Sep 11, 2003

Unico Propeties

Belka

Michael Belka joined Seattle-based Unico Properties as senior vice president of management and leasing for Unico's six million square feet of office and retail properties. Belka is a 20-year commercial real estate veteran who came from Tower Realty Management Corp. in Seattle. As Tower's regional property manager, he ran property management for 3 million square feet of downtown offices, suburban offices and warehouses. Before that he worked for RKO Construction. He also worked as a property manager for Seattle-based Wright Runstad & Co. and for Hines Interests in San Francisco. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of California-Santa Barbara.

Some recent leases

Union Bank of California renewed its lease for 47,000 square feet of office space at the Union Bank of California Building in downtown Seattle. Investors assembled by Walton Street Capital of Chicago control that building.

The law firm of Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson re-upped for 21,000 square feet of offices at Two Union Square, another downtown Seattle skyscraper. The Washington State Investment Board, which is a pension fund advised by Seattle-based Washington Holdings, owns Two Union.

Cushman & Wakefield brokers Mike Dash and Garth Olsen put those two deals together.

Louis Vuitton, which sells high-end leather products, renewed and enlarged its lease for first-floor space at Rainier Square in downtown Seattle. The lease, which runs to 2014, grew by 1,480 square feet to 3,270.

Louis Vuitton opened the store five years ago. The expansion will happen between next January and April. During that stretch, the store will move to a nearby temporary location in the Skinner Building formerly occupied by Mephisto. Unico Properties owns Rainier Square and the Skinner Building.

RAF Technology leased 10,000 square feet of offices on the third floor of the Unisea Building in Redmond's Willows area. The software company will move from about 6,000 square feet at 16650 N.E. 79th St.

13 affordable housing projects spotlighted

A state agency praised 13 Seattle-area housing developments as examples of well-designed, affordable, higher density housing within Washington's urban growth areas. Director's Awards for Leadership from the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development went to:

Cambridge Court in Bellevue, the Delridge Library and Vivian McLean Place Apartments in West Seattle, The Gilmore in downtown Seattle, the Greenbrier in Woodinville, Heiwa Commons in Seattle, Lion's Gate in Redmond, Madison Avenue Cottages on Bainbridge Island, New Holly Phase One in Seattle, Poulsbo Place in Poulsbo, Renton Town Center in downtown Renton, Taluswood Townhomes in Redmond, The Village at Overlake Station in Redmond and Thea's Landing in Tacoma.

The agency said it issues the awards to make the public aware that good high-density housing is being built.

Cain and Scott

The Myrtle R. Johnson Trust bought the 49-unit Cedar Gardens apartments in Federal Way for $2.25 million. The seller was Earl Johnson. Broker Elaine Maxwell of Seattle-based Cain and Scott arranged the deal.

NAIOP volunteers to work on Girl Scout camp

On Sept. 13, more than 200 volunteers from the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties will work with members of the Totem Council of Girl Scouts to repair and expand the scouts' Camp River Ranch in Carnation.

The crews will build seven new conestoga wagon sleeping structures, providing sleep space for 28 additional scouts. They'll also repair trails, cut some new trails and repaint buildings.

NAIOP says it has collected more than $50,000 in materials and services for the job.

"In addition to helping a very important youth organization, this project gives an opportunity for the construction and commercial real estate industries -- historically male-dominated fields -- to mentor several Girl Scouts interested in these careers," NAIOP said in a press release.

Each summer the 55-year-old camp hosts more than 5,000 girls ages 5 through 17.

Sep 10, 2003

Northwest Hospital & Medical Center

Northwest Hospital & Medical Center has added PacifiCare to its list of accepted health plans. Northwest Hospital accepts more than 50 plans for patient care. The not-for-profit medical center is located at N. 115th St. in Seattle.

First Heritage Bank

Deborah Rice has joined the Everett branch of First Heritage Bank as an SBA lender. Previously, Rice was an SBA lender for Zions, an eight-state bank based in Utah.

KCTS

The KCTS Northwest business series Serious Money starts its 15th season on Sept. 19. The show covers investment strategies, assessment of Northwest stocks and bonds, and consumer news. Tom Cox, a Northwest business journalist, will return to host the show for a third season.

