Midtown Village today announced that Altar’d State, a unique retail concept joining fashion and faith, has signed a retail lease at the mixed-use development. The clothing store will occupy 9,263 square feet of space in suite 114, next to CJ Banks and is expected to open mid-September of this year.

1. -95250-114300<br />For Immediate Release<br /> Randa McMinn <br />214.561.6007<br />randa.mcminn@cypressequities.com<br />ALTAR’D STATE SIGNS RETAIL LEASE AT MIDTOWN VILLAGE<br />Expected to open during fall 2011<br />TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (August 23, 2011) – Midtown Village today announced that Altar’d State, a unique retail concept joining fashion and faith, has signed a retail lease at the mixed-use development. The clothing store will occupy 9,263 square feet of space in suite 114, next to CJ Banks and is expected to open mid-September of this year.<br />Altar’d State was represented by David Sacher and Josh Beliak with The Retail Connection, while Michael Wheat, executive vice president, director of leasing of the development, assisted in the transaction on behalf of Midtown Village. <br />“The new location at Midtown Village will be the ninth store in the Altar’d State family,” said Aaron Walters, chairman and CEO of the company. “Since the recent tornado destruction, we feel there is a strong need for our brand to make a positive impact in the community and we are looking forward to helping to enrich the lives of the people in Tuscaloosa.”<br />As part of its commitment to social and environmental causes, Altar’d State hosts “Mission Mondays,” in which the company donates 10% of net proceeds to charity. Customers may shop knowing that they are providing for charitable causes in the community, as well as supporting the ethical vendors that supply product lines to Altar’d State. Among these vendors FashionABLE provides sustainable business to Ethiopian women while the Diana Warner New York jewelry line, known as the Obligato Collection helps to provide clean water for people in Africa with every sale. <br />“We are proud to add Altar’d State to the merchant line-up at Midtown Village,” stated Michael Wheat. “The retailer not only offers up-to-date styles for all ages, but also follows a code of ethics that is in line with those of our property as a whole.” <br />About Altar’d State<br />Altar’d State is a division of Walters & Mason Retail Inc., with the home office located in Knoxville, Tennessee. Aaron Walters, Chairman and CEO, and Brian Mason, President and COO, developed the store concept in April 2009, to fill a gap in the retail industry. The company currently operates stores in Tennessee in Knoxville and Murfreesboro, in Alabama in Birmingham, Dothan and Huntsville, and in Ridgeland, Mississippi. A new store will soon be open in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in August. Further growth is planned with stores in Shreveport, Louisiana; Leesburg, Virginia; and Rogers, Arkansas. For more information, please visit www.altardstate.com. <br />About Midtown Village<br />A premier destination for visitors and a gathering place for the community, Midtown Village is a vibrant 350,000 square foot mixed-use community in the heart of Tuscaloosa. With a unique combination of national businesses, specialty retail stores, restaurants and cafés, Midtown Village creates a dynamic urban environment, complete also with finished office suites from 1,000 to 10,000 square feet that are available for lease. To learn more about Midtown Village, please visit www.midtownvillagetuscaloosa.com. <br />About Cypress Equities<br />Founded in 1995, Cypress Equities companies* have offices in Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, New York and Fort Lauderdale. Today, Cypress Equities companies are developing and managing approximately 10 million square feet in projects throughout the U.S. and Caribbean, consisting of community and power centers, as well as vertically integrated mixed-use villages that incorporate retail, residential, hotel and offices. Visit www.cypressequities.com for more information.<br />*The Cypress Equities name, logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks being licensed to independent operating companies by CE Brands, LLC. Any particular obligation, service or product is the sole responsibility of the specific entity that incurs such obligation or supplies such service or product.<br />###<br />