ELIZABETH, N.J. — Osmo, which uses machine learning to digitize scent and promote olfactory science, has opened a 60,000-square-foot headquarters facility in the Northern New Jersey community of Elizabeth. Designed by KSS Architects, the facility includes office, lab and manufacturing space, as well as a breakout room, café and shared spaces to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration. A partnership between Bridge Industrial and Elberon Development Group owns the building, the address of which was not disclosed.
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PROVO, UTAH — Six Ridge Partners, formerly Dakota Pacific, has divested of Riverwoods Business Park in Provo. Terms of the transaction were not released. Brandon Fugal, John Monson and Grant Lammerson of Colliers represented Six Ridge Partners in the transaction, while Summit Commercial Advisors represented the undisclosed buyer, which purchased the property on behalf of an investor group affiliated with Flagship Cos. Developed in the mid-1990s, the three-building campus offers 185,000 square feet of research, innovation and office space. Current tenants include Qualtrics, Vivint and UCCU.
By Matthew Auchincloss The U.S. office sector may never be going back to pre-pandemic utilization levels, but enough time has elapsed and data compiled to make the case that the asset class is stabilizing. According to data from CoStar Group, leasing activity remained steady in the second quarter of 2026, with 115 million square feet of new leases signed (renewals were not included in the data). That remains approximately 9 percent below the quarterly average from 2015 through 2019 but is far above the leasing volume from 2020 and 2021. The national vacancy rate is down 50 basis points from one year ago and 20 basis points in the past quarter, currently sitting at around 18 percent, according to CoStar. Rental rates are also up, averaging approximately $38.06 per square foot nationally — a 2.3 percent increase from last year, according to Colliers. Class A rates currently sit around $43.76 per square foot, with a sharp divide between commercial business district (CBD) rates and suburban product. CBD rates dropped 10 basis points from the first quarter, but the $52.52 per square foot price tag is still up slightly year-over year (70 basis points). Suburban rates are much lower at approximately …
PHILADELPHIA — Local developer Keystone has completed an office-to-residential conversion project in Philadelphia’s Independence Mall district. Designed by Tantillo Architecture and built by Fasttrack Construction, the project transformed the historic, 12-story building at 400 Market St. into a 176-unit apartment complex known as 400 Market Flats. Units come in studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans, and amenities include coworking space and a rooftop terrace. Keystone developed the project, which opened with 40 percent of the units preleased, in partnership with Lubert-Adler.
BOSTON — Autodesk has signed a 72,000-square-foot office lease renewal in Boston’s Seaport District. The provider of 3D design, engineering and entertainment software will remain at the Innovation & Design Building, a 1.4 million-square-foot mixed-use building that was originally constructed in 1918 as a waterside storehouse for the South Boston Army Base. Luke Wilson of Colliers represented Autodesk in the lease negotiations. A partnership between Related Beal and Jamestown owns the building.
CHICAGO — JLL Capital Markets has secured a $213 million refinancing for 360 North Green, a 500,000-square-foot office tower in Chicago’s Fulton Market. Lucas Borges, Geoff Goldstein, Danny Kaufman, Kelly Gaines, Emma Berner and Ryan Planek of JLL secured the three-year loan through Barings on behalf of the borrower, institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management and Sterling Bay. Designed by Gensler and delivered in 2024, 360 North Green rises 24 stories and features two outdoor terraces per floor, a 4,000-square-foot roof deck, 6,500-square-foot fitness center, outdoor conference space and the Adalina Prime restaurant. The property is currently 76 percent leased and home to tenants such as Boston Consulting Group and Greenberg Traurig.
CHICAGO — Friedman Properties has completed reconstruction of the riverwalk at the Reid Murdoch Building in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Together with renovations at River Roast, the forthcoming opening of The Carlyle Club and prior ground-level improvements, the updates represent approximately $15 million in recent investment at the property, which features a 300-foot riverwalk connecting Clark Street to LaSalle Drive. The latest renovation nearly doubled the width of the previous riverwalk and introduced a series of 10-foot-tall double doors in the south elevation, creating new opportunities for outdoor dining and improving pedestrian circulation. The work also included new precast piers, railings, lighting, integrated planters and improved access from the river level for visitors arriving by boat. Coinciding with the redevelopment of the riverwalk, operator Levy Restaurants has completed renovations of River Roast, the 28,000-square-foot riverfront venue located in the building. The restaurant’s main event space, which has been rebranded RR Events, now features a new riverside entrance with a curved grand staircase, dual-sided bars and upgraded lighting fixtures, furniture, flooring and tableware. The renovation also added Corner Roast, a new coffee concept with its own entrance. Friedman also closed a lease with The Carlyle Club, scheduled to open at the …
NEW YORK CITY — A partnership between A.M. Property Holding Corp., Axonic Capital and Platinum Properties is underway on the renovation of 11 Bryant Park Plaza, a 22-story office building in Midtown Manhattan. Designed by Spectorgroup, the renovation will involve the upgrading of existing office suites and the repositioning of upper-level floors to feature tenant amenities. The project team will also upgrade the lobby and elevators. Demolition work on the building’s top two floors is nearly complete, and renovations will be delivered in phases over of the second half of this year and early next year.
CHICAGO — Skender has begun construction on the 500 N. Michigan Ave. adaptive reuse project, which will convert the 400,000-square-foot office tower into 320 apartment units on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. The project team includes Connecticut-based Commonwealth Development Partners and GREC Architects. Completion is slated for late 2027. Originally designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and completed in 1968, the building rises 24 stories and 304 feet tall. The conversion will transform vacant floors three through 23 into residential dwelling units, while a new 25th floor with amenity space will be constructed atop the building, adding 17 feet to its height. Level 24 will house mechanical systems, and floors two through five will include additional amenity programming. Ground-floor retail will be retained. Skender’s scope of work includes full interior demolition of the existing vacant office spaces, elevator modernization throughout all floors and the complete build-out of residential units and amenity spaces.
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. — Advocates, a nonprofit organization that supports people with behavioral health disorders, disabilities and brain injuries, has signed a 95,182-square-foot office lease in the western Boston suburb of Marlborough. The deal brings the 160,649-square-foot building at 251 Locke St. to full occupancy. Alison Powers and Robert Walles of JLL represented the landlord, Related Beal, in the lease negotiations. Jon Pezzoni of Avison Young represented Advocates.