Texas

HOUSTON — NorthMarq Capital has secured $18.2 million in acquisition financing for the 189,000-square-foot Echo Office Building, located in Houston. Bart Dickinson of NorthMarq's Dallas office arranged the five-year loan with a 30-year amortization schedule through a life insurance company lender on behalf of the borrower, Velocis Partners.

RICHARDSON — Newport Beach, Calif.-based KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT has signed six new and expansion leases totaling 29,066 square feet in its Palisades Central II, a 16-story office tower located in Richardson. Farmer, Fuqua & Huff signed a new lease for 8,087 square feet, and Swalm & Associates signed a 1,978-square-foot lease. Duke Biggers of Swearingen Realty Group represented both firms in the lease transactions. GXS Inc. has signed a new 10,086-square-foot lease, and Brian Whittington of Cresa's Dallas office represented GXS. FCCI Insurance Group has leased 5,292 square feet, and Doug Carignan of Jones Lang LaSalle represented FCCI. Richard M. Witmer has leased a 2,041-square-foot suite and was self-represented in the transaction. American Energy Partners has expanded its lease by 1,665 square feet to occupy 6,073 square feet. American Energy Partners represented itself in the lease transaction. Sarah Catherine Norris and Mark Jordan of JP Realty Partners represented the landlord, KBS, in all six lease transactions.

DALLAS — Newmark Grubb Knight Frank has leased 14,000 square feet of office space at the 173,000-square-foot Chateau Plaza, an office building located at 2515 McKinney Ave. in uptown Dallas. Sarah Erickson and Tommy Nelson of Stream Realty represented the landlord, JPMorgan, in the lease transaction. Newmark Grubb Knight Frank was self-represented by Seth Weinstein.