CAMBRIDGE, MA-London-based Orange Personal Communications Services Ltd. takes 24,000 sf at 175 Second St. to make its first foray into across the pond. The communications firm will use the space as an R&D facility.

BOXBOROUGH, MA-While the market still remains relatively quiet, fully leased properties with good credit tenants are managing to find buyers. Evidence of that can be seen in Marwick Associate's recent acquisition of 1300 Massachusetts Avenue and 330 Codman Hill Rd. for $12 million.

BILLERICA, MA-New Boston Fund purchases RiverTech Park, a 285,000-sf manufacturing facility, from Nortel Networks for $23.3 million. Two years ago, Nortel acquired the park for $33.5 million.

GREATER BOSTON-The double whammy of the recession and the terror attacks of Sept. 11 are still being felt in this area's hotel market in the form of plummeting occupancy rates and reduced average daily room rates.

WAYLAND, MA-Town officials insist that National Development's proposed 721-unit residential complex for Framingham on the Wayland border will impact its traffic and they want the Newton, MA-based company to do additional traffic studies before the plan moves forward.

BOSTON-Governor Jane M. Swift's recent legislation to create a public trust to oversee the Surface Artery land--the 30 acres that will be exposed by the Big Dig--gets city support but must work out its kinks quickly.

CAMBRIDGE, MA-Harvard University abandons its plan to build an art museum on its two-acre site right near the Charles River. Local opposition to the plan convinced the university to propose student housing for the site instead.

BOSTON-Liberty Place, a 419-unit apartment building proposed for 660 Washington St., receives an endorsement from the Chinatown Neighborhood Council. The group recommends that the city approve the project.