Berger Commercial Realty/CORFAC International Senior Vice President Steve Hyatt recently represented Balfour Beatty in securing a four-year lease for 20,000 sq. ft. of office space in the former Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale building, located at 1799 S.E. 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale. Balfour Beatty, the design-build lead for the expansion of the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and construction of a new headquarters hotel, will maintain administrative offices across the street from the site.
“Balfour Beatty required its own local headquarters to oversee the Convention Center expansion process, which is slated for completion in 2023,” Hyatt said. “In terms of location and available inventory, the former Art Institute building was ideal.”
The Convention Center expansion project includes the addition of 600,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and the construction of a new, 800-room, 29-story Omni Hotel, which will also feature 73,000 sq. ft. of meeting and ballroom space and an 11,000-sq.-ft. spa and fitness center. When the project is complete, the Convention Center will consist of 1.2 million sq. ft. event, exhibition and meeting space.
The landlord, Art Institute Investment, LLC, was represented in the transaction by Brian Smith of Florida Equities.
For more information about Berger Commercial Realty’s leasing services, call 954-358-0900.