Articles

Shopping center vacancies continue to climb

Vacancies at U.S. shopping malls and retail strip centers have climbed to steep levels, a trend that Indianapolis-based commercial
real estate companies Simon Property Group Inc. and Kite Realty Group Trust haven’t been able to dodge.

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UPDATE: Simon remembered for vision, courage

A Friday funeral is planned for a man who made a fortune building shopping malls across the U.S. and later became a prolific
philanthropist in his adopted hometown of Indianapolis. Melvin Simon, 82, succumbed this morning after a battle with pancreatic
cancer.

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Despite sour economy, retail developers press on

Retail developers always have been an audacious breed. They spend millions to build shopping centers, confident that tenants will flock to fill the slots they didn’t prelease. To charge ahead these days takes more than the usual dose of intestinal fortitude. Everyone is nervous — from shoppers to lenders to retailers, many of which have […]

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Indiana CEOs are cautious during financial mayhem

CEOs with Simon Property, Duke Realty Corp. and Interactive Intelligence Inc. report that their companies are taking an uncharacteristically
cautious approach to acquisitions and investments, given the faltering economy.

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Nordstrom new north-side store targets tonier shoppers

Come Sept. 19, Nordstrom Inc.’s got a brand new bag–and, well, shoes, hat and ensemble to match–as the department store
opens a second Indianapolis location, in the Fashion Mall at Keystone. Residing in Parisian’s former quarters,
the new store is poised to burnish the mall’s reputation as the region’s highest-end shopping destination.

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Strip-mall developer scales back as housing slump hurts small retail centers

A local developer known for its strip centers has stopped building new projects, scaled back its staff, and is trying to
unload several of its properties in an apparent bid to survive. Williams Realty Group earlier this year
shuttered its custom-home-building operation, DayMarc Homes, and now observers are wondering if owners Dave
Crockett and Marc Freije can keep the rest of Williams afloat.

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New Lafayette Square owner pitching major expansion

Lafayette Square Mall could look a lot like the revitalized Glendale Town Center in a few years if the mall’s new owners get
their way. A proposed site plan shows that New York-based Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. doesn’t intend to settle for filling
the mall’s ample vacant space.

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Premier Properties lays off workers as lawsuits, debt pile up

Premier Properties USA Inc. has eliminated about half its headquarters staff–more than 40 employees–as banks seize several
of its properties and CEO Christopher P. White faces a barrage of new lawsuits alleging unpaid bills, defaulted loans, illegally
redirected rent payments and check fraud.

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Kite lands in hot retail spot

Another high-profile local developer is making a move to capitalize on the city’s hottest retail corridor, joining mall giant
Simon Property Group Inc. and upstart Premier Properties USA Inc. Kite Realty Group Trust paid $18.3 million for Rivers Edge
shopping center, a 111,000-square-foot property just east of Clearwater Crossing.

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