The locally-based property owner and developer announced todaythat Palisades Executive Chef John Howie will open SeastarRestaurant and Raw Bar on the first floor of the south tower.Seattle architecture firm Weber+Thompson will design therestaurant, and Lease Crutcher Lewis Construction will build outthe space. The restaurant is expected to open in the spring of2002.

The development's 12,000-sf of retail is now leased up,including a yet-to-be-named title company, a Wells Fargo retailbranch and a Starbucks Coffee, says Bill Pollard of Pacific RealEstate Partners, who with partner Jeff Durrell holds the leasingassignment for the project. On the office side, Pollard says just18,000 remains to be leased, giving the building a 94% occupancyrate in a market where the average is right around 80%.

"Attracting a major restaurant of this caliber to Civica issomething that we've been working on for a long time," saysSchnitzer Investment Manager Greg Kletzly. Like other public areasat Civica Office Commons, patrons of the restaurant will be able togain online access via the restaurant's wireless Internet system.As well, the private banquet room will be equipped with the latestaudio-visual technology and video-teleconferencing capability.