Background
Tenant Rep Broker, Levi Smith Esq. was retained by The Michigan Court of Appeals to relocate their offices from Southfield to Troy as this was a more central location for Oakland and Macomb County litigants, attorneys and judges. Court stakeholders also specified they wanted state of the art building security in a post Oklahoma City era.
Strategy
After reviewing the choices presented by Smith, The Court decided to pursue The Columbia Center located at Big Beaver and Livernois in Troy. For heightened security measures, there was constant monitoring of security cameras in all parts of the building, parking lots and decks. There were also cement bumpers in front of the building entrances. The only issue with the new space is there were no areas for the judges to socialize or discuss cases. Smith suggested adding a coffee bar area for judges and staff only, where interaction and collaboration could occur. This idea was accepted.
Results
Smith negotiated a 12-year turn-key lease, while the buildout was paid for by the landlord. An area for a future courtroom was also reserved with reduced rent. The court renewed their lease after the initial 12-year term.