PHILADELPHIA-Three soon-to-be vacated Ames Department Stores at shopping centers in Eastern Pennsylvania are being marketed for lease by the centers' owner, Lakewood, NJ-based Lightstone Group. The properties are in Shamokin, Stroudsburg and Lewisburg and range from 53,000 sf to 61,489 sf.

CHICAGO-Chicagoland's retail vacancy rate is down slightly from earlier this year, which had a rate of 10.3%. Last year's third quarter vacancy rate was 9.3%.

ATLANTA-The locally based REIT hires 16-year industry veteran Steve Yenser to head retail leasing. Yenser leaves his post as senior vice president of asset management, Eastern region, at Chicago-based General Growth Properties.

PHILADELPHIA-In perhaps the biggest office deal in downtown Columbus, OH this year, Pizzuti has obtained a 15-year, 64,000-sf lease from this Cincinnati-based bank and its subsidiaries that puts Provident's name on the 12-story tower and takes the building to 50% occupancy.