May 27, 2009

DLR Group

DLR Group hired architect and designer Jason Dardis to lead the corporate practice for the Seattle office. Dardis has more than 13 years of experience including work on multi-story office buildings, high-rise condominiums and mixed-use developments. He will help the firm expand its national corporate portfolio.

May 21, 2009

Heartland

Matthew Kwatinetz has become a special projects manager with Seattle-based Heartland focusing on cultural/arts initiatives and economic development strategies. He leads teams working on creating and preserving affordable spaces for artists in city centers and neighborhoods.

GVA Kidder Mathews

Jason Bloom has joined the Bellevue office of GVA Kidder Mathews, where he will specialize in industrial properties in the brokerage division. Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lyon is a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 Award in the Pacific Northwest.

First Park Meridian Campus

First Industrial Realty Trust recently completed three distribution centers at First Park Meridian Campus in the Seattle/Tacoma market. First Industrial is seeking LEED gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for the centers, which are near the Interstate 5 exit in Lacey. There are six buildings with 780,350 square feet on 45 acres. Green features include energy efficient lighting, skylights, reflective roofing materials, permeable surfaces to decrease storm runoff, and a water-efficient irrigation system. They are available for immediate occupancy.

Cohousing Conference

The First Annual Cohousing Conference will be held on Friday, June 26, through Sunday, June 28, on the University of Washington campus, presented by the Cohousing Association of the United States, a Seattle-based nonprofit. It is designed for people already living in cohousing, people who would like to join a community and cohousing professionals. There will be speakers, workshops, seminars and tours. Some offerings are free. Workshops begin at $20 and full conference registration is $425. To register or get more information see http://www.cohousing.org.

May 14, 2009

Coast/Sperry Van Ness

Sean Straub has joined Coast/Sperry Van Ness as an office and retail leasing and sales advisor focusing primarily in the Everett/Mukilteo markets.

Heartland

John E. Shaw has become a director of Seattle-based Heartland LLC focusing on family real estate wealth continuity strategies, financial institution real estate repositioning and real estate litigation support. Tejal Pastakia has become a senior development manager at Heartland, leading teams engaged in strategic planning about property development. Pastakia has experience in mixed-use, multi-family, student housing, office and owner/user commercial projects.

HAL Real Estate Investments

Dana Behar, president of HAL Real Estate Investments, said his firm's 400,000-square-foot Triton Towers office campus has bucked current real estate trends by achieving 100 percent occupancy. He said in a press release that HAL renewed and signed seven new leases for 42,700 square feet at Triton Towers in the last six months. The Southend office market has a vacancy rate of 17.8 percent, according to CB Richard Ellis. Recent deals include leases with Guy F. Atkinson Construction, Horizon Lines, Manpower International, Eliot Management Group and First American Title. The Renton complex has three seven-story buildings. The property, formerly known as Renton Place, was nearly vacant four years ago. HAL said it renovated lobbies and common spaces, added new signage and renamed the campus.

The Bravern impacts: May 21

The Bellevue Chamber Business Lunch on May 21 will be on The Bravern and how it will change the retail landscape and impact business in Bellevue and the region. The event runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue. Dan Ivanoff, founder and managing investment partner of Schnitzer West LLC, and Tom Woodworth, senior investment director and partner, will keynote the program. Reservations are required and can be made online at http://www.bellevuechamber.org or by calling (425) 213-1205.