SHREVEPORT, LA-The hotel and casino here includes a 514-room hotel and convention center and more than 23,000 sf of casino space. It has been owned by Harrah's Entertainment since 1994. The buyer is Boyd's Gaming Corp.

PORTLAND-The electricity producer renews its lease for 56,751 sf in the older, low-rise portion of the Fourth Avenue Building, which is owned by Portland State University.

SPOKANE, WA-Sterling Financial Corp. signs a long-term lease for 45,000 sf in the Crescent Building, which is located next to the company's headquarters Downtown and owned by WestCoast Hospitality LP.

SAN FRANCISCO-A surge in absorption during the second half of the year pushed citywide vacancy down from 17.3% to 16.9% during the fourth quarter. Nearly three-quarters of the leasing activity occurred in the Financial District.

GLENDALE, WI-The seller was the owner of Olson Cos. Inc., which leased back 75,000 sf of the facility for a period of three years and continues to lease the rest of the building on a month-to-month basis

LAKE OSWEGO, OR-The two class A office buildings have 198,000 sf of rentable space and are 96% leased. The seller acquired the properties in 2001 for $40 million, or about $200 per sf, but one of the buildings was not yet complete and had no signed tenants.

RENTON, WA-The six-store regional chain acquires the former local Kmart site on Rainier Avenue South. The 117,000-sf building will replace its existing 85,000-sf store Downtown.

SAN FRANCISCO-In its first major purchase in the city, the real estate investment firm Zapolski + Rudd acquires four buildings in the heart of historic Jackson Square.