ATLANTA-Dallas-based Mullen Co. sells the open land to Douglas County, GA for $8.5 million or $10,598 per acre. It joins 1.7-million acres acquired by the Trust for Public Land, a Washington, DC-based open-space advocacy. Mullen retains 125 acres for residential development.

ATLANTA-Richard Fulton, co-founder of the company's Nashville affiliate, replaces Phil Meany, who left the Grubb & Ellis post to become chief operating officer of Herndon, VA-based Gulick Group. Fulton will remain based at Grubb & Ellis/Centennial in Nashville.

ATLANTA-With the addition of five new buildings and the exit of tenants from two properties totaling 155,662 sf, the industrial property vacancy rate in the Charlotte MSA rises to 8.8% during second quarter, compared with 8.2% in first quarter 2002.

PHILADELPHIA-As Ames Department Stores vacates 67 stores in Pennsylvania and 11 in Ohio, published reports estimate that retail rental rates, already dampened by the closing of 17 Youngstown, OH-based Phar-Mor stores, will drop another $4 per sf.

ATLANTA-Overall vacancy at the end of the second quarter was 14%, up from the 10.1%-rate for the same period a year ago, according to the Charlotte office of CB Richard Ellis Inc.

ATLANTA-The Worcester, MA-based financial services company moves into Building 600 in the 38-acre Embassy Row office park in the Central Perimeter submarket on Nov. 1, taking the building to 93% occupancy. Term is 6-1/2 years.

PHILADELPHIA-With a direct vacancy of 7% and average asking rental rate of $30.28 per sf, Bala Cynwyd/Narbeth remains the healthiest of suburban Philadelphia office submarkets, according to second-quarter research from Trammell Crow. New buildings take Conshohocken's overall vacancy to 25.3%.

PHILADELPHIA-The data service firm's expansion takes the 100,000-sf building, one of two at the center in Media, PA, to 90.3% occupancy. Terms are undisclosed, but area brokers confirm to GlobeSt.com that the average asking rate is approximately $26.70 per sf.