DALLAS-Five recent transactions have architects at the drawing boards to fine-tune development plans in five Dallas-Ft. Worth municipalities. Two are for Whataburger, one for Town East Ford in Mesquite, another for a Food Lion and the final, a Dallas church.

IRVING, TX-FelCor Lodging Trust is poised to close within days of an Oct. 11 shareholders' vote on its takeover of MeriStar Hospitality Corp. The $2.7-billion deal, in the works since May, looks like a go with sentiment riding high.

DALLAS-The retail sector shows its muscle in 12 signings that seal off nearly 82,300 sf in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. In October, Uptown Square gets a new upscale eatery while International Business Park has leased a 34,000-sf building site to KFC.

DALLAS-Henry S. Miller Capital Markets Group of Dallas closes about $11.5 million in 10-year loans for properties in Las Vegas and Plano, TX. The Texas deal is a $1.4-million construction loan for a 22,320-sf industrial project.

DALLAS-Eleven years of diligence has paid off for Staubach veteran John Gates, who has gone from vice president to president of the firm's Southwest Corporate Services. Gates is assuming the administrative role, but isn't abandoning his client roster.

PLANO, TX-It was a high-profile appointment that under normal business conditions would have caught everyone's attention. Shortly before Tuesday's terrorists' attacks, former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak was named adviser to EDS' chairman and CEO.

DALLAS-Sears, Roebuck and Co. nixes a relocation for its accounts payable center and shores up the lead tenant status at Two Energy Tower along Dallas' Greenville Avenue. The 74,158-sf pact is one of three closed by office tenants for the DFW region.

DALLAS-The federal building in Dallas stays open, but under an alert in keeping with actions in all major markets. Ft. Worth BOMA asks building owners to roll out security plans. Nationwide, airports are grounded and regionally, some office buildings close.