The 578k SF expansion of the mixed-use Pacific Centre has its first office tenant, and it may not be who you'd expected.
Law firm Miller Thomson is taking 48k SF of open office space on one floor, which Colliers SVP Colin Scarlett (above, with AVP Dan Jordan, who also worked on the deal) refers to as “atypical for a law firm." The building has close to five times the square footage on one floor than the average Vancouver office building. (It will ultimately feature 280k SF of trophy office space.) Colin says the majority of people on the market would view the space (17-foot high ceilings and 12-foot windows) as ideal for technology-based companies or engineering firms, not for stereotypically stuffy legal types (unless it employs literal legal eagles that need to fly).
Miller Thomson’s current office on Howe Street is over multiple floors. The firm’s managing partner Owen Pawson says the move reps a new direction in terms of office environment, a decision that came out of consultation with employees. The office space will sit atop three floors of retail space being taken by the new Nordstrom flagship store. “When we went out seeking new office, one of the most important factors for us was to get everyone together,” he says. (Being the first on line for a sale at Nordstrom can't hurt either.) “We wanted a space that enhanced our collaborative approach.” It's set to open in 2015.
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