Dec 15, 1999

Haggen

Haggen, a Bellingham-based company that operates 22 independent supermarkets and grocery stores, announced that it has reached an agreement with Blockbuster in which several of Haggen and TOP Foods video departments have been leased to Blockbuster. The first phase of converting the video space to Blockbuster stores is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year. New stores will go into the Haggen Food and Drug in Ferndale and Mount Vernon and the TOP Food & Drug stores in Everett, East Wenatchee, Edmonds and Auburn, with additional stores to be announced in the future

Dec 10, 1999

cbalease.com

The Kirkland-based Commercial Brokers Association's new cbalease.com went online Wednesday.

The launch of the professional association's site comes against a backdrop of increasing competition for the information dollar. A flurry of for-profit companies are launching Web sites to cater to commercial real estate companies and tenants in the Puget Sound region.

CBA Executive Director Tricia Deering said her organization's site, www.cbalease.com, enables commercial real estate brokers to use one source to find out details about office space for lease in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Early next year, CBA will launch similar services for industrial and retail properties.

CBA began the new service in conjunction with the University of Washington's Center for Community Development and Real Estate. The site includes photos and floor plans of properties. Such information can be submitted for inclusion in the database at no charge.

Several large, competing real estate companies CB Richard Ellis, Colliers International, Cushman & Wakefield, Kidder, Mathews & Segner as well as Martin Smith Inc., contributed databases to start the project. The result, says CBA President Paul Chiles, is a comprehensive and accurate source of information on the Puget Sound area office market.

CBA is an association of commercial real estate professionals with more than 2,000 brokers and agents as members. Deering noted that since the group is a non-profit, everyone using the system will get substantial benefit at cost.

The UW's involvement is another plus, according to CBA. We provide a level of rigor and scrutiny that will benefit everyone involved in commercial real estate, said Bob Filley, director of the UW center. The creation of what he calls a single, central and complete database of office properties means the center can conduct research that will aid regional public policy decisions, he added.

CBA officials note the project will eliminate duplication and confusion in the industry. Until now, each commercial real estate company maintained its own database.

Opus Northwest

Opus Northwest has promoted Harry DeMarre to vice president of construction. He has 23 years' experience in the construction industry, and has been instrumental in the company's exponential growth in the Seattle and Portland areas.

Cushman & Wakefield

Site Selection magazine recently honored international real estate services company Cushman & Wakefield for its outstanding client service by presenting the company with its Dorsey Award in Nashville, Tenn. Winners were chosen based on the results of surveys that identified special contributions to client service in corporate real estate.

Keller Williams Realty

Ted Aldave is a new affiliate in the Bellevue office of Keller Williams Realty. The longtime Seattle resident has 10 years' experience in real estate including financing new commercial projects, appraisal and sales. He specializes in small investment property sales.

HouseMaster

Bruce and Donna Howe, directors of the Seattle office of HouseMaster, a home inspection service, have been awarded the company's Marketing Award for largest dollar volume increase.

Dec 09, 1999

Foster Pepper & Shefelman

Richard P. Chamberlain and Neil Armstrong Dial have joined the law firm of Foster Pepper & Shefelman in its Seattle office. Chamberlain concentrates his practice in real estate and land use law and is experienced in negotiating and drafting commercial real estate documents. Dial focuses his practice in securities and complex litigation.

Dec 08, 1999

Janeros

Janeros Corp., a Mercer Island-based healthcare technology e-commerce company and publisher of SurgiSource.com, announced that James R. McDonald has joined their management staff as chief financial officer. McDonald has 20 years experience in structuring small business financing, as founder and CEO of a real estate development firm company.