WASHINGTON — Cities like Chicago and Dallas are seeing strong demand for commercial loans while other areas continue to see lulls, according to the Federal Reserve Board's September Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions, commonly known as the Beige Book.

The Fed's districts are Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Richmond, Va., Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas and San Francisco. In August, some districts reported further slackening in demand for office and retail space while others saw an increase in energy and mining activity. Districts reporting on the agricultural sector noted some relief from drought conditions.

Commercial and industrial lending was near steady in New York, Philadelphia, and Cleveland and eased in Richmond, St. Louis and Kansas City, according to the Beige Book. Demand for commercial and industrial loans rose in Chicago, mostly from small and mid-size firms, and was described as solid in Dallas.

San Francisco reported that overall loan demand had fallen since the Fed's previous report in July. All the districts reporting on loan standards noted tightening. New York, Cleveland, Richmond, and San Francisco reported deterioration in credit quality. Dallas indicated that credit quality was holding up, although bankers in that district expected it to decline, according to data collected by the Fed.