives from Ochsner Foundation were on hand to receive a check for their contributions. Grady Brame, Executive Vice President with Stirling Properties, presented a check to Louisa Post, Ochsner Foundation’s Director of Development for Baton Rouge, during an awards celebration and cocktail reception following the tournament. Rick Perry, President and CEO of Tiger Athletic Foundation, was also presented with a $1,000 check to TAF for the LSU Golf Team.
“A great time—for a great cause—was had by all. We are fortunate to be able to play such an outstanding course, and to have the opportunity to help raise funds for local nonprofit organizations that are doing critical work in our community,” said Brame. “We could not accomplish all of this without the generosity of our tournament sponsors. We want to thank all of our sponsors and everyone who came out to support our event.”
The Stirling Invitational Golf Tournament has contributed more than $239,000 to numerous organizations over the past 18 years.
Thank you to all of our friends and supporters who participated and contributed to the Stirling Invitational Golf Tournament. This event would not be possible without you.
#StirlingProud
Additional sponsors include Netchex, Newmark Knight Frank, Metairie Bank, Real Estate Tax Group, Big Easy Parking Lot Maintenance, Gulf South Electric, Dixie Office Products, Metro Mechanical Inc, Covington Electric Services Inc, Geiger Heating & Air, Jones Fussell LLP, PMAT Real Estate Investments LLC, Premium Parking, River Parish Disposal, Certified Air Conditioning, Roth Law Firm LLC, Ryan Gootee General Contractors, Larry Loyd Construction Co. Inc, ITS Fire Alarm Security, Southeastern Waterproofing, Trimark, Palmisano Group, Robert Levis Development LLC, Mullin Landscape Associates, Premier Service Team LLC, Codaray Construction LLC, Chrestia & Inc, B&G Lawn Maintenance LLC, Gene Nims Builders, NcNeer Electrical Contracting Inc, Dale’s Paving Inc, Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, CMC (Calcasieu Mechanical Contractors), Angelos Landscaping, Cook Moore & Associates (Cornerstone), Cost Segregation Services Inc. (CSSI), Huseman, Jeffrey Lipp Parking Lot Services, Precision Concrete Cutting of Louisiana, Professional Maintenance Services, , Unit Design Inc, Thermal Products Inc, Grass Unlimited, Crystal Clean Sweeping, Landry’s Lawn, T.L. Construction LLC, ACA Mechanical Industrial Inc, CertaPro Painters, CJ Ladner (State Farm), Sign Lite, Jimmy Maurin, James Hudson, and Roger Ogden.
A huge shout out to Fidelity Bank for sponsoring lunch.
Have no fear, for the death of retail is not near
Beware! Caution! Warning! These are just a few of the wicked things we have heard about brick-and-mortar retail over the last couple of years, but it’s just a bunch of hocus-pocus.
This month, it seems something else is brewing in the industry: optimism. According to a recent survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, Halloween spending is projected to hit $9 billion this year! That’s the second highest in the survey’s 14-year history, just missing last year’s record $9.1 billion in sales. More than 175 million Americans are planning to participate in Halloween festivities, each spending an average of $87, also up from last year.
Despite the myths that still haunt the retail industry, the truth is that overall retail is thriving. Thanks to a robust economy, retail sales have increased year over year since 2015—forecasters are expecting a 4.5% growth for 2018. Consumer sentiment is high, with the index topping 100 for only the third time since January 2004.
Fact-based analysis shows that consumers are still spending; they are merely spending differently. We’ve heard the horror story of the bloody battle between physical stores and e-commerce, but it’s not what it appears to be. In fact, e-commerce still only accounts for less than 10% of total retail sales. Furthermore, over half of those online sales are actually generated by brick-and-mortar retailers!
Many brick-and-mortar retailers are spending billions of dollars on their online platforms and supply chain networks. It’s the brick-and-mortar retailers driving the e-commerce.
Indeed, many once pure-play retailers are now opening brick-and-mortar stores—e-commerce retailers plan to open 800 physical stores in the next five years. Mattress startup Casper is rolling out a brick-and-mortar strategy, men’s retailer UNTUCKit is opening stores across the country, Blue Nile, Peloton, Birchbox, and the list goes on. Even online furniture giant Wayfair is dipping its toe in physical stores. As they say, “If the broom fits, fly it.”
It might sound batty, but research shows 78% of consumers prefer to shop in-store and spend significantly more in physical stores than online. On top of that, e-commerce is expensive. With the high cost of delivery and even higher cost of returns, it is virtually impossible to make a profit through pure online tactics. Successful retailers are maximizing sales by leveraging both brick-and-mortar and online strategies.
Looking a bit down the road, a new holiday forecast offers even more good news. Retailers are poised to rack up their best sales in years this season. Holiday sales between November and January are estimated to grow 5% to 5.6% from last year to more than $1.1 trillion, up from the $1.05 trillion last year, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday retail sales forecast.
So have no fear, the death of retail is NOT near. However, with all of the retail tales of terror, it can be confusing and overwhelming, especially for commercial real estate investors and property owners. Evolution in the commercial real estate industry is creating rapid change. This new landscape is impacting real estate values—presenting both problems and opportunities in the market—and increasing the need for professional real estate guidance for investors and property owners.
That is why Stirling Properties recently formed a new Investment Advisors division that specializes in acquisitions, dispositions, and investment sales of retail assets and other property types.
