The first set was turned over two weeks ago in a decision by Dallas-based NeXcomm Capital Partners to go to third-party leasing and management for its 1.6-million-sf Infomart at 1950 N. Stemmons Freeway. Industry sources have confirmed the second set comes Nov. 1 in a double deal for leasing and property management of 1700 Pacific Ave., a 1.3-million-sf high-rise in the city's core.

None of the principals will talk about the decision by BetaWest Real Estate Asset Services of Denver to pull 1700 Pacific's leasing and management contracts from Atlanta-based Cousins Properties Inc.'s Texas operation, which hired Eric Rutledge away from Trammell Crow in fall 2001 and slid him in as vice president in charge of leasing for the Dallas CBD landmark. It doesn't take comment, though, to know that it was a highly chased contract by the brokerage community.

Cousins isn't discussing the changing of the guard, even though building assignments are trading with as much regularity as execs as companies and owners look for fresh blood in today's tough office environment. BetaWest did not return telephone calls before press time.

The 1700 Pacific is an 80%-occupied high-rise assessed at $92.1 million. Its tenant roster includes such notables as Bank One and the law firms of Thompson & Knight and Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. Manned by a staff of 40, the 49-story office property was built in 1983 by Prentiss Properties and went by the name of First City Centre until 1997.

Several brokers around town have confirmed Trammell Crow assigned Jim Yoder to the leasing of 1700 Pacific while Grayson Gill will lead its property management team--when the transition takes place.

The top-of-the-line assignments are positioned just 3.9 miles apart. The Infomart is a 90%-occupied, high-tech hub for names such as Accenture, Wyndham International Inc. and WorldCom. The 16-year-old building, assessed at practically $119 million, is staffed with 75 professionals.

Greg Grainger, formerly with Dallas' Archon Group, was named general manager of the Infomart. "He was hired in anticipation of getting the building," says Trammell Crow's Tony Long, managing director in Dallas, "but he's a key Trammell Crow employee," which means Grainger stays if the building should ever fall out.

Long says Trammell Crow has reached a record level with its building assignments: 20 million sf of office properties in Dallas-Fort Worth for a grand total of 70 million sf of all product type in the metroplex. "Everyone's been working really hard on the team," he stresses to GlobeSt.com. "It's an unusual time." Still, he says it really boils down to "lots of hard work and lots of luck.