SEATTLE-The national board of directors of The American Institute of Architects names Miller/Hull as recipient of the 2003 AIA Architecture Firm Award. The honor is bestowed annually and recognizes a practice that has produced distinguished architecture for at least the 10 years.

ISSAQUAH, WA-Derus Development is the developer. The lender is HomeStreet Capital. The $14.9-million financing covers construction of the second phase and land development for the third phase.

SEATTLE-The locally-based specialty retailer says it intends to concentrate on its core business and divest itself of money-losing retail shops. Current plans are to be out of most, or all locations, by early March.

KIRKLAND, WA-Northwest College intends to use the 35,000-sf Lakeview office building for its growing adult and professional programs. The college also intends to relocate administrative offices to the facility, which is located less than one-half mile from the 56-acre main campus.

SEATTLE-Two residential-over-retail developments proposed for the Ballard neighborhood--one containing 60 units and the other 55 units--will be scrutinized by the city's Design Review Board next week.

TACOMA, WA-The 108-unit project is built as part of the Residential Communities Initiative at Fort Lewis. RCI at Fort Lewis is at the forefront of the privatization of Army housing and has the potential to pump more than $1.2 billion into the Puget Sound economy in the next five decades.

KENT, WA-Langly Properties and Tarragon Development submit plans for the initial 190,000 sf of the project, which local officials say will be the city's new economic anchor. Kent Station is a $130 million, 700,000-sf mixed-use development.

TACOMA, WA-Of six developers, three survive to compete to build a $30- to $60-million, mixed-use development on sites 4 and 5 along the Thea Foss Waterway. Participants have until March to come up with a proposal and submit the plan to waterway officials.