The early deal-making is a quid pro quo as tenants get space,oftentimes with expansion, at today's rates and building ownersavoid as much as a year's down time in landing a replacement or theadded cost of an extensive makeover to satisfy a newcomer. Thereare several big hooks waiting to be set around town, including thesummer's most closely watched, the law firm of Baron & Budd,which has yet to put the pen to the paper to renew several hundredthousand sf in the Centrum at 3102 Oak Lawn Ave. in Uptown.

The latest stack of deals has 116,957 sf in office andindustrial renewals--and more on the way, say the deal's senders."They see the economy getting better and rental rates going up,"Don Dowell, Trizec Properties Inc.'s leasing manager for Bank OneCenter in the Dallas CBD, tells GlobeSt.com. "The landlords arerenewing three and four years out. It's kind of the last gasp atgetting the best deal." Besides, he says, it's wise to do becausethe field is full of "enough hungry landlords to take them out of abuilding."

Brian Whittington and Eddie Tillman, tenant reps from DillonCorporate Services in Dallas, say they are working out savings from$20,000 in Dallas to as much as $500,000 in Atlanta for 32-monthearly renewal. The duo says the rates aren't any better than lastyear, in fact they are quite similar. The bargaining scenario,though, has changed with renewals and extensions for longer termsat flat rates and today's prices.