SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Trolley Square owner, Trolley Square Associates, LLC, whose operating manager is ScanlanKemperBard Companies (SKB), along with development partner, Blake Hunt Ventures (BHV), have signed a lease with American Apparel to join an ever-growing list of top-notch retailers as part of a major renovation and expansion of the historic shopping center located in the heart of Salt Lake City. American Apparel is proceeding on store design for a 2,800 square-foot space that it hopes to open across from Banana Republic for the holiday season.

“We believe that American Apparel contributes nicely to the unique mix of local and national retail offerings found only at Trolley Square,” said Mark Blancarte, vice president of development for Blake Hunt Ventures. “It’s noteworthy that one of the most sought-after retailers in this country and Europe has chosen Trolley as its first Utah location.”

American Apparel, a leading domestic vertically integrated manufacturer and retailer of casual fashion basics for young metropolitan adults, is well known for having stylized t-shirts and popularized casual wear for urban settings. The clothing retailer manufactures all branded clothing at its Los Angeles facilities and features company employees in its advertising.

“We have been searching for the perfect location in Salt Lake City for two years and have not found the right place until now,” said Tacee Webb, a site selection project manager for American Apparel. “With the exciting tenant mix proposed for Trolley Square and its beautiful turn-of-the-century architecture, we feel it will be the best center in the market. We are happy to be a part of the new energy and identity of this area and are very pleased that our new store will open just in time for the holiday season.”

During the lease agreement process, Philip Klaparda of the Beverly Hills, Calif., real estate firm, Dembo & Associates, represented American Apparel and Ruth Jolley, a senior vice president with Staubach Retail, represented Trolley Square.

This past spring, work began on the $10 million renovation of Trolley Square’s 160,000-square-foot, two-level retail building. The renovation includes uncovering the mall’s skylights to add natural light, opening up the building’s tight corridors to expand walking space, and improving the mall’s central court with additional sitting areas and gathering space.

Construction of this first phase is planned for completion prior to the holiday season, with work taking place each night after hours. Other work expected to begin this year includes a new parking structure and additional retail on the property’s west side.

Last fall, SKB and BHV announced an agreement with natural grocer, Whole Foods Market, to build a 53,000 square-foot building as part of the $40 million renovation of Trolley Square. Construction is anticipated to begin next spring on the Whole Foods building, with a completion date in 2009. Later phases of construction will include adding attractive cobblestone paths, fountains, fireplaces and other exterior landscaping improvements as well as constructing a multi-level parking structure on the 600 East side of the property with an additional 40,000 square feet of retail space.

“We are pleased with the addition of American Apparel to our exciting lineup of retailers,” said Tom Bard, principal of SKB. “This is another step on our journey to restoring Trolley Square as a premier shopping, dining and entertainment destination, and the crown jewel of Salt Lake City.”

About ScanlanKemperBard Companies

ScanlanKemperBard Companies, LLC, was founded in early 1993 in Portland, Ore. Since then, SKB has become one of the West’s leading real estate merchant banking firms specializing in opportunistic investment in Western U.S. projects having total capitalization in the $15 million to $100 million range. To date, SKB’s portfolio activity is in excess of $1.99 billion and 15.7 million square feet. More than 750 high-net-worth individuals, families and trusts throughout the U.S. invest with SKB through SKB Securities in minimum units of $100,000. For additional information, visit http://www.skbcos.com.

About Blake Hunt Ventures

Blake Hunt Ventures is a private real estate development and services company based in Danville, California. BHV's strategy is to develop, lease and manage retail and mixed-use projects, including single-family and multi-family residential projects in northern California and the West. Since the 1980’s, the BHV team has developed, acquired, leased or managed millions of square feet and more than 100 projects in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. BHV currently has more than $400 million in projects under development. For additional information, visit http://www.blakehuntventures.com

About American Apparel

American Apparel (www.americanapparel.net) is a vertically integrated manufacturer and retailer of stylish, casual clothing for young metropolitan adults. Founded in 1997 by Dov Charney, American Apparel is the largest t-shirt manufacturer in the United States and operates the country's largest garment factory. All manufacturing is done at the company's facilities in Los Angeles, principally at its downtown Los Angeles factory and headquarters. The company employs more than 5,000 people and operates 145 retail locations in 11 countries.