Guitar Center - @ RK Centers - Raanan Katz (RK Queen Plaza) GRAND OPENING

Last week @ RK Queen Plaza in Southington, CT. Guitar Center kicked off its new store opening with an exciting grand opening. The parking lot had a white tent, the sidewalk had performers playing live music, and the store welcomed its new customers of the Southington area.

Raanan Katz - RK Centers - RK Queen Plaza - Guitar Center Grand Opening

Great Article on Raanan Katz and the RK Centers Brand - From the New England Real Estate Journal

Great Article that was published on Raanan Katz and his company.

How Raanan Katz's basketball logo tells a story and represents the RK Centers' brand

Kevin Belmont, RK Centers

Raanan Katz started out his career as a basketball player in Israel, but in the 40 years since he retired from his playing days, Raanan Katz has been leasing, managing and developing commercial and residential real estate. In the early 1980s, after acquiring over 2,000 apartments in the Boston area, he transitioned his focus from residential to commercial real estate and has since grown his portfolio to over 40 commercial properties, totaling over 6 million s/f of retail space and about 100,000 s/f of office space. Raanan's pride in maintaining top quality shopping centers is evidenced by his personal "signature" emblazoned on each building with the initials "RK" alongside the distinct company basketball logo.

The signature basketball RK Centers logo and RK initials have become a beacon for shopping center patrons and prospective tenants. When a patron or prospective tenant sees the "RK logo" on the side of a building or the basketball logo on the pylon sign they expect to enter a well maintained and attractive shopping center. According to Raanan Katz, "the RK logo is distinctive; our prospects know they are getting a professionally maintained center that will be clean and inviting. I personally visit the properties on a regular basis to ensure that our centers are top quality." The RK Centers brand has grown and evolved over the past 40 years, but the "RK Way" of shopping center maintenance has been a constant. Namely, the "RK Way" means that a RK property is going to be updated, well maintained, well landscaped, a safe shopping environment and, most importantly, inviting to patrons. Raanan Katz's and RK Centers' dedication and commitment to the communities in which he has developed property has not gone unnoticed. For example, the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida recently recognized Raanan Katz's tireless commitment to its development by renaming 170th St. as "Raanan Katz Boulevard." Raanan was further honored with the dedication of the Phyllis and Raanan Katz Sports Center, located behind RK Village Plaza (18200 Collins Ave.) in Sunny Isles Beach, where Raanan remains a fixture on weekend afternoons taking on all basketball challengers with his still potent outside shot. Katz's accolades extend to New England as well. Two examples of that recognition include, The Metro South Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Impact Award and the State of Rhode Island, House of Representatives a citation recognizing RK Centers as "being responsible for transforming a Middletown Shopping Plaza into an appealing and artistically styled center that enhances the town and encourages positive growth."

Katz's unique basketball logo is a legacy of both his early playing days in Israel for powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Israeli National Team, as well as his time playing for the U.S. All Stars, the sparring team for the world famous Harlem Globetrotters. Beyond being a real estate developer, Raanan remains close to the game in the ownership arena. In 1986, Katz became an original partner of the Miami Heat expansion franchise, where he remains a courtside figure at every home game. Katz was ecstatic to be a front row witness to the 2012 NBA Championship victory led by Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Besides the Miami Heat, Raanan also purchased a substantial interest in the Israeli basketball team Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2003. Maccabi is widely known as one of the most successful clubs in Europe and Israel, having reached the Euroleague championship game four times during Raanan's ownership tenure, including Euroleague Cup championship victories during Raanan's inaugural years of ownership in 2004 and 2005. Raanan subsequently sold his interest in Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2009, but remains heavily involved with Israeli basketball by sponsoring teams based in Jerusalem, Galil, and Holon.

Given its strong financial position, and excellent reputation for shopping center management, RK Centers is poised to acquire additional properties in an effort to grow its portfolio. A key advantage that Raanan Katz and RK Centers enjoy is that the company typically closes on acquisitions in less than 30 days by using its own funds; eliminating the need to obtain financing. With over forty years of experience in real estate, Raanan Katz and RK Centers have a proven track record of success with tenants, customers and the communities in which it operates. Most recently, RK Centers completed the acquisition of RK Cape Roads Crossing in Raynham, MA (214,000 s/f), RK Sage Plaza in Hallandale Beach, FL (30,000 s/f) and RK San Souci Plaza in North Miami Beach (27,640 s/f). More information about Raanan Katz and RK Centers is available at their website at www.rkcenters.com.

