News
How To Lure A Tech Tenant
August 8, 2012
| You may not need bells and whistles to attract a tech tenant (though a well-placed wind chime never hurt). You'll learn what these companies really want at Bisnow’s Tech Summit and Office of the Future event Aug. 22 at the Westin Chicago River North. Some surprises you'll hear—techies often like old commercial and loft structures in River North. (Register here!) | ||
 |
||
| Vintage space offers tech companies large, open floorplates that let much of their staff work on one floor, says Friedman Properties EVP Jason Friedman, one of our event panelists. Start-ups also prize flexible lease terms so they can expand and contract without being locked into long-term obligations. Friedman Properties—known for transforming River North from a derelict district into a hip neighborhood of offices, restaurants, nightlife and retail—is still at it: The're developing a 630-key hospitality complex on Grand, Illinois, and Clark that will have an Aloft, Hyatt Place, and Fairfield Inn & Suites. They're also partners in a JV with AMLI to build a 410-uni, 50-story multifamily project with retail. | ||
|
||
 |
||
| Perkins + Will interior design Principal Gina Berndt, also a panelist, says that she’s designed offices for companies that have a BYOD policy (Bring Your Own Device) for employees who like their own technology. (Unfortunately, they don't have a way to connect an old typewriter to the cloud.) To encourage wellness in the workplace, other clients require carpets, paint, and wall coverings that are free of toxins. They may also favor an office layout that encourages walking by placing collaborative and community spaces a healthy distance from work stations or even up a vertical staircase. Hear it from Gina via video. | ||
