IRVINE, CA-Mark Read joins as executive managing editor to oversee the company’s Orange County, Los Angeles and Inland Empire operations and Donald Morrow joins the firm’s Phoenix office as managing director.

LOS ANGELES-The Ford Hotel now called ‘the Ford’ gets a $28-million facelift to serve as housing for 151 low-income residents, but projects like these are going to find tough sledding in California, says a source.

SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA-Milan Capital Management as lead investor, together with a group of high net worth individuals as its partners, will reposition several key tenants at the 114,629-square-foot property.

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA-Growth activities for Granite Properties will include acquisitions of office assets in core-plus, value-add and opportunistic investment classes.

CHEYENNE, WY-Synergy Development sells an 86,883-square-foot shopping center here—which has been more than 98% occupied since its inception—to a national private equity group.

WOODLAND HILLS, CA-According to a source, this $26-million buy is a great barometer for the improving commercial real estate investment market due to the amount of investor interest for the properties.

PETALUMA, CA-Regency Centers will invest approximately $61 million into the construction of East Washington Place, which is expected to create approximately 380 construction jobs and 720 permanent jobs.

RIVERSIDE, CA-NAI Capital expands its Inland Empire brokerage teams; Sperry Van Ness adds two new franchises in California and Wisconsin; and Transwestern adds four new agents to its Orange County office.