NEWTON, MA-The Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board denies Lasell Village's claim that its facility, a retirement community that was developed by Lasell College, is exempt from local property taxes.

BOSTON-Torto Wheaton Research joins forces with CB Richard Ellis Canada Limited to develop a forecast product on Canadian real estate market conditions in the office and industrial markets.

WALTHAM, MA-JAFCO America Ventures enters the east coast with its lease of 5,000 sf of office at 950 Winter St. in the Bay Colony Corporate Center. The 980,000-sf site is owned and managed by the Shorenstein Cos.

READING, MA-The 400,000-sf retail development being built on a 33-acre former landfill along Route 128 is on track to a fall 2004 opening. The developer agreed to cap the landfill enabling the project to move forward.

LAWRENCE, MA-The Abrams Group, a Boston-based real estate development and investment firm, purchases a 30,000-sf office building at 170 Common St. The company says the deal is part of its strategy.

BOSTON-CRIC Capital acquires a portfolio of properties from Penhall International in a $12-million sale/leaseback deal. The 11 industrial/flex facilities are located throughout the southwestern and western US.

BOSTON-Tremont Realty Capital launches a real estate bridge financing program designed to provide short-term bridge loans to borrowers unable to obtain conventional funding or require complex or time-sensitive bridge loans.

SPRINGFIELD, MA-A series of debt and equity transactions totaling over $57 million was secured for Eastfield Mall, a 780,000-sf regional mall that was acquired by affiliates of Mountain Development Corp. four years ago.