LOS ANGELES—Specialty retailer Ascene signs a 582,000-square-foot lease in Riverside, George Smith Partners secures $43 million for the Fred Segal sale and the renovated Horton Park Plaza opens its doors in this week's wrap-up

IRVINE, CA—The recruitment of the team from Savills Studley adds to Collier's International's Western Region expansion of its Institutional Investment division.

FRAMINGHAM, MA—The office products retailer will pay a $250-million break-up fee to its smaller rival; both Staples and Office Depot will pursue their respective plans to drive shareholder value.

LOS ANGELES—IPA research shows that low level of initial unemployment claims and an elevated number of job openings, indicate that employers continue to expand even as the current economic cycle proceeds beyond its typical duration.