Kevin Belmont is director of marketing and information technology for RK Centers, Dedham, Mass.

Raanan Katz: New RK Centers Website

New Website Launched. A few Images from the new website.

Check it out.

Raanan Katz - New Website Launched

RK Centers Changes Name - Owned By Raanan Katz

RK Associates Re-Branding to RK Centers

Upland Architects Helps Bring New Life to Tired Retail Center

http://www.send2press.com/newswire/2011-11-1111-001.shtml

SWANSEA, Mass., Nov. 11, 2011 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Upland Architects, Inc. announced today that it has finished the last in a series of architectural design plans for the comprehensive renovation of RK Swansea Place, located in Swansea, Massachusetts.

Anchored by Target, Upland was the plaza's lead architect for the new Marshall's store, the facade improvements and the interior fitups for national retailers like Sleepy's, Radio Shack, Famous Footwear and Sally Beauty.

David Katz, Senior Vice President of RK Associates said "We want to thank Upland Architects for their service throughout the project. They worked diligently to meet a very tight schedule and were part of a team that helped to deliver a first class shopping center for the community."

Upland recently completed projects for RK Associates in Newport, RI and Easton, MA.

About Upland Architects, Inc.:

Upland Architects, Inc. (www.UplandArchitects.com) is an architectural firm located in Norton, MA with a focused expertise in retail and commercial design. Their mission is to develop trustworthy relationships with their clients while producing quality designs quickly and efficiently. They service retailers nationally and retain architectural licenses in most North/Mid Atlantic states.

About RK Associates:

RK Associates (www.RKCenters.com) RK Associates is a privately held, family-owned real estate development company which currently owns over 6 million square feet of commercial space. Their expertise lays in the acquisition, development and management of "open air" regional and community shopping centers in New England and South Florida.

• For more information, visit: http://www.UplandArchitects.com
NEWS SOURCE: Upland Architects, Inc.

Raanan Katz and RK Associates Support the Alzheimer's Association Massachusetts and New Hampshire Chapter!

Raanan Katz

Raanan Katz supports Reach the Beach Runner's www.rtbrelay.com with a donation to team "The Hill Baggers". Race details are below.

The Basics
The Reach the Beach (RTB) Running Relay Race is one of the longest distance running relay races in the United States. The RTB Relay will take place in picturesque New Hampshire during the start of the New England foliage season. The relay will consist of (a maximum of ) 12 person teams that will rotate through 36 transition areas as they cover the approximate 200 mile distance of the race. This means that each relay team member will run 3 legs of varying lengths and difficulty and will cover an average total distance of ~16.6 miles. There will also be an Ultra Distance division that will have a team limit of 6 members. In this case, the average distance covered per Ultra Distance Team runner would be ~ 33 miles. The runners will rotate in a set order once the race begins and will be obligated to follow this rotation until the final runner Reaches the Beach!
Date
Friday & Saturday, September 16-17, 2011
Start: Cannon Mountain, Franconia, NH
Finish: Hampton Beach State Park, Hampton Beach, NH
Time
Friday September 16, 2011; from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Teams start in "waves" every 15-30 minutes. The event will conclude by 9:00 PM on Saturday Saturday September 17, 2011. All teams must have completed the race by this time. All teams are expected to be able to run the event at an average pace of approximately 10 minutes per mile.

Updated listing of RK Florida Listings

http://www.rkcenters.com/florida/available/


Available Florida Space.

RK Executive Centre - 1,100-8,750 SF Office Space in Marlborough MA

RK Executive Centre - 1,100-8,750 SF Office Space in Marlborough MA - http://eepurl.com/e4q0o

RK Swansa Place - Great Work RK Team, Raanan

Follow @RaananKatz



Follow Raanan Katz on Twitter

Who is Raanan Katz and RK Associates

Raanan Katz is the founder and principal owner of RK Associates, a privately held, family-owned real estate development company which currently owns over 6,000,000 square feet of retail space and 100,000 square feet of office space in New England and South Florida. Since entering the real estate development arena in the 1970s, his "hands-on" approach and conservative borrowing practices have resulted in a portfolio of first-class properties with an extremely low debt structure, resulting in R.K. Associates being one of the more stable shopping center operato rs in the industry.
Raanan Katz first arrived in the United States in his early twenties with a reputation as an excellent outside shooter on the Israeli National Basketball Team, and was invited to join the Boston Celtics training camp. Celtics Head Coach, Red Auerbach recommended Raanan Katz to play for the U.S. All Stars, the sparring team for the Harlem Globetrotters. After leaving the All Stars, he settled in Boston, Massachusetts and purchased a small apartment building with the money he earned. During the next several years he amassed over 2000 apartment units in the Greater Boston area.

