ATLANTA-The sale contract for Northlake Tower Festival Mall in Tucker, GA, the last remaining property in Oak Brook, IL-based Banyan Strategic Realty's portfolio, has been extended to mid-September as buyer, Los Angeles-based West Coast Realty, seeks approval to assume $16.8-million in debt.

PHILADELPHIA-The state anti-nepotism statute that kept Robert Judge from heading the Pennsylvania Convention Center now threatens two members of the board. One's wife holds an elected post in Chester County; another has a cabinet-level position in Mayor Street's office.

PHILADELPHIA-A comparison of Pennsylvania business taxes in relation to those of other states, conducted by Harrisburg, PA-based Keystone Research Center, disputes business-sponsored studies aimed at reducing state business taxes. KRC recommends holding off a planned phase-out of $1 billion in business taxes.

PHILADELPHIA-Chatham, NJ-based Garibaldi Group opens an office in Bethlehem, PA to cover the growing Lehigh Valley market. Former associate director of Insignia/ESG's Allentown, PA office, Michael Bartolacci, moves to Garibaldi as vice president in charge of Lehigh Valley initiatives.

ATLANTA-A partnership of locally based-Ackerman & Co. and Northwestern Mutual Life pays $24.5 million for the 183,000-sf Centrum at Glenridge office building on Johnson Ferry Road in Fulton County. The property is 93% leased at an estimated $21 per sf.

PHILADELPHIA-An affiliate of San Francisco-based Shorenstein Co. buys Two Liberty Place, Downtown Philadelphia's premier, 58-story, 1.2-million-sf, class-A office building, for approximately $200 million. It was developed by Malvern, PA-based Rouse & Associates in 1989 is fully leased to Insurance Co. of America at an estimated $22 per sf.

ATLANTA-A bankruptcy court approves the sale of Fairlawn, OH-based Republic Technologies' 92,000-sf production facility in Cartersville, GA to Tampa, FL-based AmeriSteel Corp. The property is at the junction of US 41 and I 75.

ATLANTA-Inland's shopping center shopping spree adds three more grocery-anchored properties to its cart. All in the Carolinas, the newest trio cost $15 million and brings the Illinois-based REIT's June 2002 tally of retail purchases in the Southeast to 12.