Done Deals: Nearly 50,000 SF of New Leases Signed at Historic Class A Office Building in Salt Lake City, UT

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Nearly 50,000 SF of New Leases Signed at Historic Class A Office Building in Salt Lake City, UT

Nadia Letey

SALT LAKE CITY, UT– KBS, one of the largest investors in premier commercial real estate in the nation announced the signing of nearly 50,000 square feet of new leases at the Salt Lake Hardware Building in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.

The leases include a new 22,918 square-foot lease by a medical device company, a new 5,682 lease by a local tech company and the renewal of a 19,369 square-foot lease with a national energy company.

Scott Wilmarth

Scott Wilmarth and Nadia Letey of CBRE represented KBS in the leases.

The Salt Lake Hardware Building is a five-story, historic, Class A office building encompassing over 210,000 square feet. Situated on the periphery of the city’s Central Business District, the asset is owned by KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III.

“We’ve seen strong tenant demand throughout our entire Salt Lake City portfolio with over 100,000 square feet of net absorption in 2019,” says Rod Richerson, regional president, Western United States, for KBS.

Rod Richerson

“Much of this demand is driven by new companies expanding into the market, which is evidence of the city’s booming economic growth.

"The region has experienced robust job growth and declining vacancy. These metrics align with KBS’ proven strategy of investing in emerging markets with strong fundamentals for future growth.”

Built in 1909, the Salt Lake Hardware Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally constructed as a warehouse facility for the Salt Lake Hardware Company, a wholesale distributor of hardware products, the structure was completely renovated, seismically upgraded and converted to office use in 1996.

KBS maintained the original brick and timber design of the building, making the asset an attractive location for Salt Lake’s burgeoning tech sector, according to Tim Helgeson, senior vice president and asset manager of the property.

“The Salt Lake Hardware Building provides today’s forward-thinking companies with a modern and conveniently accessible workplace,” notes Helgeson.

“This is a truly unique property in the city based on its history, look, and use. The design in particular is special in that it allows the building to retain all of its historic aspects while serving as a contemporary office property with state-of-the-art amenities. We’ve updated the building while keeping the original historic charm.”

Tim Helgeson

The property features large floor plates which are ideal for large users but can also be broken down to accommodate smaller tenants.

On-site amenities include a café, bike storage and an atrium. The building will soon include an on-site fitness center and shared tenant conference rooms with a lounge area, further increasing the structure’s value to its occupiers, according to Helgeson.

“KBS has demonstrated great attention to detail with its renovations at the Salt Lake Hardware Building, adding in-demand amenities while ensuring the site’s architecture and history remain preserved. This has helped create a unique, creative office environment that is highly desired by today’s tenants,” noted Letey, first vice president with CBRE.

Salt Lake Hardware Building, 155 North 400 West, Salt Lake City, UT

The Salt Lake Hardware Building also offers tenants several transportation amenities. Recognized as the best-served transit-oriented office project in the city, tenants enjoy walkable access to the Vivint Station TRAX line and the FrontRunner station.

Peter Bren

About KBS

KBS is one of the largest investors of premier commercial real estate in the nation.

As a private equity real estate company and an SEC-registered investment adviser, KBS and its affiliated companies have completed transactional activity of approximately $40 billion on behalf of private and institutional investors globally.

Founded in 1992 by Peter Bren and Chuck Schreiber, KBS acquires and operates prime commercial real estate in some of the most successful epicenters in the country.

The firm is committed in its business ethics, its business relationships and its constant focus on exceeding the expectations of its investors, partners and tenants.