HOUSTON-Houston restaurateur Tilman Fertitta has contracted to buy the old World Trade Center building in downtown Houston. Under consideration is an adaptive reuse project to convert the abandoned building into a 220-room luxury hotel.

DALLAS-Dallas-based Champion Partners and State Farm Insurance Co. are undertaking their second joint project in the US, breaking ground yesterday on the 165,907-sf Westway I - the first of five spec office projects ticketed for a 60-acre parcel in the Las Colinas submarket. There are less than five office projects under construction with available space in the booming submarket where open land is plentiful and unleased space is at a premium.

BERKELEY, CA-The University of California's flagship campus has selected McCarthy to construct a 240,000-sf health sciences building that will be completed in 2004

BURNSVILLE,MN- Opposition by nearby residents and neighboring Bloomington clouds project's future. With four amphitheatre proposals in Twin Cities, any delay could hurt Blackdog's chances of success.