Just like an old car, a diamond-in-the-rough office building requires some elbow grease. But it's not as easy as spiffing it up. Since taking over management and leasing at Chicago's 235k SF, Class-A Inland Steel building in February '12, MB Real Estate increased occupancy from 45% to over 85%. VP Sara Spicklemire, above, tells us how. First stop: getting its historic status, which brings national recognition and welcome tax credits (both will soon be complete). Next was filling the interior with forward-thinking amenities: trading a ground-floor bank for Specialty's Cafe, adding a fitness center and Zipcars, and creating a 13k SF conference center in partnership with Workspring featuring treadmill desks and screen-filled breakout rooms. (Can't forget new dream bathrooms and a green roof.) The trick is selling tenants on a work environment that may not be complete yet, she adds. (For example, the fitness center didn't open until after the flurry of leasing.)
More Tips for an Easy Lease Up
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