Press Releases

Merchants Retail Partners Announces Dick’s Sporting Goods To Anchor Cullman Shopping Center Expansion

Birmingham, AL, July 14, 2014 – Merchants Retail Partners (MRP), a Birmingham, Alabama based real estate investment firm, is pleased to announce that Dick’s Sporting Goods is the first tenant to execute a lease to anchor the expansion of Cullman Shopping Center.

Dick’s Sporting Goods plans to reveal the first store of its kind for the national retail chain that currently has over 500 locations. The store will be custom designed to serve the Cullman community.

“Having a first-in-class retailer like Dick’s Sporting Goods choose Cullman to reveal their latest store prototype will certainly generate excitement and lead the way for additional retailers who will follow in their footsteps,” stated Tim Gully, MRP Development Partner.

Many of the existing tenants, including Belk and Shoe Dept., have extended their commitment to the redevelopment of Cullman Shopping Center as well. As part of the renovation project, Cullman Shopping Center will receive a significant expansion, which will bring total square footage to over 325,000 sq. feet of retail space.

For the past 50 years, Cullman Shopping Center has been the heart of the Cullman retail shopping experience. MRP plans to expand on the retail center’s legacy with a complete revitalization of the shopping experience with some of the nation’s best in class retailers and restaurants leading the way.

Merchant Retail Partners’ vision for Cullman Shopping Center is to reenergize the entire shopping experience for Cullman residents, yielding another 50 years as Cullman’s premier shopping destination. Cullman Shopping Center’s new welcoming aesthetic and lively environment will appeal to the shopper looking for a destination retail center with a wide-range of options, including new retailers previously only found in larger markets.

“Our tagline for this project is ‘Be Inspired’, which is exactly how we feel about Cullman. It’s obvious that great things are happening in Cullman and it’s been inspiring to partner with local city and business leadership who are committed to attracting businesses and continuing the growth of Cullman,” said Bill Leitner, Principal, Merchants Retail Partners.

Merchants Retail Partners (MRP) is a Birmingham, Alabama based real estate investment firm specializing in commercial real estate development and acquisitions throughout the Southeast. Merchants Retail Partners combines the size, strength and institutional closing power of its sponsor company, with the responsiveness of a private firm. With more than 145 years of collective experience, the leadership team at MRP has developed and managed more than $2 billion of retail and mixed use property across the Southeast. Examples of its current investment holdings are Tiger Town in Opelika, Alabama and Grand Boulevard at Sandestin®. MRP is located at the Protective Center, 2801 Highway 280 South, Suite 345, Birmingham, Alabama 35223.