CHICAGO-The Downtown multifamily and office sectors are not as hard-hit as they may appear to be, says developer Steve Fifield. Daunting vacancy numbers can be attributed to a few factors, he tells the Chicago Real Estate Council.

CHICAGO-A North Michigan Avenue property at less than $50 per sf? That's the minimum bid for 168 N. Michigan Ave., a 78,000-sf office building that will be auctioned in early March by Sheldon Good & Co.

AURORA, IL-Demand One, Inc. takes the last 45,000 sf at the 187,000-sf Meridian I Business Center at 880 N. Enterprise Dr. Now Duke Realty Corp. is working to fill a recently-completed 46,050-sf speculative building at 858 Meridian Lake Dr.

CHICAGO-A $53-million condominium project catering to families is planned at 849 N. Franklin St., the first residential development in an area near the Chicago Avenue Chicago Transit Authority Brown Line stop.

BOLINGBROOK, IL-The fresh-food packaging materials manufacturer relocates from north suburban Buffalo Grove to the business park developed by IDI. The submarket has a 17% vacancy rate.

CHICAGO-e-peopleserve gets a below-market rent on space subleased by United Health Care, allowing it to move out of shared quarters with Accenture at 180 N. LaSalle St. Net lease rates at Jackson, MS-based Parkway Properties, Inc.'s 1.1-million-sf office tower start at $18 per sf.

CHICAGO-The multifamily market here "took it on the chin" at the recent National Multi-Housing convention. "We're still on everybody's buy list because of our diversified economy," says Marcus & Millichap senior vice president Greg A. Moyer.

CHICAGO-As if it didn't have enough trouble of its own, Prime Group Realty Trust's biggest tenant is Arthur Andersen. The accounting and consulting firm pays nearly $10 million for 678,735 sf.