Year-to-date through the third quarter, leasing activity totaled about 2.1 million sf, flat compared with the comparable period last year, the C&W report states. Available sublease space in the county did decrease in the third quarter, according to the report, but total direct net absorption is negative, at 67,427 sf, so far this year.

In Cypress Creek, the largest submarket in the county, leasing activity increased by about 100,000 sf, compared with the third quarter in 2002. This submarket also saw a nearly 60,000-sf decline in sublease availabilities, compared with this time last year. However, absorption stayed negative, at 8,459 sf in the third quarter. The overall vacancy rate remained stable at 23.3% in the 2002 and 2003 third quarters.

Leasing activity in Sunrise almost doubled last quarter's figure with activity totaling more than 75,000 sf in the third quarter. In contrast, the Miramar submarket saw a drop in leasing activity in the third quarter with total leasing activity at 73,132 sf, less than half of the activity a year earlier. However, the submarket's vacancy rate was still low, at 6.7%.