Developers are increasingly using social media and online surveys to ask area residents what businesses they want in their neighbourhood, turning away from traditional market research that determines what types of stores might draw customers.

When real-estate developer Robert Fung started to look at how best to fill 8,000 square feet of retail space in New Westminster, B.C., he decided to approach it like a retailer and ask potential customers what they thought might be a good fit. He turned to Facebook, Twitter and community blogs to solicit feedback from people who live in the area.

Mr. Fung says the response to the two-week campaign was “overwhelming, immediate and highly informative,” and it led the developer to refine his target retail mix and modify the storefront configurations to dovetail with what respondents envisioned.

“I didn’t have anyone say, ‘Put a London Drugs in it or a Shoppers Drug Mart’ – not that that’s a bad thing, but it’s not the character we hope to provide,” says Mr. Fung, president of Salient Group, which is behind the Trapp + Holbrook project in downtown New Westminster.

Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/starting-out/heres-a-twist-developers-ask-residents-what-stores-they-want/article11165548/

Peace Arch News – Superstore site takes shape.

Public curiosity runs high as site clearing continues for the newest addition to Grandview Corners’ urbanized landscape – a planned Superstore and gas bar on the southeast corner of 24 Avenue and 160 Street in South Surrey.

Ontario-based Loblaw Companies Ltd. started work last month following approval of building permits for a 122,692-square-foot Real Canadian Superstore, plus gas bar and convenience store.

Timeline for completion of the project has not been announced by Loblaw, and project spokespeople were not available by Peace Arch News’ press time Monday.

The project has been in the works since 2005 when Loblaw first received zoning for the 20-acre site, which faces the Wal-Mart across 160 Street.

Read more: http://www.peacearchnews.com/business/201121561.html

After nearly 6 months on the market, 2999 Grandview Highway, a retail property fully leased to the Brick, has sold for $11,675,000, representing $330 per sq ft., and a 5.5% cap rate. The Brick occupies 35,000 SF on a long-term lease with options.The property is 1.45 acres and zoned CD for retail use. It is located on the North side of Grandview Highway near Renfrew Street.

Retail and real estate analysts believe large retailers such as Walmart or Target could start pushing for construction of a new mall on either of two downtown blocks that are ripe for redevelopment.

Canada Post’s sale in January of its long-time Vancouver headquarters to BC Investment Management Corp. (BCIMC) has opened up the block bounded by Georgia, Homer, Dunsmuir and Hamilton streets.

Two blocks east is Larwill Park, which is owned by the City of Vancouver and bounded by Georgia, Cambie, Dunsmuir and Beatty streets.

The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) is hoping to convince the city at a meeting, likely to be held in early March, that it should be given the site – which some estimate to be worth $200 million – to build a new $300 million gallery.