Gerald S. Divaris, chairman and CEO of Divaris Real Estate, Inc. (DRE), announced the completion of eight leases for new and renewed retail space totaling 94,116 square feet of retail space.  All of the leases were handled by the
Virginia Beach office of Divaris Real Estate.

Spirit Halloween Superstores leased 35,000 square feet of retail space in the Divaris-leased and -managed Newport Marketplace located at 365 Chatham Drive in Newport News, Virginia.  Spirit Halloween's over 1,100 stores across the United States and Canada are situated in high visibility, high-traffic strip centers. DRE’s David Bickford and Aeri Jai represented the landlord, 353 Chatham Drive Holdings, LLC, in the lease negotiations.   Other tenants in Newport Marketplace include Michael’s, Farm Fresh and The Home Depot.

Michaels leased 26,886 square feet of retail space in the Divaris-leased Crossways Shopping Center located at 1412 Greenbrier Parkway in Chesapeake, Va.   Irving, Texas-based Michaels Stores, Inc. currently owns and operates more than 1,100 stores, making it North America’s largest specialty retailer of arts, crafts, framing, floral, wall décor, and seasonal merchandise.  DRE’s David Redmond handled the lease on behalf of the landlord, JLP-Chesapeake, LLC.   Other tenants in the shopping center include:  ULTA, Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, DSW and T.J. Maxx.

Dollar Tree renewed its lease for 9,663 square feet of retail space in the Divaris-leased and -managed Williamsburg Marketcenter located at 6610 Mooretown Road in Williamsburg, Va.  Opened in 1986, Dollar Tree offers everything shoppers could need for every day, every holiday, and every occasion for $1 or less -- from thousands of stores conveniently located in shopping centers and malls in all 48 contiguous states.  DRE’s Missy Martinovich represented the landlord, American General Life Insurance Company, in the lease negotiations.  Other tenants in the shopping center include:  Ross Dress for Less, Verizon Wireless, Supercuts, Tropical Smoothie, Quiznos and many others.

The University of Phoenix leased 9,516 square feet of space in the Divaris-leased and -managed Town Center of Virginia Beach located at Divaris Corner at the intersection of Independence Boulevard and Columbus Street in Virginia Beach, Va.  University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world.  Gerald Divaris, Erica Rorrer, Mary McGovern and Sezin Cortinas handled the lease on behalf of the landlord, Divaris Corner, LLC.  Other retailers in Town Center of Virginia Beach include: West Elm, Free People, Brooks Brothers, Monkee’s, LOFT and Paper Source.

Applebee’s Grill and Bar leased 4,693 square feet of retail space in Little Creek Marketplace located at 725 East Little Creek Road in Norfolk, Va.  Applebee’s has grown to become a popular restaurant in neighborhoods all across North America – with almost 2,000 locations and counting.  DRE’s Levi Thomson represented the tenant in the negotiations with the landlord, Little Tidewater Associates, LLC.

VersAbility Resources renewed its lease for 3,200 square feet of retail space in the Divaris-leased and -managed Glenwood Shoppes located at 8401 Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk, Va.  VersAbility Resources serve over 1,400 people with disabilities and their families each year in employment, community living, day support, and early childhood programs. DRE’s Bickford represented the landlord, Midlantic Builders, in the lease negotiations.  Other tenants in Glenwood Shoppes include:  Food Lion, Dollar General, Subway, Hair Cuttery, Hardee’s, and Taco Bell.

Zushi Japanese Bistro renewed its lease for 2,706 square feet of retail space in the Divaris-leased and -managed Town Center of Virginia Beach located at 4540 Main Street in Virginia Beach, Va.  Gerald Divaris, Erica Rorrer and Sezin Cortinas handled the lease on behalf of the landlord, TCA Block 4 Retail, LLC.  Other restaurant tenants in the Town Center of Virginia Beach include:  Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Yard House, California Pizza Kitchen, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Bravo! Cucina Italiana, Tupelo Honey Café, Sonoma Wine Bar, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant and Saffron Indian Bistro.

Chipotle Mexican Grill leased 2,452 square feet of retail space in the Divaris-leased Landstown Commons shopping center located at 3380 Princess Anne Road in Virginia Beach.   Since 1993, Chipotle has offered a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere in more than 1,500 restaurants. DRE’s Levi Thomson and Melinda Pezzella handled the lease negotiations on behalf of the landlord, KRG Virginia Beach Landstown, LLC.   Other tenants in Landstown Commons include:  Kohl's, Best Buy, Ross, Bed Bath & Beyond, PetSmart, A.C. Moore, Books A Million, Office Max, Rack Room Shoes, Buffalo Wild Wings, ULTA, Walgreens, and many more.

About Divaris Real Estate

Divaris Real Estate, Inc. is headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA with offices in Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke, VA; Beverly Hills, CA; Charlotte, NC; and Washington, DC.  Divaris Real Estate and Divaris Property Management Corp. are divisions of The Divaris Group, an international real estate brokerage and property management company that currently manages and/or leases in excess of 26 million square feet of prime office, retail and industrial space from New Jersey to Florida.  Gerald S. Divaris is Chairman of the Board, and Michael B. Divaris is President of Divaris Real Estate, Inc.

Divaris Real Estate is a member of Realty Resources, (http://www.realtyresources.org/) a national group of independent retail property brokers and managers, covering 91 major markets throughout the U.S.  DRE is also the Virginia affiliate for The CORE Network, (http://www.corenetworkre.org/) a national group of office and industrial brokers with affiliates throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Asia, and Europe.  These organizations represent corporate and institutional clients, tenants and buyers in all aspects of leasing, development, management, sales and acquisitions.