News
STARTUP LEASE KING
November 16, 2011
| JLL VP Travis James has a cool job (sorry, stunt drivers, time to go back to school)—he negotiates leases for the Bay Area’s hotteststartups. When Twitter, Yammer, and Eventbrite decide they'll flourish in a new space, Travis builds in lease terms (think flexibleexpansion or termination) that benefit young companies in growth spurts experimental business and financing models. |
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| Open floor plans, exposed brick walls, and expanded ceilings are much desired, to help define a corporate identity that’s distinct from older generations. Travis’s own secret weapon in the anti-suit aesthetic? His trusty Patagonia vest, which he dons instead of a jacket when working with young tech geniuses. (What happened to hoodies?) |
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| Travis’s arsenal of fleece paid off when he recently inked a deal to move online advertising remarketing firm ReTargeter (founded byDev Aroroa, formerly head of biz dev for Yahoo Real Estate) from 26 O’Farrell St into its new dynamic SOMA space at 33 New Montgomery. The 20-story, institutionally owned and managed Class-A office tower appealed to the high-growth company because of its neighborhood, proximity to BART, MUNI and retail, and ease of access to the Bay Bridge. |
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| After negotiating Twitter’s move into 1355 Market St for next June, Travis is now offering creative sublease solutions for its current HQ in SOMA. To find the space, he worked with JLL’s Andy Poppink,David Churton, and Derek Johnson. The Mid-Market building has 80k SF floor plates and a stellar economic package from Mayor Ed Lee. High hopes: With the announcement that Swinerton Buildershas received the green light to begin work on a $200M, 749-unit apartment complex developed by Crescent Heights located right next door at 10th and Market, it appears that the area will be experiencing growth almost eight months before Twitter’s relocation. |
