MAHWAH, NJ—More than 1,300 leases on Ascena brands, which include Dress Barn and Ann Taylor, are due to expire or be subject to kick-out clauses over the next 12 months.

WASHINGTON, DC—“We are seeing a continued shift to rightsizing and incorporating new workplace strategies that help firms lower the cost of their footprint, while improving operations and client services,” says Cushman & Wakefield's Sherry Cushman. The firm has just issued its 2017 legal sector survey in partnership with ALM Legal Intelligence.

TORONTO—The downsizings, including those that were announced this past February, affect operations of the retailer's North American brands, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor.

NEW YORK CITY—Analysts at Kroll Bond Rating Agency cite “the growing middle class and number of millennials that have an appetite for travel and new experiences” as factors in support of continued demand growth for hotels.

LONDON—“We continue to see compelling opportunities to deploy capital across the continent,” says Blackstone's Anthony Myers.

LOS ANGELES—The addition represents “a logical extension to our existing suite of real estate and infrastructure investment solutions,” says CBRE Global Investors' Ritson Ferguson.

IRVINE, CA—The volume of financing for flipped homes grew in Q1 “even as the home flipping rate plateaued compared to a year ago,” says Daren Blomquist at ATTOM Data Solutions.

SEATTLE—The news caused a spike in the department store chain's share prices, which have been down since the beginning of 2017.