Why Tech Tenants Are Looking for That Human Touch
Once upon a time, tech supposedly meant glass and steel and an all-around sterile vision of the future. But like the Jetsons' mode of transit, things didn't work out that way.
Here in the actual 21st century, tech companies and their employees want more human surroundings, JLL Stuart Williams tells us (he's on the left, snapped at a Bisnow event). Recently Stuart and colleagues Lori Hill and David Otis repped Brickman Associates in its sale of 111 South Jackson in Pioneer Square, a property that he says offers the human-scale features tech companies crave these days.
The 78k SF property, acquired by an institutional investment manager for an undisclosed amount, is 93% occupied. Stuart says that the building's historic touches, loft features and walkability are "exactly what these tenants want in their space.” The building features an open floor plan, brick and beam architecture, high ceilings and natural lighting. The trend is broader than one building or even Pioneer Square, he adds: according to JLL's recently released 2015 Skyline Review, unique features are quickly rising up tenants’ wish lists when it comes to their office space.
