BY CANDACE CARLISLE | DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL | –
Furniture manufacturer Teknion plans to soon pack up its Dallas showroom and offices in the West End and move a high-end office within KPMG Plaza in the Dallas Arts District.
Unlike most real estate searches, Toronto-based Teknion Corp. was initially introduced to KPMG Plaza by helping Hall Group with its new workplace design.
That lead to the start of a successful business relationship, Craig Hall, founder and chairman of Hall Group, told the Dallas Business Journal in an exclusive interview.
“We loved what they did for us,” Hall told the DBJ. “I think this move will be good for them and good for us. They are a company at the forefront of developing how offices can be in the future.”
It also helped Hall and Teknion CEO David Feldberg also have a taste for wine. Feldberg is an aficionado of fine wines and founder of the Stratus Vineyards in Ontario. Hall and his wife Kathryn are Napa Valley vintners (and recently profiled in the DBJ).
“It was meant to be,” said Hall, who added only the top three floors are left to lease within KPMG Plaza.
Teknion’s relocation to Hall Arts’ KPMG Plaza marks the evolution of the furniture manufacturer’s showroom and designs, said Paul Rosowski, the company’s regional South Central vice president.
“We could create a beautiful showroom in any building, but it’s a combination of where this building is located and what this building represents as it relates to sustainability, overall wellness and demonstrate what’s possible to our clients,” Rosowski said. “It will be more of a destination for design firms, developers and the general contractors we engage.”
This will move Teknion’s office from a ground-floor showroom at the Landmark Center at 1801 Lamar St. in the West End to the 16th floor within KPMG Plaza. It also puts the firm into an energy efficient building and gives Teknion plenty of client parking.
Ever since Uber moved into Landmark Center, parking has been more difficult to find for Teknion’s clientele and KPMG Plaza gives the firm’s clients more options. This will be Teknion’s third Dallas office since coming to the city 12 years ago.
San Francisco-based Vanderbyl Design will help in the design of the new office. TVS will help Teknion get LEED and WELL certifications.
Jeff Eiting of CBRE represented Teknion in its real estate search. Kim Butler of Hall Group represented the landlord in the deal.
Teknion is the building’s sixth tenant following on the heels of KPMG, Jackson Walker, UMB Bank, Spencer Stuart and Hall Group. The furniture firm plans to move into its new 8,000-square-foot space in spring 2017.
The addition of Teknion brings KPMG Plaza’s occupancy rate to 75 percent.
“We saved the best for last in terms of space remaining,” said Butler, who leads Hall Group’s leasing efforts. “They have high ceiling heights and nothing is blocking the views because of the buildings in the Arts District.”
Butler said she plans to sign some additional leases within KPMG Plaza this year, with full occupancy expected by 2017.
Meanwhile, Hall said this might be the last of Hall Arts office space left to lease for some time. That is, until there’s a substantial pre-lease signed by an anchor tenant.
“We are going to wait and see what develops,” said Hall, who said he’s keeping an eye on Lincoln Property Co. and Trammell Crow Co.’s office towers at Pearl Street and Woodall Rodgers Freeway.
“We aren’t rushing to start anything soon,” he added. “Another office tower would really be phase III and we will bide our time like everyone else. This can’t keep going in a straight line forever.”
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