Case Studies from Clients
Federal Home Loan Bank’s (FHLB) goals were clear: the company wanted to upgrade its location to create a more dynamic work space that better reflected the bank’s brand and mission, while taking advantage of favorable market conditions to save on its real estate costs. The subtle challenge lay in helping FHLB strike just the right balance between one highly qualitative, versus one highly quantitative goal.
Intellectual Ventures is the global leader in the business of invention. They collaborate with leading inventors, partner with pioneering companies and invest both expertise and capital in the process of invention to energize and streamline an invention economy that will drive innovation around the world. They had five Bellevue offices, three of which were going to be condemned by Sound Transit for a new light rail station.
This assignment included the site selection and development of a new state-of-the-art hospital laundry facility. The governing board of the Hospital Central Services Association (HCSA) consisted of CFOs from five major hospitals, all of whom were represented by different legal counsel. Kinzer managed complex communication channels which required continuously consensus building among stakeholders with varying priorities.
The Frye family estate’s endowment of properties generates revenue that supports the much-admired Frye Art Museum. Successful as the family had been in terms of property management over the years, they knew it was time to commission a professional real estate portfolio review to ensure future profitability.
Teledesic’s leadership was determined that the company would go where no telecom company had gone before — and they wanted office space to reflect the same spirit. The firm’s non-negotiable requirements were clear: they wanted state-of-the-art, but they also wanted funk. They wanted to be near downtown Bellevue, but nixed traditional space. At that point, Teledesic was a 10,000 SF start-up telecommunications company, but growth projections called for adding 70,000 SF of space within 12 months. It was a tight time frame for an assignment with a unique set of requirements.
When asked, “What’s most important – price, flexibility, quality or branding?” Omeros said “Yes.” As a fast-growing life sciences company, the organization needed to upgrade to a state-of-the-art facility, but could not afford higher rent costs in the near term. Their lease expirations and the time needed for a highly specialized build-out required immediate decisions, but the firm’s growth projections were tied to future clinical trials. And finally, it was important for the organization to increase its visibility in the marketplace with a signage opportunity, but it wasn’t large enough to be a full-building tenant.
The City of Seattle had a unique public-sector dilemma: it needed more space in a high-occupancy market cycle and it wanted nicer space to improve working conditions, but as a public entity, the budget was severely constrained. The City was faced with a real estate challenge as well as a potential public relations uproar.
Kinzer Real Estate Services represented Russell Investments in their 2010 headquarters relocation from Tacoma to the Russell Investments Center, formerly known as Washington Mutual Center, in the heart of downtown Seattle. Due to strict client confidentiality, the proprietary process and transaction details cannot be disclosed.
Screenlife, a pioneer in the high-tech game industry, is urban to the core. In the beginning, the firm leased space in historic Pioneer Square, a cultural fit with the firm’s artsy staff. But success came fast and Screenlife needed to expand. The company knew moving to a suburban campus would give them flexibility, but also knew it would cost them in terms of retaining talent. But where would they find a space big — and edgy — enough?
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s global presence is extraordinary. Yet when it came to developing a real estate strategy appropriate to growth projections, the non-profit’s initial vision was anything but high profile. The preliminary plan called for the identification of a secure, low-visibility, stand-alone office building that would serve as the Foundation’s headquarters. To make it happen, the Foundation looked for a brokerage partner with extensive non-profit expertise and the ability to maintain strict confidentiality throughout the process.