HOUSTON-After nearly a decade of leasing 2,900 sf, Bank of America more than doubles its office space on the first floor of the Cornerstone Regency Building along Falling Creek Drive. A second deal spins a sublease into a direct lease.

HOUSTON-The GSA, acting on behalf of the FBI, decides to keep the Houston offices in the Northwest Freeway submarket, where vacancy is now 16.5%. A McCord Development team crafted the new deal.

HOUSTON-A seasoned vet in Houston says the near term outlook isn't very promising. New construction and slow job growth will pressure rent as will a new law that forces upgrades if water costs are going to be passed to tenants.

HOUSTON-The projects' developer, Wallace/Halpin, has leveraged the two projects with $24 million in loans. The 20-unit Venti rises along South Post Oak Lane while the 66-unit Tanglewood caps two years of construction in an affluent part of town.

HOUSTON-Philips Medical Systems is getting about half of the office/warehouse building at 9555 Baythorne. The Netherlands-based company is a supplier of imaging equipment, IT and related health-care services.

HOUSTON-The Trammell Crow Residential complex abuts an Equity Residential project, but the buyer wasn't a given in the bidding for the three-year-old development. A dozen would-be buyers had lined up for the $29-million offering.

HOUSTON-The firm of Henry P. Vandercam joins the line-up in the 21-story Travis Tower. The attorney will move into 3,202 sf in the popular CBD high-rise, now boasting an occupancy in the mid-90% range.

SUGAR LAND, TX-Family Christian Stores will relocate in August 2003 into 5,000 sf at Town Center Lakeside, a $70-million center on 43 acres in the First Colony neighborhood. The bookstore will vacate 2,000 sf in the same submarket.