HICKORY, N.C. Aug. 6, 2009 – Big Lots, which has anchored the 163,000-square-foot Hickory Plaza since 1991, has extended its lease on a long-term basis and expanded from an older 22,000-square-foot store to a 33,055-square-foot state-of-the-art store, announced Levin Management Corporation.

The closeout retailer headlines several recent tenant renewals at the property, including a 2,500-square-foot extension for Radio Shack, a 2,000-square-foot renewal by All My Friends Pet Shop, and a 2,000-square-foot renewal by H&R Block.

“The expansion and relocation by Big Lots is a very substantial upgrade, which will allow them to add bargains in home d√©cor and furniture to their merchandise mix,” said Dale Mulartrick, Director of Leasing for Levin Management, exclusive leasing and managing agent for Hickory Plaza. “They run an excellent operation and have been a tremendous asset for the shopping center for the past 18 years.

The several renewals are also part of a major, ongoing repositioning of Hickory Plaza, which is located at the intersection of U.S. 70 and State Route 321, less than an hour’s drive from Charlotte. The center currently has availabilities ranging from 750 square feet to a big-box opportunity of 40,000 square feet on a former theater site.

“The renewals are a tremendous vote of confidence in the shopping center,” Mulartrick said. “They are also a very good indicator of the strength of the market. The Hickory metropolitan statistical area is the fourth largest in the State of North Carolina, with a population of more than 352,000.”

The five-mile population of Hickory Plaza is more than 60,000 with an average household income of $55,157, and 58,000 cars pass the shopping center’s site daily. The 10-mile population is nearly 145,000 with an average household income of $50,543. The four-county Hickory metropolitan statistical area serves as the corporate headquarters of 47 firms with at least 500 employees and $500 million in sales.

Levin Management Corporation is one of the Northeast’s largest retail property management and leasing companies with a portfolio of more than 80 properties totaling 12.5 million square feet in five states.