Benderson named to top national retail lists

Benderson named to top national retail lists
Manatee County-based Benderson Development Co. LLC has been named one of the largest retail property owners and managers in the U.S. by National Real Estate Investor — and it is the only company headquartered on the Gulf Coast to be so recognized.

Benderson was ranked as the 16th largest retail owner nationwide on the publication's 2015 list, and the 20th largest retail manager, with 30 million square feet of space. Last year, it ranked 15th and 18th, respectively, listing the same amount of square footage.

In all, the co-owner of the Mall at University Town Center controls more than 700 properties totaling in excess of 40 million square feet in 38 states, according to the company's website.
Ellenton Premium Outlets and Coconut Point Mall owner Simon Property Group, based in Indianapolis, topped the owners' list with 183 million square feet; Chicago-based General Growth Properties, owner of Naples' Coastland Center, was No. 2; and Westfield Corp., which owns regional malls from Tampa to Sarasota, came in at No. 11, with 46 million square feet.

Benderson's UTC mall partner, The Taubman Co., placed 29th, while Ohio-based Casto, whose Southwest Florida affiliate developed the Whole Foods Market Centre complex in downtown Sarasota, was ranked 33rd.

CBRE tapped for Plant City project
CBRE Group's industrial brokerage team in Tampa has been tapped to be the “exclusive adviser” to Lakeside Station, a 1,400-acre development in Plant City entitled for 10 million square feet of commercial space.

Rian Smith, Kostas Stoilas and Kris Courier will handle marketing and eventually help select a master joint venture partner. Roughly 1 million square feet currently exists at Lakeside Station.

The assignment comes as Plant City is extending infrastructure to accommodate expected e-commerce distribution and fulfillment centers eyeing the Interstate 4 corridor. From Central Florida, companies can ship goods to 18.4 million state residents within 24 hours.

E-commerce retailers also are expected to push demand for an additional 3.4 million square feet of industrial space in the corridor by the end of 2017, according to a recent CBRE report.