ATLANTA-With plans to buy and sell a total $1 billion worth of properties over the next 18 months, the locally based firm is setting up three regions with separate directors to handle the volume.

SARASOTA, FL-The Atlanta-based REIT paid the Jacksonville, FL-based construction firm $21.4 million or $135.69 per sf for a class A, 157,704-sf, 100%-leased office structure, five miles from Downtown Sarasota which is 200 miles northwest of Downtown Miami.

ORLANDO-The former president of Universal Studios Hollywood has been running the 2,500-acre theme park since last November when president/CEO Felix Mussenden abruptly walked out after two years on the job. Gault was interim president during the past four months.

MIAMI-J. Brett Houston has broken ground on the first of two planned spec buildings totaling 142,470 sf at the commercially strategic intersection of the Florida Turnpike at SW 152 Street in south Miami-Dade County.

ORLANDO-The locally based general contractor is installing service bays supplied with water, oil and air to handle a mix of vehicles for Tampa, FL-based Cummins Southeastern Power Inc., which calls itself the world's largest designer and manufacturer of diesel engines. The site is on U.S. 441 in north Orlando.

MIAMI-The condominium and waterfront homes agent also won his company's Circle of Excellence Award as top commission earner but his earnings weren't disclosed.

ATLANTA-The two identical structures in Salters, SC and Bennettsville, SC will each contain an estimated one million sf among 21 buildings and house 1,152 medium security inmates and about 300 minimum security prisoners.

ORLANDO-The 11-year-old, nine-story structure, just off the main Downtown corridor, and the 1.1 million-sf, 17-year-old Agere Inc. computer chip manufacturing plant in south Orlando are expected to challenge listing brokers in a weak investment market environment, area brokers tells GlobeSt.com.