BERLIN, CONN. — O,R&L Commercial has facilitated the lease of 18,000 square feet of warehouse distribution and office space at 24 New Park Drive in Berlin. FSB leased the space from The Cariati Family LP. The tenant plans to use the space for its U.S. headquarters. Frank Hird of O,R&L represented the tenant, while James Neckerman of Commercial Real Estate Group represented the landlord in the lease transaction.
CHICAGO — ESD, a global engineering firm, has signed a 46,884-square-foot office lease at Willis Tower in Chicago. The firm plans to move its Chicago operations from 175 W. Jackson Blvd. to the tower in June 2018. ESD will occupy the entire 53rd floor and half of the 54th floor. Blackstone acquired Willis Tower in 2015, and unveiled plans for a $500 million renovation to the building earlier this year in conjunction with Equity Office, the U.S. office portfolio company wholly owned by Blackstone’s real estate funds. Jamey Dix, Maggie Brophy and Joy Jordan of the Telos Group represented Equity Office in the lease transaction. Gregg Witt of CBRE and Steve Stratton and Jeff Liljeberg of JLL represented ESD.
PLANO, TEXAS — TIER REIT Inc. (NYSE: TIER) has acquired 5851 Legacy Circle, a 12-story office tower in the Legacy Town Center area of Plano, for $123.3 million. The sale includes the assumption of a $66 million mortgage loan. The seller was not disclosed. The property, also known as Tower One, is master leased to Encana Corp., which has subleased 88 percent of the property to tenants such as LegacyTexas Bank, U.S. Renal Care and Aimbridge Hospitality. The Class A, 319,000-square-foot property was built in 2012. Tower One is contiguous to two other land parcels totaling four acres that TIER bought in 2015. The company is building office towers on each of those properties, which will add an additional 570,000 square feet. TIER will rebrand the entire combined development as Legacy District. “This acquisition complements our existing development parcels and enhances our vision for Legacy District, given its strategic location in the heart of the vibrant live-work-play Legacy submarket,” says Scott Fordham, president and CEO of TIER REIT. “Further, it plants our flag prominently near the exciting new corporate campuses of Toyota, JP Morgan, Liberty Mutual and FedEx Office, which combined should bring over 15,000 new office workers to the …
CHICAGO — In its most recent study on the workplace, JLL has found that helping people feel good on the job is more than a ‘box-ticking” exercise in trying to achieve work-life balance. A place of work is far more than a property. It is a living environment that helps individuals and businesses craft and experience a better fusion of life and work. One of the key findings from the report, entitled “Workplace Powered by Human Experience,” is that workplaces must provide a broader range of innovative spaces to meet employee expectations and attract and retain talent. The design and configuration of workplaces will evolve to put human experience at the heart of modern workspaces, and understanding the ecosystem in which employees operate and thrive is critical to business success as aesthetic solutions alone are no longer enough. The report finds that an ideal work environment is a mixture of collaborative space and support services, including coffee and tea shops, lounges, terraces, war rooms, service desks, creative spaces and “incubators” that feature dedicated space for employees and external talent to develop personal projects. The space provided by a company can directly impact employee experience levels. New types of spaces can …
SAN JOSE, CALIF. — A joint venture between TMG Partners and Valley Oak Partners has completed a preliminary review submittal application to the City of San Jose to develop close to 1 million square feet of commercial office space. The project would be situjated on 5.4 acres at 440 W. Julian St. within the Diridon Station Area Plan. The proposal includes three six-story office buildings and below-grade parking. The three buildings would contain 157,000 square feet, 345,000 square feet and 490,000 square feet, respectively, with views of downtown San Jose. Each building will feature floor plates ranging from 30,000 square feet to 90,000 square feet, as well as 15-foot floor-to-floor heights and large, private terraces on every floor. The site is situated near Google’s yet-to-be-constructed village development. Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates would act as the designer.
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. — Savills Studley has signed a long-term lease for 17,675 square feet of office space at 520 Newport Center Drive in Newport Beach. The relocation will combine Savills Studley’s two existing offices at 19100 Von Karman Ave. in Irvine and 610 Newport Center Drive in Newport Beach. The Newport Beach location was the former home of Cresa Orange County which Savills Studley acquired in February. The space will feature a modern aesthetic with an emphasis on simplicity and openness, including a series of strategically located collaborative hubs and flexible meeting areas for internal and external gatherings. Irvine Company Office Properties owns the property. Savills Studley will occupy the building’s eighth floor in September.
DULUTH, GA. — Terra Cap Management LLC has acquired 3100 Breckinridge, a seven-building, 253,000-square-foot office park located on Breckinridge Boulevard in Duluth, a suburb of Atlanta in Gwinnett County. Avison Young’s Matt Tritschler represented the undisclosed seller in the $19 million transaction, and C.J. Kelly of CBRE led the debt origination. Lincoln Property Co. Southeast will handle leasing and management assignments for the property.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — New York Life Real Estate Investors has originated a $123.2 million mortgage loan for Frost Bank Tower, a 535,964-square-foot, Class A office building located at 401 Congress Ave. in Austin. Completed in 2003, the 33-story property is among the tallest buildings in Austin. Colby Mueck and Doug Opalka of HFF arranged the loan, which has a fixed interest rate and a seven-year term, on behalf of the borrower, Lionstone Investments.
KATY, TEXAS — PCL Industrial Construction will relocate its headquarters to a 36,596-square-foot office space within the Grandway West development in Katy. The company will occupy the second floor of Building 4, a 72,045-square-foot, Class A property, which is located at 2322 W. Grand Parkway. Eugene Terry and David Bale of JLL represented PCL in the lease negotiations. Parker Burkett of Transwestern represented the landlord, Insite Realty.
WOODBRIDGE, ILL. — Newmark Knight Frank has brokered the sale of a 103,241-square-foot office and warehouse property in Woodridge, a suburb of Chicago. The sales price was not disclosed. The Class A property is located at 2501 W. Davey Road. Built in 2000, the building is 65 percent office, 20 percent laboratory and 15 percent warehouse space, with 18-foot clear heights and two dock loading doors. Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc. occupies 75,273 square feet of space at the property. Corey Chase, Jeff Miller, Sean Fulp and Mark Schuessler of NKF represented the private seller in the transaction. The buyer was not disclosed.
