The Dallas-based buyer outplayed a half dozen other investorschasing the 10.3-acre center at 820 S. MacArthur Blvd., a sale thattook patience due to capital market conditions and environmentalissues from a dry cleaners' site, according to Ken Bendalin, vicepresident with Dallas-based Staubach Co. The deal is a close-outfrom his Trammell Crow Co. days when his teammate was Jack Crews,who's now at Jones Lang LaSalle.

HSM Equity's offer wasn't the highest one on the table, but "itwas the best," Bendalin says. Still, the deal took somewhat longerthan usual to close because it hit lenders' desks when subprimefears were widespread and markets in a state of flux. "It took alittle time for everyone to get their arms around the capitalmarkets," he explains, adding other than that "it was a prettyvanilla deal."

But, all's well that ends well; HSM Equity is now holding thedeed. Bendalin says the grocery-anchored center's upside potentialrecently was boosted when city voters approved wine and beer salesin grocery stores, jump-starting a competitive advantage for theasset's anchor, Tom Thumb, over its peers in the neighboring Cityof Irving. The change translates into increased store sales toensure its tenancy in the center, he hints.