Facebook Page for Raanan Katz and RK Associates

http://www.facebook.com/RKAssociates

CalClub Leasing!!

Raanan Katz and RK Associates are excited to list the following property for lease!

RK California Club Shopping Center
http://rkcenters.com/emarketing/Calclubblast.html

http://rkcenters.com/florida/californiaclub/California%20Club.pdf

http://rkcenters.com/florida/californiaclub/

Target, Marshalls going up on Route 6 as other retail stores planned for RK Swansea Place

Raanan Katz and RK Associates wanted to share another update from Swansea, MA



Target, Marshalls going up on Route 6 as other retail stores planned for RK Swansea Place

SWANSEA —

The new Target and Marshalls buildings are going up, their foundations erected, and plans are being made for other retail additions in RK Swansea Place on Route 6.

Radio Shack is moving to the plaza from the Swansea Mall, according to Swansea Town Planner Stephen J. Antinelli.

The plaza has several open spots ranging in size from 1,530 square feet to 7,025 square feet, most of them located in one area.

“The eastern wing is vacant,” Antinelli said.

In all, the plaza is able to house 15 different businesses, be they retail, restaurant or office. Already located in the plaza is McDonald’s, Newsbreak, The Nut House, H&R Block, Crew Cuts and Umi Japanese Steakhouse.

Target and Marshalls will open in July 2011.

There are talks with other prospective tenants, according to Kenneth Fries, who directs leasing efforts for RK Associates, which owns the plaza where Building 19 operated for years.

The plaza will be completely redesigned at more than 200,000 square feet and 891 parking spaces.

The new traffic light on Route 6 at the entrance of the plaza has been operational for about a month. In the past, there have been serious accidents at the site as shoppers attempt to turn onto Route 6 from the plaza.

“The traffic signals will regulate the traffic in the area and should also slow the motorists down,” Swansea Police Chief George Arruda said.

In other retail news, Walmart has had talks with the Swansea Planning Department and is expected to apply for a building permit soon. Construction of the new Walmart, to be located in the parking lot outside the current department store at the Swansea Mall, is expected to begin in the spring.

Construction will take nine months to a year. The current Walmart will be demolished and used as parking for the new store. The new Walmart, which is to include a large grocery department, will be accessed from outside. It will no longer connect to the mall.

E-mail Deborah Allard at dallard@heraldnews.com.

RK Swansea Place - Target - Swansea, MA

RK Swansea Place - Swansea, MA. Raanan Katz and the entire RK Associates team are excited about this project. More updates to come. Target planned to open July, 2011. http://rkcenters.com/massachusetts/swansea/index.html

Phyllis and Raanan Katz Sports Center Dedication

Phyllis and Raanan Katz Sports Center Dedication

In a special ceremony on August 25th, 2008, the City of Sunny Isles Beach officially dedicated the gymnasium at Pelican Community Park, the “Phyllis and Raanan Katz Sports Center”. Present at the dedication ceremony were our Mayor and Commissioners, as well as local community leaders, including Senator Gwen Margolis. A generous gift of $525,000 was received from Raanan and Phyllis Katz towards the construction of the gymnasium, exemplifying their enthusiasm for philanthropy, an appreciation for athletics, and a real commitment to our city.

The new gymnasium has over 10,000 square feet of space, equipped with a regulation size basketball court, which can also be converted into a volleyball/badminton court, as well as bleachers, locker rooms, and concession area.

“This gymnasium will enhance the city’s athletic department, school community, and social functions on many levels,” stated Athletics Coordinator Matt High.

The “Phyllis and Raanan Katz Sports Center” may also be reserved for meetings and social gatherings. For more information, call Cultural and Human Services at (305) 792-1706 or visit www.sibfl.net.




http://www.sibfl.net/news_archive/news_080901/sports_center_dedication.asp