HOUSTON-A year-to-date overview bolsters Houston's real estate persona, showing 3.6 million sf of industrial space has been absorbed. More than 2 million sf has been constructed thus far this year.

HOUSTON-The Pennzoil-Quaker State headquarters is looking spiffy these days, with construction wrapping up on a major upgrade. The oil company is the sole occupant of the 690,000-sf office structure.

DALLAS-It's all about change as Harwood International preps to add a seven-story, 17,000-rentable sf glass tower to its Rolex Building while making plans for a fifth phase at its prestigious 1- million sf complex Downtown.

GALVESTON-Island Realty Partners have to sway a bankruptcy court, but the development team wants to buy the old Galvez Mall. If the sale is approved, plans will gear up to convert it into a 300,000-sf power retail center.

GALVESTON-Silverleaf Seaside Resorts is gearing up for a 135-unit second phase at its beach timeshare project now that it has received an official nod by the city planning commission. Construction is tentatively set to begin in 2002.

SAN ANTONIO-Sterling Bancshares Inc., based in Houston, is making plans to pay $51.8 million in cash for CaminoReal Bancshares of Texas Inc., headquartered in San Antonio. The deal marks Sterling's inroad into San Antonio and the South Texas market.

AUSTIN-SiteStuff.com, an e-procurement solution for the commercial real estate industry, is teaming with Ariba Inc. and Vignette Corp. to make auctions and customization available to its customers. Anything from approval procedures to catalog browsing will be possible once the integration is in place.

HOUSTON-Four eateries and one NC-based manufacturer have closed land sales and building leases in bids to tap into Houston's bustling economy. The deals range from the 45th site for Starbucks in the city to the first site for a NC-based cooling tower business