CHICAGO-In an SEC filing today, Equity says Lehman has bought its way to a majority share of Denver-based Archstone, but that the Sam Zell-run REIT can force a bidding war for the rest.

CHICAGO-Jonathan Zimmerman has formed his own firm, Willard Jones Real Estate LLC, which will handle the leasing for 1.2 million square feet in the CBD. Plus more Midwest news.

COLUMBUS-The venture is making a $14.3 million investment into the Crown Plaza Columbus North property, betting on a resurgence of the Ohio State University-dominated region.

CHICAGO-Like other property sectors, the hotel market will likely flatten out at about $15 billion this year with not much new development, steady sales and slow but improved fundamentals, says Jones Lang LaSalle.

TORONTO-Avison Young CEO Mark Rose tells GlobeSt.com’s Robert Carr that Canada is seeing smooth and steady growth as opposed to bumpy US commercial real estate markets.

EAGAN, MN-The company, which emerged from an earlier bankruptcy in 2009, has again filed for Chapter 11 protection and said it has a restructuring plan already in place.

LONDON-Two weeks ago the firm bought office properties in Paris and Frankfurt, and has followed it up with the buy of the 253,000-square-foot Eland House.

SACRAMENTO-The governor pushed recovery actions and infrastructure improvements, including a high-speed rail to connect north to south, in his Wednesday 2012 State of the State.