"Fairfield County is experiencing the same trend that has beenplaying out in Manhattan. As the vacancy rate in an extremely tightmarket continue to tighten, the rental rates expand exponentially,"says Kenneth M. Krasnow, regional managing director of Cushman& Wakefield of Connecticut, Inc.

He notes that in Stamford's central business district, theaverage asking rent for class A office space has increased by $3.05per sf to $33.83 per sf in one year. The full service directaverage asking rental rate in Fairfield County reached $24.58 persf, $1.41 above last year. Markets posting the highest directasking rental rates include: Greenwich at $42.83 per sf and thecentral submarket (Westport, Southport and Fairfield) at $28.94 persf.

Leasing activity for the first six months of 2000 totaled almost2.4 million sf, more than twice the level posted at the same timelast year.