The Irvine, CA-based LA Fitness has inked a long-term lease fora 45,000-sf build-to-suit in the community center, which will go upon one of two vacant corners at the intersection of FM 544 andNorth Murphy Road. LA Fitness will open doors in early 2008 withthe rest of the space coming on line in the spring. A 100,000-sfsecond phase, banked until the first one's filled, is carrying atentative 2009 delivery date. The developer is Murphy Plaza LLC, adivision of Southfork Properties.

"Murphy has finally matured to the point that it can accommodatethis kind of retail," Brian Glaser, president of Commercial/RetailD/FW for Dallas-based Weitzman Group, tells GlobeSt.com. "We're notbeing speculative on anything we're building. It's tenant-drivendevelopment."

Glaser says he's negotiating with one junior anchor and two padsite tenants. "There's lots more news to come," he vows. MurphyPlaza's first phase has been platted for three junior anchor boxes,two multi-tenant buildings and four pad sites, all earmarked asground leases.