BERKELEY, CA-The 285,000-sf building at the University of California at Berkeley will house the Bioengineering, Biotechnology and Quantitative Biomedical Research Institute, better known to those on campus as QB3. The groundbreaking is scheduled for Friday, May 30.

PORTLAND-The 6,477-sf commitment, which more than doubles the amount of leased space in the new 222,777-sf office building, could be the first of a series of leases to be signed. Ownership has lowered asking rates more than 14% since the fall of 2001, when the building was still six months from completion.

FREEPORT, IL-The publicly traded manufacturer of residential furnishings and commercial components more than triples the size of its previous lease at 1555 Illinois Highway 75 East and signs on for another seven years.

PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS-Kerzner International Limited says it has reached agreement with the government of The Bahamas regarding a massive expansion of its flagship resort, Atlantis, Paradise Island. The news, announced Tuesday, has the company's share price flirting with a 52-week high.

PORTLAND-According to a new report that ranks Portland 24th out of 38 retail markets, retail vacancy in the region will decrease from 6.5% to 6.3% by year's end while average asking rents will rise by 0.5% to $18.60 per sf.

SEATTLE-San Diego-based Alexandria Real Estate Equities, the largest private owner of laboratory buildings in the Puget Sound region, has partnered with three biotech venture capital firms and the Seattle-based nonprofit Institute for Systems Biology to launch Accelerator Corporation.

LAS VEGAS-The James P. Hanson Accountancy Corporation acquires the 321-unit Rancho Del Norte in North Las Vegas for $19.32 million, and an LLC acquires the 353-unit Decatur Villas for $20.18 million.

SEASIDE, CA-Filed last week in the Superior Court for the State of California in Monterey, the suit claims a Texas-based company negotiating on behalf of the city for a new hotel rigged the selection process.