Cingular Wireless, which bought Redmond-based AT&T Wireless earlier this year, has paid more than $134 million for three Bothell buildings previously used by AT&T Wireless. The buildings, with 350,000 square feet of space, are located in the 20000 block of N. Creek Parkway, close to the University of Washington’s branch campus. It’s not yet known whether Cingular will keep operations centers in several other buildings in the Snohomish County portion of Bothell.
Consumers spent less in November
America’s consumers came off a buying binge and were somewhat less jolly spenders in November. New-home sales, meanwhile, cooled from a record high, while demand for big-ticket manufactured goods rebounded. The latest batch of economic reports released Thursday, though sending slightly mixed signals, still painted a picture of a modestly growing economy, analysts said.
Spokane home sales hit $1 billion
The residential real estate market in Spokane County hit a major milestone this year, topping $1 billion in sales for the first time. That figure doesn’t include sales that will close in December. November statistics show 517 sales were pending. “It’s clearly a monumental threshold,” said Glenn Crellin, director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at Washington State University.
Car sales improve in November
New vehicle sales are likely rebounding this month from a disappointing November, and the big winners again are expected to be the top Asian brands, analysts say. Merrill Lynch analyst John Casesa forecasts a brisk annualized selling rate of 17.6 million units in December, versus a rate of 16.7 million for the first 11 months of 2004.
Injuries prompt GM minivan recall
General Motors Corp. is recalling 717,302 minivans because passengers could injure their wrists or arms on the power sliding door, the automaker and federal government said Thursday. The vehicles affected are 1997-2005 model Chevrolet Venture, 1997-99 Pontiac Transport/Montana, 2000-05 Pontiac Montana and 1997-2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette. The defect involves the interior power sliding door handle on the passenger’s side. A person’s wrist or arm can be injured if the handle is held while the door is opening. The recall comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it received 21 complaints about the sliding doors.
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