May 01, 2014

CREW topic: workspace design

Commercial Real Estate Women Seattle and Sound will have a panel discussion about trends in workplace design at 11:30 a.m. May 8 at the Washington Athletic Club. The moderator is Arnold Levin, global director of workplace strategies for IA Interior Architects. The panelists are Tom Hebner, director of facility services for Premera Blue Cross; Carol Reifsnyder, senior manager of workplace strategies at T-Mobile; Kevin Sauer, workplace strategist for Hewlett-Packard; and James E. Truhan, workplace program leader with the U.S. General Services Administration. For more information, or to register, visit: http://bit.ly/1hWuRTz

Indigo wins housing award

Mercer Island-based Indigo Real Estate Services earned the first Proud Partner award from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. The award was presented at an annual meeting of the Affordable Housing Management Association of Washington and the Affordable Rural Housing Council and will be given annually to top property management firms. Indigo Real Estate Services manages low-income apartments in Washington, Georgia and Hawaii, including more than 3,000 apartments in Washington.

Realtor briefing for candidates June 5

Seattle King County Realtors will hold a briefing for state House and Senate candidates at 11:30 a.m. June 5 at Hyatt Regency Bellevue. The program includes an economic outlook and a panel discussion on education funding. Dr. John W. Mitchell, former chief economist for US Bank, is the keynote speaker. Seattle King County Realtors has more than 5,000 members and is the local affiliate of the National Association of Realtors. For more information, or to register, call (425) 974-1011.

Apr 24, 2014

KBS signs tenants at Bellevue office park

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Ridgewood Corporate Square in Bellevue

KBS Realty Advisors of Newport Beach, Calif., brought in two new tenants at Ridgewood Corporate Square in Bellevue. Nuclear energy technology company TerraPower signed a lease for 22,965 square feet. Scott Davis of CBRE represented KBS and Pete Hollomon of CBRE represented TerraPower. Union Community Partners, a San Jose-based real estate company, signed a 7,000-square-foot lease. Davis represented KBS and David Miller of CBRE represented Union Community Partners. Ridgewood Corporate Square has 240,518 square feet and now is 98 percent leased. KBS recently paid $186.36 million for the Plaza Buildings, two office towers in downtown Bellevue.

Security Properties buys Las Vegas apartments

Seattle-based Security Properties said it bought a 192-unit apartment building in Las Vegas called Desert Shadows for $23 million. This was the second purchase through Security Properties Multifamily Fund II. Desert Shadows was built in 2007 as condos and is on West Charleston Boulevard, about five miles from the Las Vegas strip. Security Properties' in-house property management company Madrona Ridge Residential will manage the building. Security Properties plans a $1.1 million renovation. Security Properties has acquired or developed nearly 69,000 units in 483 properties in more than 40 states.

HFO founder starts new Portland company

Tim O'Brien, founding partner at the apartment brokerage firm Hagerman Frick O'Brien, has started a new company called Urban Asset Advisors in Portland. It will develop new apartments and redevelop existing buildings into creative office space. O'Brien said the new company will emphasize managing and improving assets, rather than brokering sales. O'Brien teamed up with Cody Hagerman and Greg Frick 15 years ago to start HFO, which focuses on apartments in Oregon and Washington.