INDIANAPOLIS—On the eve of Kite Realty GroupTrust's merger with Inland Diversified Real EstateTrust, first announced in February, a set of anchor andnational tenants have just opened up at several of its propertiesacross the country. These new tenants will occupy a total of about151,000-square-feet and include PublixSupermarkets at King's Lake Square inNaples, FL; Harris Teeter, MassageEnvy, and Sleepy's at ParksideTown Commons in Raleigh, NC; Total Wine &More at International Speedway Square inDaytona Beach, FL; Panera Bread at BoltonPlaza in Jacksonville, FL; and Walgreensat Four Corner Square in Maple Valley, WA.

“The continued leasing velocity we are experiencing can beattributed to three factors: the strength of our real estate, theexperience and skill of our team, and the shortage of qualityretail supply in our various markets,” says John A.Kite, the company's chairman and chief executive officer.“We look forward to further enhancing our leasing productionthrough our recent additions to our leasing team as we prepare tointegrate our expanded portfolio.”

As of March 31, 2014, Kite Realty owned interests in a portfolioof 68 operating and redevelopment properties with about11.8-million-square-feet. But following the merger, which shouldclose on or after July 1, the company will also include InlandDiversified's portfolio of 57 properties. The combined company willretain the name Kite Realty Group Trust, and open new markets forKite, including Westchester County in New York State; Bayonne, NJ;Las Vegas; Salt Lake City; and Virginia Beach, VA.