Stirling Properties’ Investment Advisors division has the depth and breadth of experience to help solve problems and maximize the potential of commercial investment assets. Our team can help to assess the risk and rewards of any asset or investment and guide clients through difficult decisions. Stirling Properties’ Investment Advisors represent a wide range of client types, including private owners, institutional investors, and private equity firms.
October is full of enough frightening experiences, your real estate portfolio doesn’t have to be one of them. If you are unsure how to navigate the complexities of the retail industry or other commercial sectors or are interested in exploring commercial asset opportunities, let our investment advisors help you sort through the cobwebs. Contact one of our experienced agents today.
On behalf of Stirling Properties, we witch you a Happy Halloween!
Halloween at Hammond Square
There’s something brewing at Hammond Square—join us for a family-friendly Halloween scare!
Stirling Properties and Hammond Square announce the 5th Annual Halloween at the Square event on Friday, October 12th from 5:30-7:30pm for children ages 12 and under. The spooktacular event is free and open to the public. Costumes are highly encouraged. Kids are invited to trick-or-treat at Hammond Square’s participating stores that will be stocked with more than 25,000 pieces of candy and prizes throughout the evening! Just look for the Trick-or-Treat Station sign in store windows.
Halloween at the Square is one of Hammond Square’s premier family-friendly community events of the year. It offers Hammond area residents a safe, convenient and fun trick-or-treating experience while providing increased foot traffic and exposure for the many great retail tenants at the shopping center.
Throughout the evening, guests are invited to have free photographs taken with Becky Blount, Hammond Square’s Official Event Photographer. Hay bales and pumpkins will be on display for backdrops, and pictures will be made available on Hammond Square’s Facebook page within a few days of the event. There will also be a Halloween Costume Contest at East of Italy (for kids in costume 12 & under only). Stop by East of Italy during the event and enter to win a $100 e-gift card!
Halloween festivities will take place on Main Street (Palace Drive). Visitors can park and enter the event from any available entryway. Lindsey Palmer, Director of Property Services with Stirling Properties, said, “We are excited about the upcoming Halloween at Hammond Square event and look forward to seeing all the great costumes! As a reminder—to eliminate congestion—we encourage guests to move at their own flow through the shopping center. There is no designated start or stop point. So if the line gets backed up at one Trick-or-Treat station, head on over to the next and come back at a later time. We want everyone to have a relaxed and pleasant experience during the event.”
Hammond Square is Tangipahoa Parish’s premier shopping destination, located on approximately 100 acres at the northwest corner of Interstate 12 and US Highway 51 Business (SW Railroad Avenue) in Hammond, Louisiana. It is the 2nd largest open-air center in Louisiana encompassing 902,000-square-feet of more than 40 national and local retailers, shops and restaurants, including Dillard’s, Target, The Home Depot, JCPenney, Academy Sports+Outdoors, AMC Theatres, and Old Navy (coming soon). Stirling Properties redeveloped Hammond Square and currently manages and leases the center.
Connect with Hammond Square on the web at www.hammondsquare.com or “like” us on facebook.com/hammondsquare.
Baton Rouge General Express Care and The Simple Greek Restaurant to Open in LSU’s Nicholson Gateway
LSU announced today that The Simple Greek restaurant and a Baton Rouge General Express Care clinic will fill two retail spaces in the university’s new Nicholson Gateway Development, the newly opened mixed-use development on a 28-acre site of the Nicholson Drive Corridor, between West Chimes Street and Skip Bertman Drive.
The two tenants join anchor retailer Matherne’s Market, fast food restaurant Wendy’s, coffee café Starbucks, apparel store Private Stock and quick-service eatery Frutta Bowls in the roughly 50,000-square-foot retail component of Nicholson Gateway.
The Baton Rouge General Express Care facility will be open seven days a week to the LSU and local community to treat serious, but non-life threatening illnesses and injuries. The clinic will also feature a lab, X-ray machine and an EKG for more serious injuries. For more information, visit BRGexpresscare.com, find on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow on Twitter at @BRGeneral.
“If you wake up with the flu or need a few stitches on a Saturday, you don’t have to visit the ER to get high-quality care,” said Edgardo Tenreiro, president and CEO of Baton Rouge General. “BRG Express Care is a convenient, affordable, fast option right around the corner – because the everyday demands of school, work and family don’t stop when you’re sick.”
Opening its first Louisiana location, The Simple Greek is an interactive concept that combines hhigh-quality ingredients, open kitchens and a fun atmosphere to deliver authentic Greek cuisine in a fast casual setting. Inspired by a concept through his CNBC reality television show “The Profit,” The Simple Greek was founded by entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis in 2015.
The LSU Property Foundation, an affiliate of the LSU Foundation, is facilitating Nicholson Gateway. Stirling Properties is serving as the retail developer and leasing broker on the project, working with the prime developer, Georgia-based RISE Real Estate, which specializes in student housing. Stirling Properties will also handle ongoing retail property management.
New this fall, Nicholson Gateway includes 763 units of apartment-style housing for more than 1,500 students, with associated residential support spaces, such as lounge spaces, study areas, community gathering places and retail food service. The project, focused on the largest underdeveloped tract of university-owned property that is adjacent to the campus core, will turn what has traditionally been the back of the campus into an exciting new gateway district while responding to demands for on-campus housing and supporting student success, improving the campus living experience for both undergraduate and graduate students.
For retail leasing information, please contact Dottie Tarleton at dtarleton@stirlingprop.com or 225-922-4253 or Rhonda Sharkawy at rsharkawy@stirlingprop.com or 504-620-8145.
For student leasing information, visit lsu.edu/nicholson. Information about the overall project is available at nicholsongateway.com.
