Then the real estate industry began to tumble. And, Opus didwhat it could do adjust--including extending its option a few timesfor more time to assess viability and scaling back the scope ofPacific Steps more than once.

Then last month Opus Northwest LLC let lapse its finalextension. Pacific Steps and the county's hopes to dump theproperty appear dead in the water, at least for now. But Opus isn'tjust sitting quietly as the bottom of the real estate cycle grindsby. Further north in Tukwila, Opus is moving forward with theplanning of a flex/tech development called Opus Park 5/405.

Michael George, a broker with the Seattle office for ColliersInternational and the leasing agent for Opus Park, spoke withGlobeSt about the project. "There's not a lot of this type ofproperty available in the Kent Valley. Opus is differentiating thisfrom other office buildings in the area by combining a true Class Aenvironment with flex/tech space," says George.