ORLANDO-Shaw Industries Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of tufted broadloom carpet, is closing its Flooring America division and renting out its leased space in two freestanding Central Florida buildings.

CLEARWATER, FL-Florida's largest independent real estate brokerage has signed a strategic alliance with the Bradenton, FL-based research house to provide online commercial property mortgage and investment market data. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.<p>

ATLANTA-The three central business district submarkets, however, are solid with a second-quarter occupancy level of 93.19% versus an average 89.01% leased mark among the 13 suburban pockets, according to a new analysis by Richard Bowers &amp; Co.

MEMPHIS, TN-CB Richard Ellis Inc. represented the Irving, TX-based investment management and mortgage loan company in the $55-million sale of two landmark, suburban class A properties totaling 500,000 sf.

HAINES CITY, FL-The Columbus, OH-based developer plans an undetermined amount of units on a 22-acre tract it is buying for $1.6 million or $72,727 per acre ($1.67 per sf) from Southern Dunes Properties Inc. of Haines City, 40 miles southwest of Downtown Orlando.

ORLANDO-Orlando Magic loses bid for new $250-million NBA court and settles for renovating the 12-year-old, 17,250-seat, 395,000-sf TD Waterhouse Centre for an estimated $75 million, as area hotelier Harris Rosen suggested in an exclusive interview with GlobeSt.com June 4.

ATLANTA-Paradyne, a Fairlawn, NJ-based broadband hardware maker, is contracting with locally based Advantis Real Estate Services Co. to find office tenants for its Building H in Spectrum Technology Park, Largo, FL, a Tampa suburb 80 miles west of Downtown Orlando. The negotiated fee was not disclosed.

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL-MetLife provides one of Florida's largest property owners a series of 10-year, non-recourse loans at a weighted average fixed rate of 7.39%. The money will be used to reduce the firm's cost of capital on new acquisitions and developments. St. Augustine is 150 miles north of Downtown Orlando.