How Jamestown Woos Techies
Jamestown COO Michael Phillips has discovered a secret to attracting tech tenants. (And it's remarkably close to the secret to building strong calves.)
Step one: Buy a building at the hip intersection of Union Square and SoMa. Step two: make it bike friendly. Michael just scored two tech companies at 799 Market, one year after the Atlanta-based investor scooped up the eight-story, 143k SF building. Prism Skylabs inked a 15k SF lease for the top story, tripling in size after coming from 5,000 SF at 580 Market. Akamai also signed a deal for 29k SF.
Lobby finishes were selected to accommodate two-wheel traffic, including polished concrete floors and widened paths of travel. Jamestown further put the brakes on the antiquated notion of "no bikes in the building" with a bike wall art installation that features a mix of brands, from a 1934 vintage Western Flyer to a Public c7i, as well as hand-painted bike treads. The remodel is expected to wrap up by year's end.
