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COVER STORY, OCTOBER 2006
HIGH-RISING AMENITIES
Extras draw interest in high-rise developments.
Lara Fuller
Whether they contain office space, condominiums or hotel rooms, the newest high-rise projects across the Southeast have one thing in common: unparalleled amenities. These projects distinguish themselves from the others out there by offering tenants and guests everything from 24-hour concierge service to car detailing services to spas and swimming pools. Southeast Real Estate Business recently took a look a four of the newest and tallest high-rise projects in the Southeast to see what kind of amenities and features they have to offer.
Signature Tower
Nashville, Tennessee
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The tallest building in the Southeast will be Signature Tower in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Signature Tower is expected to dramatically change the face of the Nashville skyline. When complete, the 65-story tower is expected to be the tallest building in the Southeast.
Signature Tower will sit at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Church Street in downtown Nashville. The 1.5 million-square-foot building will feature 450 condominium units and will sit atop the 200-room Hotel Palomar by San Francisco-based Kimpton. Residents of the 1,057-foot tower will be able to take advantage of the services and amenities offered by the hotel, such as concierge service, dog walking and housekeeping, as well as use of the restaurant, spa, fitness center, outdoor pool and amenity deck.
“The hotel/condominium mix is a first in the Nashville market,” says Tony Giarratana, president with Nashville-based Giarratana Development, developer of the project. “The height of the tower is noteworthy. Community input through the Nashville Civic Design Center produced spectacular architecture with a dramatic ornamental crown on top.”
Smallwood Reynolds Stewart Stewart of Atlanta is the project architect and New York-based Turner Construction is the general contractor. Completion is scheduled for first quarter 2007.
Giarratana has had a successful experience developing in the Nashville market and believes that this project will be successful as well. “The development of this project was driven by the success of our other high-rise residential developments in the central business district, including Cumberland Penthouses, Bennie-Dillon Lofts and Viridian,” Giarratana says. “And we certainly believe that Signature Tower will be successful. Initial response has been strong, with more than 25 percent of the condominium units already reserved.”
210 Trade
Charlotte, North Carolina
Construction is currently underway on the 53-story 210 Trade building at the corner of Trade and College streets in Charlotte, at the site of the former Charlotte Convention Center. When complete, the development will feature 419 condominiums, ranging from 700 square feet to 2,500 square feet. The amenities offered at 210 Trade are unlike any currently offered in the Charlotte area. The club level will feature a resident lounge with multimedia center, conference room, professional test kitchen, cigar and martini bar and climate-controlled wine cellar. 210 Trade will also include a two-story sports and fitness club featuring flat-screen televisions, group classes, personal training and a wellness spa.
Outdoor amenities include a 20,000-square-foot entertainment deck with an infinity edge swimming pool, sun deck, fountains, grilling and dining areas, pet walk, yoga garden, fire pit and putting green. “Connecting the outdoor entertainment deck and indoor spa will be a unique Aqua Lounge offering hotel-type amenities such as fresh towel service, lotion and sunscreen products, as well as cold beverages, smoothies and fitness drinks,” says Kathy Desautels, director of development services with Indianapolis-based Flaherty & Collins Properties, developer of the project.
Concierge service will be available 24 hours a day to assist residents with dry cleaning, maid service, and dining and theater reservations. The building will also be equipped with state-of-the-art communication technology.
Located below the 210 Trade tower will be the 250,000-square-foot EpiCentre, an entertainment and retail center that will offer a movie theater, restaurants and retail shops. A breezeway will link the EpiCentre development to the Overstreet Mall.
The luxury and amenities that 210 Trade will offer will be a big draw for area residents. “Demand for a luxury property with resort-style amenities is high in Charlotte right now,” Desautels says. “The project sold 65 percent of its units within the first two weeks of sales.”
Completion is scheduled for spring 2008. Atlanta-based RJ Griffin is the general contractor.
CityPlace
West Palm Beach, Florida
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CityPlace will offer 300,000 square feet of office space in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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The $110 million CityPlace will be the first office tower project constructed in downtown West Palm Beach in almost 20 years. When complete, the 18-story high-rise office building will offer approximately 300,000 square feet of space, along with a number of amenities. Features of CityPlace will include a full-service banking branch; drive-thru teller and ATM; state-of-the-art technology including fiber optics, internet access and disaster protection systems; ocean, intracoastal and city views; four levels of covered parking; an executive parking area with dedicated elevator to provide direct suite access; valet service; concierge; and 24-hour manned security. In addition, CityPlace is the one of the only office towers in the area to be built to post-Hurricane Andrew construction standards. It will also sit on one of the highest land elevations in the city, offering added protection from flooding.
The project is a joint venture between The Related Companies of New York and Crocker Partners of Boca Raton, Fla. CityPlace will be located at the northwest corner of Okeechobee and South Quadrille boulevards in downtown West Palm Beach. It will sit at the south entrance to CityPlace, a $600 million, 72-acre mixed-use project that features residential, retail and entertainment. The high-rise will also sit across the street from the Palm Beach County Convention Center and the planned 400-room Westin convention center hotel.
Though construction won’t be complete until the first quarter of 2008, there are several tenants that have already signed on. CityPlace will be anchored by Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.-based INTECH, a money-management firm. The firm will occupy the top two floors of the building, which total more than 50,000 square feet. Another tenant that has already leased space is the West Palm Beach office of Carlton Fields, a full-service law firm. Carlton Fields will be located on the twelfth floor, which totals more than 26,000 square feet.
Elkus/Manfredi Architects of Boston is the project architect and Centex Construction Group is the contractor.
3630 Peachtree
Atlanta
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3630 Peachtree, a mixed-use project in Atlanta, breaks ground this fall.
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A group of area developers, including Pope & Land Enterprises of Atlanta, Indianapolis-based Duke Realty Corp., Atlanta-based Post Properties and Atlanta-based Novare Group have joined forces to create 3630 Peachtree, a vertical mixed-use project that will feature office space, luxury condominiums and urban retail. “Each of these partners brings tremendous vision, financial strength and expertise to the development, which will result in a significant addition to the Buckhead skyline, as well as the evolution of a dynamic mixed-use environment contributing to Buckhead’s finest communities,” says Jackie Gauthreaux, vice president of marketing with Pope & Land in Atlanta.
When completed in the second quarter of 2009, 3630 Peachtree will feature more than 1 million square feet of space in two glass towers, located on four acres of land. The development will include two to three restaurants, car detailing, dry cleaning delivery, underground self parking and valet parking. Each building will also feature an amenity level with fitness and exercise facilities, swimming pool, sauna, club room, conference facilities, concierge service and outdoor plaza areas. The north tower will contain 175 luxury condominium units and the south tower will contain 425,000 square feet of office space and 71 condominiums. “Separated lobbies of stone and wood detail, distinctive entrances, elevators and parking accommodations serve each of the uses contained in the project,” Gauthreaux says.
Construction on the $300 million project is expected to break ground this fall. Handel Architects of New York and Smallwood Reynolds Stewart Stewart of Atlanta are the project architects. Brasfield Gorrie is the general contractor.
The project will be located on Peachtree Road, near Peachtree Dunwoody Road, in the middle of the Buckhead area. “The project is located at one of Atlanta’s premier nexus points where Buckhead’s business, retail and entertainment districts converge,” Gauthreaux says.
“The site’s accessibility is unmatched by other intown Buckhead developments within five points of ingress/egress, offering residents and business professionals an extraordinary, vibrant environment within blocks of Atlanta’s most notable retail, dining and hotel destination,” Gauthreaux says.
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