SUGAR LAND, TX-Planned Community Developers Ltd. chooses Bruce Frankel, with 17 years' experience, to head up leasing and sales for Sugar Land Town Square and Lake Pointe Town Center. He also will tackle land sales.

TUCSON-Plaza Escondida, a 91,121-sf shopping center adjacent to the Catalina Foothills neighborhood, passes to an investment group from Newport Beach, CA. The 15-year-old center is anchored by a 10,000-sf Trader Joe's with 11 years left on its lease.

HOUSTON-Ross Dress for Less and PetsMart will join other retailers such as Target and Pier 1 as anchors of the 367,846-sf Cypress Towne Center. Ross will take 30,187 sf, while PetsMart will occupy 23,100 sf.

PHOENIX-International Furniture Inc. makes a two-year commitment for 14,557 sf of distribution space in Van Buren Industrial Center. The company spends two months looking for a spot to house its southwest distribution hub.

MESA, AZ-Vanguard Health Systems pays $7.7 million for the Arizona Health and Technology Park, which came with 30 acres of in-place infrastructure. The Nashville operator's all-cash offer changes a plan to divvy the acreage into lots.

HOUSTON-The first quarter ends with $305 million in sales in comparison to last year's $146 million. Despite the first-quarter gain, this year's volume is projected to top $1.8 billion, but not exceed 2004's $2.7 billion take, according to Delta Associates..

DALLAS-Chili's Grill & Bar helps Brinker International Inc.'s third quarter performance.

HOUSTON-A local partnership picks up the 101,000-sf Spring Cypress Shopping Center, a one-time grocery-anchored center that's been running half full for more than a year. The deal has been in the works about six months.