Trailing close behind the Energy Corridor is the Southwest Freeway submarket absorbing 128,541 sf; Katy Freeway submarket, 74,699 sf; and Greenway Plaza, 74,499 sf. Much of the action in leasing this quarter has been in suburban class A product, says Criner.

Key leases for the Energy Corridor were BP Amoco's 65,391-sf spot at Three Westlake Park; Aker Group's 48,954 sf at Woodbranch Plaza II; and the CoFlexip and Akor lease of 47,486 sf at Woodbranch Plaza I.

Energy Corridor rent hiked 6 cents per sf for class A space, taking the bottom line to $24.21 per sf and making it the highest rental rate of the suburban markets. The submarket is bearing an 8.3% vacancy, which is the lowest since fourth quarter 1998. Criner credits the strength of energy and engineering firms with the submarket's vibrancy in the last quarter.