The owners of West Glen Town Center in West Des Moines are in the planning and leasing phases for a three-bay, 8,400-square-foot retail building that will front Mills Civic Parkway.

Carson Hughes, associate vice president of brokerage for World Group Commercial Real Estate, the Omaha brokerage that represents the owners, MRES West Glen Holdings LP, said a regional “new to market” restaurant has an option to lease one of the bays and another food service operation is interested in a second bay.

West Glen was bought after its founding ownership group encountered financial difficulties related to the recession and dramatic decline in retail sales.

The new retail structure is called South Creek Crossing.

However, Greater Des Moines has seen a spate of retail projects in the last two years, including the development of Hurd Real Estate Services’ Mills Crossing development that is near West Glen. Outdoor retailer Recreational Equipment Inc., more commonly known as REI, has announced that it will open at Mills Crossing, and specialty grocer The Fresh Market Inc. has signed a lease.

Hughes said there has been a surge in activity and interest at West Glen, which has an occupancy rate of 74 percent on all of its commercial spaces.

“I think we will begin to see a lot of that retail space fill up,” he said.

He believes the Mills Crossing project will generate more interest in the area.

“I think we’ll be able to feed off of each other,” Hughes said.