Leasing

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX-The steady job base provided by the military and oil and gas industries hasn't been enough to solve this south Texas city's multifamily market woes as this product type continues its downward cycle.

AUSTIN-Seattle's Best Coffee lines up a franchise partner to develop 13 cafes in Austin and three in Waco. The first of the RTG Business Enterprises-owned cafes could open by January. Competitor Starbuck's has 27 locations in the markets.

POWAY, CA-An $11-million, 80,878-sf deal closes at the Parkway Centre Five Business Park along with a $7-million, 37,627-sf deal at the Parkway Tech Center close. The lessees are Remec Inc. and GenRad Inc., respectively.

SAN FRANCISCO-Michael Huaco brings 15 years of corporate real estate experience to Insignia/ESG, where he will focus on establishing new corporate real estate relationship with the Bay Area's major firms.

HOUSTON-Middle East Travel holds firm to a 4,122-sf office at Richmond Plaza I in Houston's Westchase submarket. The renewal keeps the 176,000-sf, class B property at 90% occupancy for building owner, BMS Management of New York City.

LONDON-Office rents in Europe were falling even before the events of 11 September dealt a further blow to business confidence, according to new research from CB Hillier Parker.

DALLAS-Sublease space is about double the norm, say researchers in their latest reports of the Dallas-Ft. Worth market. Still, there's a take-it-on-the-chin optimism that bargaining table strategies, for the most part, are keeping a lid on the pressure cooker.

NEW YORK CITY-The owner of prime SoHo real estate has fired one broker and hired another in hopes of securing a build-to-suit deal. The new marketing team is guardedly optimistic about closing a deal despite the current economy. The former broker, however, says the owner's greed has scuttled every offer to develop the property.