NEWTON, MA-Hospitality Properties Trust purchases 16 Staybridge Suites hotels for $185 million from InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, the brand owner and franchisor of Staybridge Suites.

FRAMINGHAM, MA-Engineering Planning and Management Inc. leases 14,688 sf on the third floor of 959 Concord St. for its headquarters. The company provides engineering, consulting, software and software services to industries and governments.

BOSTON-Trammell Crow Co. is being replaced by CB Richard Ellis as exclusive leasing agent for 33 Arch St., a 600,000-sf tower in the city's financial district that is scheduled for completion early next year and has yet to sign a single tenant.

BOXBOROUGH, MA-After three years, Cisco Systems opens its 430,000-sf campus that it says can accommodate up to 1,500 employees. The move comes as the local telecom industry is experiencing a wave of layoffs and restructuring.

BOSTON-Sperry Van Ness expands its presence in the New England commercial real estate market by awarding affiliation to Robert P. Miller. The CA-based commercial real estate investment firm plans to continue to expand in the area.

WALTHAM, MA-The Cambridge Center for Chinese Culture is leasing 10,695 sf at 411 Waverley Oaks Rd. The 144,000-sf office building is located in the Waverley Oaks Office Park, an eight-building, one million-sf office complex.

BOSTON-As part of an ongoing effort to recoup some of the costs of the Big Dig, the massive $14.5 billion highway project in the heart of the city, a bill is filed to create an independent commission to oversee the cost recovery efforts.

BEVERLY, MA-Commodore Plaza, a new 42,718-sf retail center on Route 1A, leases up nearly 75% of its space. The broker involved says demand for retail space in the area is very high.