Inman

Chicago’s Prudential Plaza gets rush of new leasing activity

BentleyForbes, owner and operator of the Prudential Plaza office towers overlooking Millennium Park in Chicago’s East Loop district, today reported nearly 100,000 square feet of new and renewal leasing activity at the property in recent months.

Since December of 2007, BentleyForbes has signed new, renewal and expansion lease agreements with eight tenants. Prudential Plaza is currently 94 percent leased.

In each lease, BentleyForbes was represented by Andrea Saewitz and Lauren Alexander with J.F. McKinney & Associates, who oversee marketing and leasing for Prudential Plaza.

Individual transactions and cooperating tenant brokers include:

–Marketing Werks: 44,463 square feet. One Prudential Plaza. Kyle Kamin, CB Richard Ellis. New.

–Baker & McKenzie: 16,058 square feet. One Prudential Plaza. Bill Rogers and Steve Steinmeyer, Jones Lang LaSalle. Expansion.

–Aleri: 15,206 square feet. Two Prudential Plaza. Bill Rogers, Bill Pickrell and Steve Steinmeyer, Jones Lang LaSalle. Renewal.

–CBS TV: 10,618 square feet. Two Prudential Plaza. David Matthews, Staubach. New.

–PR Newswire: 4,195 square feet. Two Prudential Plaza. Bill Sheehy, Jones Lang LaSalle (formerly with CB Richard Ellis). New.

–Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois: 3,442 square feet. Two Prudential Plaza. Michael Pink, MAP Real Estate. New.

–West Walker Steel: 1,857 square feet. Two Prudential Plaza. James Murray, James R. Murray & Associates. New.

–Shea Financial Group: 1,344 square feet. Two Prudential Plaza. Scott Becker, Transwestern Commercial Services. New.

Prudential Plaza occupies a full city block overlooking North Michigan Ave., at its intersection with E. Randolph St. in Chicago’s culturally rich East Loop commercial district. The campus features approximately 2.2 million square feet of class A office space in two towers, reaching 41- and 64-stories, respectively.

Since acquiring Prudential Plaza in 2006, BentleyForbes says it has invested more than $50 million towards capital improvements, leasing and operations costs to elevate the property’s class A finishes, tenant office space and building infrastructure.

Efforts to date have included: the addition new restaurants, featuring the popular Tavern at the Park; the build-out of move-in ready “spec” office suites in various sizes and configurations; and the continued improvement of the building’s common areas, with upgrades to each tower’s multi-tenant corridors, restrooms, elevator cabs, the lobby concourse and the overall property’s exterior finishes.