Press Releases

Merchants Retail Partners Breaks Ground On New Cullman Shopping Center Expansion

Publix, PetSmart and Dick's Sporting Goods confirmed as anchor stores

Cullman, AL (October 2, 2014) - Merchants Retail Partners (MRP), a Birmingham, Alabama based real estate investment firm, broke ground on the new expansion of the Cullman Shopping Center Thursday, October 2, 2014 at 2:00 pm CST. This expansion comes amid the revitalization of Cullman's downtown and is yet another indicator of the renaissance of Cullman.

MRP Development Partner Tim Gully is looking forward to the future. "Cullman is a community that's growing and evolving at an incredible pace. It's one of the state leaders for new and expanding industry, as well as educational test scoring. As we were planning the renovation and expansion of Cullman Shopping Center, our goal was to reflect the essence of this thriving city and enhance the shopping experience for the community. Considering the addition of best-in-class stores like Publix, PetSmart and Dick's, I feel we're well on our way to achieving that goal."

The new expansion will bring the total square footage to over 325,000 sq. ft. of retail space and will feature anchor retailers new to the Cullman market including Publix, PetSmart and the introduction of a whole new custom-designed Dick's Sporting Goods - the first prototype store of its kind in Alabama. As well, the existing shopping center will undergo significant renovations, giving longstanding tenants like Belk, Books-A-Million and Shoe Dept. a fresh, new look to compliment the expansion.

"We are thrilled to be part of this exciting and historic reinvigoration of the Cullman community," said Bill Leitner, Principal of Merchants Retail Partners. "None of this could have happened if it weren't for the hard work and collaboration of the Cullman City Council, Mayor Max Townson and other municipal leaders who share the same vision for Cullman's future. Over the past 50 years, Cullman Shopping Center has been at the heart of the shopping experience. This new renovation and expansion will continue to serve the community and stand as a beacon of the rebirth of Cullman for the next 50 years."

About Merchants Retail Partners

Merchants Retail Partners (MRP) is a real estate investment firm specializing in commercial real estate development and acquisitions throughout the Southeast. MRP 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, MRP's leadership team has developed and managed more than $2B of retail and mixed use property across the Southeast. Headquartered in Birmingham, AL in the Protective Life Center, examples of MRP's current holdings are the Cullman Shopping Center in Cullman, AL, Tiger Town in Opelika, AL and Grand Boulevard at Sandestin®. More at http://www.merchantsretail.com. For more about Cullman, visit www.cullmancity.org and www.cullmaneda.org.