Hams Mumper, senior vice president and co-director of assetmanagement for the Los Angeles-based owner, tells GlobeSt.com thatthe plan to add the first restaurant to the 418,604-sf class Aoffice complex has been in the works about one year. Nicola's wasthe only non-national restaurateur to make the short list,according to Mumper. Nicola's was a 10-year tenant in the Galleriabefore moving to the Shops at Legacy in Plano.

Mumper credits BentleyForbes founder and chairman, C. FrederickWehba, with the idea to take part of the valued office space anduse it for retail. JPMorgan Chase's 50,000-sf renewal at yearend2007 had freed up 8,100 sf on the first floor when it downsized itsbank space to 17,300 sf in the 122,500-sf building at 8111 PrestonRd. Earl Latimer of the Monitor Group in Dallas was Nicola'sbroker.

With the restaurant spot now filled, Mumper says CapstarCommercial Real Estate Services team, which recently had itsBentleyForbes contract extended, has another 15,000 sf in thecomplex's other two buildings at 8115 and 8117 Preston Rd. asretail bait. The buildings face each other and are connected by acourtyard. "We aren't aggressively looking, but we are looking intoit," Mumper says.