STAMFORD, CONN. — Manhattan, New York City-based RFR Realty has begun a multi-million dollar renovation to Stamford Plaza, a four-building, 968,500-square-foot, Class A office complex located in Stamford. Improvements include upgrades to the elevators in One and Two Stamford Plaza. Three Stamford Plaza will see the addition of new lobby finishes, tenant lounges, a video conferencing center, a fitness center, a private dining room and specially commissioned artwork in the building’s lobby. A monumental stone staircase and a reflecting pool will be installed between Three and Four Stamford Plaza. In addition, Four Stamford’s driveway will be expanded. Campus-wide improvements include the redesign and renovation of the buildings’ interconnected hallways; new exterior and interior signage; structural work; mechanical, HVAC and fire safety upgrades; and landscape improvements. The construction timetable was not released.
WASHINGTON, MO. — Construction is advancing for St. Louis-based Sisters of Mercy Health System’s new $60 million data center, located in Washington. The facility will total 42,500 square feet and will contain Tier III data center space. It will serve 19 acute care hospitals, two heart hospitals, a managed care plan, physician offices, and other healthcare facilities located in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Completion is scheduled for December. The general contractor for the project is St. Louis-based SM Wilson Co. St. Louis-based Guaranteed Electrical is serving as design/build electrical contractor and C Mechanical Co. is serving as design/build mechanical contractor.
MINNETONKA, MINN. — NAI Welsh has completed a 14,728-square-foot office sale at 5435 Feltl Rd. in Minnetonka. NAI’s Dave Berglund represented the buyer, Emergency Physicians PA, which plans to use the space for administrative offices. The seller was SHS Properties. The acquisition price was not disclosed.
CHICAGO — Chicago-based Reed Construction has been selected to complete a capital improvements project for 500 North Michigan Avenue, a 24-story high-rise office tower located on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Construction will include the renovation of eight building corridors and the restrooms on 16 floors. Architectural services are being provided by Hydzik Schade. Completion is scheduled for mid-year. Reed was hired for the project by the tower’s property manager, Zeller Realty Group.
NEW YORK CITY — SL Green Realty Corp. has signed new leases at 100 Park Avenue, a 36-story, 825,851-square-foot office tower located in Manhattan, New York City. First Wall Street Group signed a lease for the building’s entire 20th floor, totaling 15,945 square feet. The lease carries a 7-year term. In addition, Wells Fargo Trade Capital Services, which signed a 10-year lease for 44,716 square feet 2 months ago, has expanded its lease to include an additional 12,293 square feet on the second floor. Paul Glickman, Alex Chudnoff, Tara Stacom, Miti Liebersohn, Diana Biasotti and Jonathan Tootell of Cushman & Wakefield represented SL Green in both lease transactions. SL Green had recently completed a $72 million redevelopment of 100 Park Avenue. Additional tenants at the property include BDO Seidman, J&W Seligman Co., Kreindler & Kreindler, and Novantas.
BOSTON — The Prudential Tower, an approximately 1.5 million-square-foot, Class A office tower located in Boston, has received the Energy Star award for sustainability. Energy-saving measures at the building, which is owned by Boston Properties, include the installation of solar film, upgrades to the building’s mechanical and HVAC systems, upgrades to the building’s automation systems, lighting retrofits in common areas and mechanical rooms, and the installation of low-flow plumbing fixtures. With the awarding of this building, all of the 2.6 million-square-foot Prudential Center is now Energy Star certified. Boston Properties now has more than 3.8 million square feet of Energy Star certified office space in Massachusetts.
LOS ANGELES — Equity Office Properties has added 11 tenants to its Howard Hughes Center, a five-building, 1.2 million-square-foot business center in Los Angeles. The leases, which total 98,472 square feet, include Experian, TV Guide, Blockbuster Inc., Integrated Data Corp., Sezmi Corp., Corbis Corp., Ricoh Americas, Matrix Environmental, Drake Beam Moran Inc. and Brooks Kushman. Hunt Barnett, Chris Houge, Rick Buckley and Beau Rawi of Madison Partners represented the landlord in the transactions. Other participating brokerage firms include Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers Seeley, Grubb & Ellis, Newmark Knight Frank, CB Richard Ellis, Drake Beam Morin Inc. and First Property.
HONOLULU — Hawaii Employees Retirement System (Hawaii ERS) has purchased the leased-fee interest of 201 Merchant St. in Honolulu. The 180,634-square-foot office property sold for $7.4 million. Hawaii ERS also owns the leasehold interest, which expires in 2054. Mark Bratton and Sean Tadaki of Colliers Monroe Friedlander Inc. represented the seller, Citibank Properties, in the transaction.
WALTHAM, MASS. — Alkermes has signed a 100,000-square-foot lease at the Reservoir Woods campus in Waltham. The technology company plans to relocate its headquarters from Cambridge to the newly leased space, which is located at 850-852 Winter Street, a new 180,000-square-foot LEED-Gold certified office and lab building. The Reservoir Woods campus sits on 120 acres between the Massachusetts Turnpike and Route 2 at exit 27 off Route 128/US I95. The development is owned by a joint venture between affiliates of Davis Marcus Partners and Prudential Real Estate Investors. CB Richard Ellis represented the ownership in the transaction and Joseph Flaherty of Colliers Meredith & Grew represented Alkermes. The new tenant plans to complete their move by early 2010.
NEW YORK CITY —Helmsley Spear has been appointed the exclusive leasing agent for 80 Broad Street, a 400,000-square-foot office building located in the Financial District neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Lewis Cowan will head up the Helmsley Spear team, working with Gregg Slotnick, also of Helmsley Spear. Both will report to Todd Korren of Swig Equities, LLC. The 36-story, 400,000-square-foot multi-tenant office building is currently 97 percent occupied. A building wide renovation was recently completed, which included new elevators and cab interiors; new electrical service; new lobby; new mail center and freight entrance; new two-story, all glass storefront; new HVAC system and chillers; and a new fire/life safety system. In the past 12 months a number of leases were signed at 80 Broad Street including McGivney & Kluger, Legal Solutions Group, Map Financial Group, 1010Data, Stellar Freight, MT Library Services and BV Realty Management Corp. McCauley Securities renewed their leases while Water Quality Insurance Syndicate, Scientiae, LLC and Moed de Armas & Shannon Architects, P.C. expanded their occupancies, bringing total building leasing activity to more than 30,000 square feet.