Brixmor Property Group, Blackstone Group LP's neighborhood shopping center business, on Monday said it named Michael Pappagallo, the former chief operating officer of rival Kimco Realty Corp, as its president and chief financial officer, potentially setting the company up for an initial public offering. The position will become effective May 20. Pappagallo, who also served as the chief financial officer at Kimco, will play an integral role in executing Brixmor's long-term business and capital markets strategies, the company said in a statement. In addition, he will lead the company's finance and accounting teams, and have some oversight of its property operations, information technology, acquisitions, dispositions and investor relations efforts. The public market currently values these types of shopping centers, which are typically anchored by grocers, 15 percent higher than the private markets, Green Street Advisors analyst Cedrik Lachance said. "The odds of