Stirling Properties Announces Sam’s Club Opening at River Chase
Stirling Properties, the developer of River Chase, announces the opening of Sam’s Club at River Chase Shopping Center, the largest open-air retail center in St. Tammany Parish. Sam’s Club opened today, Tuesday, October 30. The grand opening ceremony, led by Covington Sam’s Club Manager Chris Cuevas, featured local dignitaries and special appearances as community officials cut the ribbon to signify the club’s opening.
The new 136,000 square foot Sam’s Club is the only one in western St. Tammany and has have a fuel station and pharmacy. “Sam’s Club is a fantastic addition to the River Chase development. This state-of-the-art Sam’s Club is a great compliment to the existing tenant mix at what has now become the largest open air retail center in Louisiana,” said Stirling Properties’ Vice President of Development Townsend Underhill. “Sam’s commitment to the project and to Western St. Tammany Parish has been tremendous over the past 2 years while this deal has been in the works and we are thrilled to see them cutting the ribbon and officially joining the River Chase community.”
For more information about River Chase, contact Townsend Underhill, Vice President of Development for Stirling Properties, at tunderhill@stirlingprop.com or by phone at (985)-246-3785.
Louisiana Continues to Leap Forward in All Areas
Leading economic development magazine Area Development has just released its 2012 “Top States for Doing Business” survey of national site selectors, and Louisiana has posted its best showing ever:
- #1 in Cooperative State Government
- #2 in Incentives Programs
- #2 in Economic Recovery
- #3 in Leading Workforce Development Programs
- #3 in Speed of Permitting
- #4 in Overall Business Environment
- #4 in Cost of Doing Business
- #5 in Labor Climate
- #6 Top State for Doing Business
This is a remarkable set of top-10 votes for Louisiana from national economic development consultants; you can see the full report here.
These latest rankings are just another example of what we see happening all around us. Louisiana continues to leap forward in all areas – jobs, economic development, business climate, entrepreneurship, etc. As I tell people around the country the “Louisiana Story”, their reactions are somewhere between amazement and skepticism. I can tell some of them flatly don’t believe a word I am saying.
That is what makes telling the story even more remarkable.
Southeast Super-Region Committee awarded gold medal by IEDC
Just a few short years ago, I was interviewed by a reporter for an article focusing on the extreme divisiveness, dislike and disdain between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. At that time, I even wrote an opinion column, The Feud is Fading, pointing out the futility in this situation and how it was preventing our region from competing nationally and globally.
It was from those roots that discussions began among a small group who had business interests which cross parish lines, from New Orleans and Baton Rouge, to form the Southeast Super- Region Committee. So today it is truly exciting and gratifying to have the Super-Region Committee being recognized for an award for cross collaboration by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).
To me, this represents hope for the continued future success of our region.
Click here to see the article released by Greater New Orleans, Inc.
ICSC World Summit – Shanghai, China
I just recently returned from the ICSC World Summit in Shanghai, China, where worldwide trustees gathered for a meeting.
I was asked to take part in one of the panel discussions to talk about Stirling Properties and the risks, challenges, and opportunities of being a private, regionally-focused real estate firm that deals in multiple property types.
In contrast, others on the panel were CEOs of large public REITs and foreign-based development firms who discussed the same issues from their vantage points.
Needless to say, my perspective was starkly different from theirs in many aspects.
Interestingly enough, several other trustees approached me afterwards to say how much they envied our position of being able to grow in our own backyard and carve a unique niche for ourselves.
What was amazing was that these comments came from some of the largest multinational retail developers in the world.
Sometimes going halfway around the world helps us to focus even more clearly on our own backyard.
President’s Message: Optimism and Growth at ICSC
Having recently returned from Las Vegas where I attended my 25th consecutive International Council of Shopping Centers Convention, I am struck by several themes that continued to emerge for me.
The upbeat mood and sense of optimism was widespread and apparent, a stark contrast to the mood two years ago. Convention attendance improved again this year which kept our booth buzzing with retailers, lenders and investors looking to learn more about our properties and services.
The amount of new development activity that we have in progress is incredible. Our colleagues in other regions were amazed to hear about the number of projects we currently have in the pipeline. Our markets are attracting a lot of attention both from new retailers entering for the first time, and from those looking to expand their footprints.
New Orleans, in particular, is in a sweet spot unlike I’ve ever witnessed in my career.
Now, more than ever, the importance of a strong brand is paramount to success in today’s environment. In order to attract capital, gain the confidence of retailers and navigate the complexities of a new development, it is crucial to have a strong track record and a well-respected brand.
I was once again reminded how strong our Stirling brand has become, in every niche we occupy, both locally and nationally.
While there are many uncertainties on the horizon – capital availability and terms, internet sales’ impact on bricks and mortar stores and consumer confidence; I believe we are well situated to weather those uncertainties and continue to experience new growth and prosperity.
Stirling Properties Salutes Team Members at Annual Stirling Honors Event
COVINGTON, Louisiana —- (MARCH 27, 2012) On Thursday, March 22, Stirling Properties recognized employees and top commercial agents at the company’s annual Stirling Honors. Held at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, this year’s celebration – “A Salute to You” – not only honored the dedication and commitment of the Stirling Team, but the inspirational journey of keynote speaker and former New Orleans Saints player – Steve Gleason. (more…)
