SEATTLE, WA-With Merrill Lynch & Co. on board for 56,000 sf in the 545,333-sf 1700 Seventh Avenue building and Nordstrom taking another 400,000 sf, Clise Properties has two floors available as it heads toward a summer grand opening.

ORANGE COUNTY, CA-Benefit Land Title and Seldon Investments were involved in transactions involving brokers from Lee & Associates-Orange, Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO-Class A office space here is running $70 per sf, while in Midtown Manhattan and Boston, occupancy costs run about $80 per sf, according to a study released yesterday by DTZ Debenham Tie Leung, The Staubach Company and AEW Capital Management LP.

HOUSTON-Stewart International makes a play for business in the Dominican Republic. The new office is a joint venture that has been grounded in local market representatives.