JLL to head retail leasing at Forest City’s new Chinatown development

JLL has be tapped to head up retail leasing at Blossom Plaza, a $100 million mixed-use residential and retail complex by Forest City Realty Trust in Chinatown, Forest City said Friday.

The project, which is mixed-use with residential and commercial space, will include 19,000 square feet of retail. JLL’s Lorena Tomb and Danielle Cornwell are handling the project.

The Chinatown development, at the intersection of Broadway and College Street, replaces a space formerly occupied by Italian eatery Little Joe’s, a beloved local fixture. Joe’s closed 15 years ago but its rundown building remained.

Now, some say that the debut of Blossom may herald in a new – more upmarket – era for Chinatown.

“Our goal has always been to help continue the transformation of Chinatown with a premier transit oriented development that appeals to a wide demographic, from millennials and creative people to C-Suite professionals,” said Kevin Ratner, president of Forest City West.

Tomb agreed: “During the 1980s a large number of retail was added along Broadway and transformed the area,” she said. “Chinatown now represents one of the largest geographies in Downtown, and as a key intersection, it’s primed for revitalization.”

Asking rents for the complex were not immediately available. — Katherine Clarke