HOUSTON-Weingarten Realty Investors announced an active second quarter that involved the sale of 11 non-core assets (five of which involved joint ventures, along with three land parcels) and the acquisition of two others. The end results were sales totaling $232 million and acquisitions amounting to $71 million, bringing the year-to-date acquisition total to $89 million.

Second quarter acquisitions included the 66,000-square-foot Queen Anne Marketplace in Seattle and the 324,000-square-foot Independence Plaza in Laredo, TX.

This shopping center at 2450 Monarch Dr. features a top performing H-E-B, T.J. Maxx, Ross, Hobby Lobby, Petco and Ulta Beauty. Independence Plaza is 96% leased and generates approximately 80% of its income from these national retailers. The Laredo MSA has the largest job growth forecast in the nation over the next 10 years. The region benefits from jobs created by natural gas exploration in the Eagle Ford Shale Formation and the Port of Laredo which is the nation's largest inland port and handles 60% of all U.S. trade with Mexico. With this addition, WRI owns and manages a portfolio of 13 shopping centers comprised of 1.7 million square feet in South Texas.