California real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc., operator of more than 35 properties in Cambridge and Greater Boston, has reported funds from operations (FFO) of $54.2 million compared to FFO of $47.2 million for the same period in 2008.

South Shore Medical Center has leased 5,000 square feet of office/R&D space at 35 Pond Park Road in Hingham.

Lexalytics Inc., a software and technology company, has leased 4,300 square feet at 320 Congress St. in Boston’s Fort Point Channel neighborhood.

Rep Invariant Systems Inc. has leased 3,312 square feet at 38 Cameron Ave. in Cambridge.

Real estate manager The New Boston Fund is working to retain control of a sizable chunk of its portfolio, after an $85.5 million securitized mortgage tied to 900,000 square feet of office space around Boston is close to defaulting.

Rogaris Law Office, which focuses on residential real estate and estate planning law, has leased 3,284 square feet on the fourth floor of Phase 1 of Watch Factory Offices in Waltham.

Visitors on the observation deck of the world’s tallest tower in Dubai heard what sounded like a small explosion, then saw dust that looked like smoke seeping through a crack in an elevator door 124 floors above the ground. The 15 people inside were trapped for 45 frightening minutes until rescuers managed to pry open the doors.

Boston-based real estate firm CresaPartners has been certified as a sustainable business leader by Boston’s Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP). SBLP assists small- to medium-size businesses in their pursuit to become more environmentally sustainable.

AMD Global Telemedicine Inc., a medical technology supplier, has leased 8,654 square feet of office space at 321 Billerica Road in Chelmsford.

Spectrum Microwave Inc., which produces RF and microwave components and systems, has leased 42,832 square feet to relocate its operations to 400 Nickerson Road in Marlborough Technology Park.

UMass is celebrating a major expansion of a high-tech study and research area in the Amherst campus’ main library.

As we speak, the Patrick Administration is pumping hundreds of millions in federal stimulus cash into road and infrastructure projects across the state in hopes of boosting our sagging economy. But at the same time, Gov. Patrick wants to dramatically scale back one of the Bay State’s most successful economic development initiatives in recent years, one that doles out tax credits to Hollywood productions that shoot here. And the timing could not be worse.

A year ago, commercial borrowers were complaining they had virtually no access to any sort of financing. And while that may no longer be the case, it’s not necessarily good news, either.

Boston Properties made headlines in April when it managed to extract, from some decidedly icy credit markets, a $215 million construction loan for its Russia Wharf office tower. The fact that the giant office landlord has yet to touch a cent of that loan shows how drastically commercial real estate finance has changed in the past nine months. It also highlights the chasm between well-capitalized REITs and their private competitors.

Steve Purpura leads Richards Barry Joyce & partners’ Cambridge advisory group, which brokered five of the submarket’s top six deals in 2009.

Some local universities are looking have a few less reports gathering dust on their shelves.

The Tsongas Arena is officially part of the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The university’s acquisition from the city of Lowell was approved by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Deval Patrick earlier this week and finalized today by the university and city.

Simon Property Group Inc., the largest mall owner in the country and operator of several high-profile malls in Massachusetts, has reported a drop in fourth-quarter funds from operations and said it would sell its interest in seven shopping centers in France and Poland.

Collection agency Collecto has renewed and expanded its lease at 700 Longwater Drive in Norwell.

Norwell’s Acella Construction Corp. has been selected to manage the construction for the Wellfleet Preservation Hall.