Pictured (L-R): Grady Brame of Stirling Properties, Tommy Buckel of Duplantis Design Group, Chip Verges of VergesRome Architects, Joey Medina of Winn-Dixie, Chip Songy of Stirling Properties, Lewis Stirling of Stirling Properties, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, District A Councilwoman Susan Guidry, Marty Mayer of Stirling Properties, Aimee Quirk - City of New Orleans Mayor’s Office, Townsend Underhill of Stirling Properties, and Jack Donahue of Donahue Favret

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana —- (MARCH 20, 2012) Earlier today Stirling Properties commemorated the groundbreaking of Mid-City Market, the highly anticipated urban shopping center development located along the North Carrollton Avenue commercial corridor in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Opening in early 2013, Mid-City Market will complement the proposed Lafitte Greenway pedestrian and bicycle pathway that will border the shopping center.

The 107,713 square foot, Winn-Dixie anchored shopping center represents Stirling Properties continued investment in the New Orleans market and one of the most significant retail developments in the city since hurricane Katrina.

The Honorable Mayor Mitch Landrieu commented that, “Mid-City Market is critical for the continued revitalization of this important corridor. Though they were once blighted and vacant properties, this project will bring properties back into commerce and will interact nicely with Lafitte Greenway, which itself will spur activity and redevelopment across the city. Mid-City Market will bring hundreds of new jobs, new sales and property tax dollars and improved quality of life for Orleans Parish residents.”

“This project embodies the strength of the New Orleans recovery and represents yet another important step in bringing retail back to the city,” stated Lewis Stirling, Executive Vice President of Stirling Properties.  “We are pleased to be moving forward with the Mid-City Market project which represents yet another significant milestone in our Company’s history.”

Stirling Properties has a 37 year history of real estate development, management and commercial brokerage throughout the Gulf South.  In the past few years investment in the city of New Orleans has become a focus in Stirling Properties development strategy.  Since Katrina, the redevelopment of Bultman Funeral Home into Borders Bookstore and later Fresh Market Grocery, the acquisition of the Pan American Life Building, and the company’s current redevelopment of the American Legion Hall on Magazine Street into an upscale Walgreens Drugstore all exemplify Stirling Properties renewed commitment to the City of New Orleans.

Stirling Properties’ Townsend Underhill, Vice President of Development says that, Stirling Properties will continue to work on a number of other potential projects in the city of New Orleans and hopes Mid-City Market will be the springboard to furthering the recovery in New Orleans.

To commemorate the groundbreaking event Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Councilwoman Susan Guidry and Regional VP of Winn-Dixie, Joey Medina, along with Stirling Properties’ Marty Mayer, President and CEO, Lewis Stirling, Townsend Underhill, tenant representatives from the development and the Mid-City Market design and construction team of VergesRome Architects, Duplantis Design Group and Donahue Favret Contractors Inc. were in attendance.

Tenants with executed leases in the development include Office Depot, Neighborhood Pet Market by Jefferson Feed, Felipe’s Taqueria, Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and Pei Wei Asian Diner.  Mid-City Market is 80% pre-leased with other tenant announcements forthcoming.  Additional lease space is also available.  For more information contact Chris Abadie, Vice President and Manager of Stirling Properties’ Commercial Brokerage Division, at (985) 246-3721 or cabadie@stirlingprop.com.

For more information about the development of Mid-City Market, contact Townsend Underhill at (985) 246-3785 or tunderhill@stirlingprop.com.