Artistic Touches at Top and Bottom

Cathy Asato, a Metro spokeswoman, said the agency opened bidding for the land after receiving an unsolicited bid this year from a developer, whose name was not released. The bid deadline is May 31, and Metro will consider leasing or selling the land.

The parcels are 16,472, 8,600 and 3,800 square feet, Asato said.

The Tetra Cos. of Virginia Beach and former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin are starting an equity fund to develop mixed-used projects in the Southeast.

The fund, called the TMI Group, initially plans to raise $45 million for four projects, one of which will be a 150-unit condominium and retail development in Fort Lauderdale, according to John Dinsmore, Tetra's director of marketing.

Fiducial, a financial- and business-services provider, purchased a 35,000-square-foot office building in Columbia for $6.5 million.

The building at 10100 Old Columbia Road will house Fiducial's technical and administrative support center, now at 10480 Little Patuxent Pkwy. in Columbia. The company plans to move early next year.

The Procaccianti Group in Providence, R.I., agreed to buy six Sheraton Suites Hotels, including one in Alexandria.

The company bought the hotels from the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and IHV International for an undisclosed price.

The Sheraton Suites Alexandria Old Town hotel has 247 suites and opened in 1990.

Allan Lengel covers commercial real estate. His e-mail address islengela@washpost.com.