The properties include: Filene's at Burlington Mall, Burlington, MA; Macy's at South Shore Plaza, Braintree, MA; L.S. Ayres at Castleton Square Mall, Indianapolis; Marshall Field's at University Park Mall, Mishawaka, IN; Famous-Barr at Eastland Mall, Evansville, IN; L.S. Ayres at Greenwood Park Mall, Greenwood, IN; and Macy's at Pheasant Lane Mall, Nashua, NH. The companies also announced lease terminations at Macy's at Northshore Mall, Peabody, MA, and Macy's at Ross Park Mall, Pittsburgh.

The department stores are part of Federated Department's previously announced for divestiture of 80 duplicate locations nationwide resulting from its acquisition of the May Department Stores Co. Federated execs went on to say the company intends to convert two stores to Bloomingdale's: Robinson - May at Fashion Valley Mall, San Diego and Filene's at Mall at Chestnut Hill, Newton, MA. Company execs expect the stores, located in Simon-operated malls, to reopen in the fourth quarter.

Officials with Simon Property Group also confirmed development plans for each of the properties where it has acquired or gained control of a store previously operated by Federated:

• Burlington Mall--A new Nordstrom store will be constructed, expected to open in spring 2008 with additional specialty stores and restaurants.
• South Shore Plaza--A new Nordstrom store will be constructed, expected to open in spring 2009 with additional specialty stores and restaurants.
• Northshore Mall--A new Nordstrom store will be constructed, expected to open in spring 2010 with additional specialty stores and restaurants.
• Castleton Square Mall--A lifestyle component with a theatre, bookstore, specialty stores and restaurants will be added.
• University Park Mall--A lifestyle component with a bookstore, specialty stores and restaurants will be added.
• Eastland Mall--A Dillard's will occupy the former L.S. Ayres store.
• Greenwood Park Mall--A lifestyle component with a bookstore, specialty stores and restaurants will be added.
• Ross Park Mall--A new Nordstrom store will be constructed and is expected to open in fall 2008 with additional specialty stores, restaurants, and other retailers. The first phase of this redevelopment is the addition of the Cheesecake Factory which is under construction and will open in the fourth quarter of this year.

Simon Property Group is a retail REIT that owns or has an interest in 285 properties in the United States containing an aggregate of 200 million sf of gross leasable area in 39 states and Puerto Rico. Simon also owns interests in 51 European shopping centers in France, Italy, and Poland; five Premium Outlet centers in Japan; and one Premium Outlet center in Mexico.