CBRE Awarded Leasing Assignment for Iconic Rivergate Office Tower

 

The property, which is currently 80% leased, includes a well-diversified mix of highly recognizable tenants including; Sykes Enterprises, Butler Pappas, Wilson Human Capital, Digital Hands and Northstar Bank.  Banyan will be strategically investing approximately $11 million of capital into the property in the coming year to highlight its location along the recently completed Riverwalk and Curtis Hixon Park.  Final designs will be announced in the coming weeks which will include: hospitality style upgrades to the “Cube,” renovated entry and exterior patio areas, and upgrades and expansion of the main lobby and multi-tenant corridors. 

 

Additionally, Banyan will be working with the City and selected third parties to provide additional waterfront dining/entertainment space along with direct elevator access from the outdoor patio to the Riverwalk.  In doing so, Banyan is committed to ensuring that the building is re-established as the premier location for office users and those ascribing to the urban lifestyle that Tampa is moving toward.  As an affirmation of the upgrades Banyan is planning, the building was able to attract Autobytel (a web-based automotive media and marketing services company; NASDAQ: ABTL), to lease space in the top two floors of the Cube which haven’t been occupied in over a decade.
 
“We are excited to be a part of the transformation of this iconic landmark located in the center of downtown Tampa,” said Ms. Kemph, CBRE First Vice President. “Under the strong ownership of Banyan Street Capital, the building is undergoing significant renovations that will only increase its value for present and future tenants.”

 

Added Chase Pattillo, CCIM, CBRE Managing Director, “We are excited about our growing partnership with Banyan and we have the utmost confidence that Roxanne and Kelley’s passion and enthusiasm will provide excellent representation for Rivergate Tower, Banyan and its vision for the building.”

 

Constructed in 1988 for $150 million, Rivergate Tower is one of the tallest limestone structures in the world and offers unobstructed 360-degree views of the Tampa skyline.  The building was designed by architect Harry Wolf to symbolize a lighthouse sending out a brilliant ‘beacon of economic light’ from downtown Tampa.  The Tower’s measurements are based on what mathematicians refer to as the Fibonacci Series, a complex formula invented by Leonardo Pisa, a 13th Century Italian philosopher and scientist.   
 
About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (in terms of 2015 revenue). The Company has more than 70,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 400 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers strategic advice and execution for property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; appraisal and valuation; development services; investment management; and research and consulting. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.

About Banyan Street Capital
Banyan Street Capital is a leading private real estate investment firm with the expertise and resources to deliver effective solutions for today’s commercial real estate market. As a premier owner and operator of office buildings, we help our investors and partners implement strategies that add market value and deliver high risk-adjusted returns.  The firm’s principals have been involved in the acquisition of over $3 billion of real estate assets and have successfully executed disposition strategies including the sale of operating businesses and real estate portfolios in excess of $1 billion to publicly-traded REITs.