May 10, 2012

ICSC

Hanson

Kurt Hanson, Kent's economic development manager, was named co-chair of the Alliance Program by the International Council of Shopping Centers. The program lets people from the public and private sectors talk about retail development opportunities. Hanson will represent owners, developers, investors, marketers and other retail specialists in Washington.

Leisure Care

Seattle-based Leisure Care will manage five Conservatory Senior Living retirement communities in Texas. This adds 1,053 apartments to Leisure Care's North American portfolio of 6,200 apartments. The company now manages more than $1.5 billion in assets. In the last year, Leisure Care has added nearly 1,500 apartments to its portfolio, and grown by more than 25 percent.

RPM Mortgage

Walnut Creek, Calif.-based RPM Mortgage is opening an operations center in Lake Oswego, Ore., to support branches in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Forty or more people will work there, and the company is hiring now. Charee Wheeler is operations manager. Scott Davis and Ryan O'Farrell are vice presidents of business development in the Northwest.

Denihan Hospitality Group

Denihan Hospitality Group has opened a San Francisco office as part of a push to expand in Seattle, Portland and other West Coast markets. The company owns and operates boutique hotels in New York, Washington, D.C., Miami and Chicago. Julie Purnell was named senior vice president of acquisitions and development in San Francisco. She worked for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and Marriott.

Green valuation guide for appraisers

The Appraisal Institute and the Institute for Market Transformation issued an updated guide for appraising environmentally sustainable real estate. “Recognition of Energy Costs and Energy Performance in Real Property Valuation” was first published in 2000.

Class for first-time home buyers

There will be a free class for first-time home buyers at 10 a.m. May 19 at Cornerstone Home Lending in Bellevue. Cornerstone is in Suite 2300 at 10900 N.E. Fourth St. Jacob Washburn of Cornerstone and Jennifer Daniels of Keller Williams are giving the two-hour class. Register at http://tiny.cc/tfs1dw.

Permitting conference May 23

There will be a conference about permitting residential, commercial and industrial projects May 23 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. It will include an update on regulations, permitting tools, distressed projects and permitting strategies. The Seminar Group said it is aimed at attorneys, real estate agents and contractors. Information is at http://www.theseminargroup.net or by calling (800) 574-4852.

BDA event on Bellevue nightlife

The Bellevue Downtown Association's noon May 23 program will be about nightlife. Entrepreneurs behind downtown's expanding number of bars and entertainment venues will speak at Parlor Live Comedy Club in Lincoln Square. Register at http://www.bellevuedowntown.org.