Dive Brief:

• Construction activity, largely in the form of renovations, is picking up at shopping centers across the country.
• One investor is buying up underperforming centers are giving them a makeover in an arrangement with Englewood Construction Inc.
• Activity is refocusing on proven locations in urban areas rather than chasing suburban or ex-urban housing that stopped providing new markets.

Dive Insight:

Giving a shopping center a makeover is a wide-ranging project, likely need architects, engineers and commercial contractors. Some of the motivation for putting those firms to work now is that retailers that survived the recession are feeling like they are now in a possession to expand and try to grab more market share.