Case Study

Adobe Seattle HQ

Adobe
Adobe

An expanded regional headquarters for a creative company, at a great price, could indeed happen without a move to the suburbs.

Transaction Details

Client: Adobe
Size: 250,000 SF
Space Type: Office
Sector: Corporate
Service Line: Brokerage, Consulting & Strategic Planning
Keywords: Headquarters, Tech

Detailed Expertise

  • Strategic site selection and build-to-suit lease negotiation
  • Tenant representation and financial analysis
  • Negotiated financials: design/build contracts

Challenge

The success of Adobe Systems had always depended on the loyalty and around-the-clock dedication of its highly-talented, mostly young, professional staff. As hard as the staff worked, they also liked to play, which made the firm’s original Pioneer Square office a perfect fit. But with success came a pressing need for more space, and lots of it. Adobe considered moving from its urban location to a suburban campus, but knew it would hurt employee retention and recruitment. Was there a way to support the brand culture and expand the firm’s regional headquarters?

Solution

At the time, the Fremont neighborhood was looking to transition a stretch of warehouses into an edgy office opportunity that would bring in new people who would live and spend in the area, but who would also fit in with the neighborhood’s quirky culture. The catch was that the City was being conservative in approving warehouse-to-office zoning and only on a case-by-case basis.

Kinzer collaborated closely with Adobe in building a comprehensive proposal, winning neighborhood support, and negotiating an advantageous deal with the Quadrant Lake Union Center. It was a match made in heaven: the developer delivered 250,000 SF of unique urban habitat to Adobe, Adobe made its employees happy, Fremont benefited from economic growth, and the City retained an important corporate citizen.

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