Law Firm Baker Botts Leases 103K SF At Meridian's Anthem Row

The Meridian Group has landed an anchor office tenant for the $142M Anthem Row renovation it is working on in D.C.'s East End. 

Law firm Baker Botts signed on to move its D.C. office from 1299 Pennsylvania Ave. NW to a 103K SF space in Meridian's project at the corner of Seventh and K streets NW. 

JLL's Evan Behr and Doug Mueller represented Meridian, while CBRE's Randy Harrell and Lara Nelson represented the tenant.

The building is one of four adjacent properties, previously known as Techworld, that feature a recognizable glass walking bridge above Eighth Street. Meridian is splitting the building into two separate addresses, 700 K and 800 K, and is launching a major renovation of 700 K, including a new lobby facing K Street. The law firm is the first tenant to sign on at the 247K SF project, bringing the building to about 40% leased. 

"It's an architecturally unique renovation, it's set apart from the typical straight glass relatively boring building, and it's in a terrific location," Meridian Group partner Gary Block said.

Baker Botts has signed a 17-year lease beginning in 2020 for the top four floors of 700 K and a 14K SF space across the elevated bridge at 800 K. The law firm's space will include a 6K SF ninth-story terrace overlooking the Carnegie Library, which is under renovation to house Apple's new flagship store. 

The project will feature three stories of retail totaling 80K SF that will front Seventh Street and the Eighth Street pedestrian plaza. Meridian in December 2016 signed luxury fitness club Equinox to a 34K SF space in the project, and it has also signed Truluck's Seafood, Steak & Crab House for 10K SF.