NEW YORK CITY—Although it has spanned the compass of property types since its founding in 1983, O'Connor Capital Partners started out as a retail specialist and remains bullish on the sector amid a spate of negative prognostications on the future of brick-and-mortar stores. The company recently completed its second joint venture with mall REIT Washington Prime Group on ownership of seven open-air properties valued at $600 million. It recently began development of Vineland Pointe, a 450,000-square-foot regional power and lifestyle center in Orlando, in a JV with LaSalle Investment Management, and acquired the Shops at Canal Place, a 260,000-square-foot shopping and entertainment destination in New Orleans. At present it has about 28 million square feet of retail space under management.

GlobeSt.com caught up with John O'Connor, SVP and head of acquisitions with O'Connor Capital, for insights into the outlook for retail and what his firm seeks out when investing or developing in the sector.

GlobeSt.com: Where do you see strengths in retail that would encourage investment activities such as your second JV with Washington Prime?