Office

AUSTIN-The San Antonio-based bank takes 52,000 sf in the 33-story CBD high-rise to boost the pre-leased space to 46%. Frost Bank becomes the largest space taker of the five leases signed to date. The building opens in January 2004.

PORTLAND-The Portland Development Commission approved Wednesday a nearly three-fold increase in its lease commitment at Parkside Business Center, an office building located adjacent PDC's Downtown headquarters at the south end of Fourth Avenue.

ONTARIO, CA-The Irvine-based investment firm now owns all three office buildings in the 322,000-sf Empire Towers development. A $17.8-million loan and $4.7-million equity partner buy the extra 145,239 sf of class A office space.

SAN FRANCISCO-In the largest lease the CBD has seen in a couple of years, the locally based international law firm Orrick Herrington and Sutcliffe leases the top four floors of a new 10-story Downtown building developed by Wilson Meany Sullivan for Equity Office Properties.

PHILADELPHIA-Downtown office tenants, including representatives from Cigna

LONDON-Royal London Asset Management has sold Ames House at 6-7 Duke Street in St James's, London SW1 to Standford Properties for pounds 8.45 million ($13.5 million) reflecting a net initial yield of 5.7%.

NEW YORK CITY-After five years of overseeing business development at the WTCA, Robert DiChiara has been promoted to executive vice president of the not-for-profit organization. He joined the organization in 1997.

CEDAR KNOLLS, NJ-Greenwich Home Mortgage has grown its presence to more than 18,600 sf at Geometry Realty's Cedar Knolls Corporate Center after a lease transaction arranged by GVA Williams.