ORLANDO-Broker Bert Locke steps down after heading the Florida chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association for two years, but not before recalling how he and his colleagues defeated telecommunications lobbyists on a thorny industry issue.<p>

ORLANDO-If voters approve the $5-billion, four-city, high-speed rail network, Florida would be compelled to build the largest public-works project in its 181-year-old history. An estimated 50 acres or two million sf of right-of-way land alone would be needed for the system.

ATLANTA-The newly-formed joint venture of BellSouth and Texas-based SBC Communications plans to lease about 300,000 sf in the 20-story, 414,200-sf tower, about 15 miles from Downtown, industry sources speculate. But no lease has been signed and none of the parties is talking.

ORLANDO-Land prices, development costs, rents and unit sizes are all going up, says Mark L. Findura, president of R.J. Twitty &amp; Co. II Inc. But demand remains strong with class A and student markets are the most resilient.