DAMASCUS, WA-Metro officials are lobbying the state's Land Conservation and Development Commission to extend the urban growth boundary, possibly into the fields around this city east of Portland

GREENBELT, MD-Commercial mortgage-backed securities buyer could emerge from bankruptcy on Nov. 15.

DALLAS-Meditrust Cos., headquartered in Needham, MA, has completed asset sales and mortgage repayments of $138 million since the end of the second quarter, taking its year-to-date total to $459 million in an ongoing strategy to beef up its Dallas-based La Quinta lodging subsidary. The health-care bailout is blamed in part on the federal government.

BOCA RATON, FL-So-called megaplex movie houses are putting smaller multiplexes out of business. As a result, more shopping-center operators have vacant cinema space on their hands that may be tough to re-rent.