Loudeye

Loudeye appointed John Martin as senior vice president of technology and development. Most recently Martin was general manager of Microsoft's Windows Media Services where he led the development efforts of the Internet-based services of Windows Media Player and Windowsmedia.com. Martin was also an Internet developer for the NASA Science Internet project. Seattle-based Loudeye provides business infrastructure and services for managing, promoting and distributing digital content for entertainment and corporate markets.

RealNetworks

Seattle's RealNetworks and Sun Microsystems have signed a deal to have RealNetwork's RealPlayer bundled with Sun's Mad Hatter desktop solution for PC and workstation users. The companies will also collaborate on development of the Helix Player, an open source-based, next-generation media player for Linux, Solaris and Unix. Sun Microsystems is based in Santa Clara, Calif.

Northwest Architectural Co.

Dohrn

Northwest Architectural Co. of Seattle recently promoted Natalie Dohrn to senior associate.

Dohrn has worked on many of NAC’s educational projects, and her health care portfolio includes the Highline Community Hospital Cedar Wing addition and the Regional Geropsych Hospital expansion. Dohrn’s current projects include design for Lake Hills Elementary School in the Bellevue School District and multiple architectural assignments in Durango, Colo.

Casne Engineering, Inc.

Skinner

Teichmann

Clute

Casne Engineering announced Joseph R. Skinner is the new president. Skinner has 29 years of electrical engineering experience in the areas of power, distribution, control systems and automation. He has been with Casne Engineering for 17 years. For the past four years he has been a principal of the firm and member of the board of directors. As president he is responsible for the overall financial management and operation of the Bellevue and Spokane offices, new client development and marketing.

Other promotions include Steffen Teichmann as principal-in-charge of the Spokane office and Curtis E. Clute as industrial department manager for the Bellevue office.

Teichmann has worked with clients such as Alaska Airlines, Port of Seattle, Veterans Administration, University of Washington and Kenworth Truck Co.

Clute has been with Casne Engineering since 1993, and is a principal. He is involved with project management, developing budgets, specifications and drawings for industrial, municipal and commercial power and control systems. He has worked with clients such as Boeing, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co., Puget Power and the state of Alaska.

Berger/ABAM Engineers

Bardi	Holte
Rosenbalm	Parrish

John Bardi was recently promoted to Grade VII project manager at Berger/ABAM Engineers in Federal Way. Bardi is currently serving as project engineer for a container terminal involving a pile-supported wharf, container yard, gate facilities and approach corridor for South Atlantic International Terminals in Jasper County, South Carolina, for a private terminal developer/operator.

Lars Holte has been promoted to Grade VI project engineer. Holte has nine years of experience in the analysis, design and condition survey of commercial and industrial building facilities. In addition, he has a strong background in construction administration and support.

Chet Rosenbalm has been promoted to Grade IV senior engineer. He has been involved in the design of various soil-retaining systems, including concrete masonry unit, soldier pile, concrete, and segmental retaining walls.

Myles Parrish has been promoted to Grade III engineer at the Seattle office. Parrish has structural engineering experience with industrial, shipyard and airport facilities, including design and evaluation of new and existing structures.

Garry Struthers Associates

Garry Struthers Associates of Bellevue announced that Ken Fonnesbeck recently joined the firm as engineering group manager. Fonnesbeck has extensive international project experience throughout North and South America and has worked on projects $100 million in scope. Fonnesbeck has been engaged in a number of local stream and habitat restoration and water storage evaluation projects.

Kennedy/Jenks Consultants

Crivell

Davis

Kennedy/Jenks Consultants announced that Paul Crivell joined the Federal Way office as senior engineer. He is knowledgeable in low and medium voltage power distribution, emergency and stand-by power generation, motor control and adjustable frequency drive applications.

Galen Davis also joined the firm as a hydrologist. Davis has 12 years of experience, working on a range of projects for the federal and local government and private clients. His areas of expertise include soil, sediment, groundwater and surface water investigation and remediation.