U.S. Private Equity Firms Seek Bargains in Japanese REIT Market (Commercial Property News)
Japanese REITs, which have lost more than 50 percent of their value on the Tokyo Stock Exchange since their peak last year, are increasingly attracting the attention of U.S.-based private equity firms like Oaktree Capital Management, which has launched the first tender offer for a REIT in Japan.

Office Demand Is Down, and So Are the Deals (New York Times)
By most accounts, the commercial property market reached its pinnacle in early 2007 with the Blackstone Group ’s acquisition of Equity Office Properties Trust and its prized cache of more than 500 office buildings.

REIT taps new head of development and construction (BizJournals)
Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) has appointed Wayne Lingafelter to serve as president of COPT Development and Construction Services (CDCS) and Corporate Development Services (CDS). He replaces Dwight S. Taylor, who is retiring. (OFC)

More empty office space bodes poorly for banks (Pioneer Press)
Vacancy rates in office buildings exceed 10 percent in virtually every major city in the country and are rising rapidly, a sign of economic distress that could lead to yet another wave of problems for troubled lenders.

Dick Hogan - Commercial Property (The News-Press)
- Larry and Lorinda Close purchased a 1,584-square-foot commercial building on 0.62 acre at 19059 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, for $410,000. Michael Frye, CCIM, and Steve Spinosa of the Frye Commercial Group at RE/MAX Realty Group Commercial Division, negotiated the transaction.

Hot property in East Milton (Pensacola News Journal)
Information tech company wants space in county's industrial park.

Industrial park could create economic opportunities (Eastern Arizona Courier)
A proposed light-industrial park on Safford’s east side will allow the city to market itself across the United States and will create opportunities for local companies to expand, Safford Community and Economic Development Director Pete Stasiak said.

Projects responding to needs for new services (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
The concrete hardly has time to cure on one hospital-building project before the foundation is being poured for another. . Last summer, Bon Secours Richmond moved its Heart Institute into new medical-office space at Reynolds Crossing in western Henrico County. In October, VCU Health System opened a 15-floor Critical Care Hospital with mostly single-patient rooms on the congested downtown medical ...

Office Demand Is Down, and So Are the Deals (New York Times)
By most accounts, the commercial property market reached its pinnacle in early 2007 with the Blackstone Group ’s acquisition of Equity Office Properties Trust and its prized cache of more than 500 office buildings.

Commercial parking lots approved for South Beach residential areas in Fort Pierce (Fort Pierce Tribune)
The City Commission gave final approval Monday night to allowing commercial parking lots to be built in certain residential areas on South Beach, despite objections from some residents.