Left to right:  Cushman & Wakefield's Andrew Ghertner, John Izard and Ian Henderson.

Alston & Bird has chosen Daniel Corp. to develop a build-to-suit headquarters at one of three Midtown sites, but Hines Core Fund, owner of the giant law firm's current Midtown base at One Atlantic Center, may have something to say about that before it's all said and done.

 

Cushman & Wakefield's Andrew Ghertner, John Izard and Ian Henderson are representing Alston & Bird. Ghertner confirmed that the Daniel/MetLife team was chosen from three competitors with Midtown sites, with Pope & Land and the Shailendra/Jamestown team rounding out the list.

 

"Alston & Bird has chosen Daniel to be their developer should they relocate," Ghertner said. "Obviously, we're still looking at renewals and recasts as well."

 

If Alston & Bird goes the new-building route, sources indicate that the property would consolidate the firm's tenancy from One Atlantic Center and the adjacent Atlantic Center Plaza, or "Mini Me" into one building. One Atlantic Center is owned by DRA Advisors and leased by CB Richard Ellis. If developed, the new building would total more than 350,000 square feet, reducing an Alston & Bird footprint that totals approximately 440,000 square feet split between One Atlantic Center and Atlantic Center Plaza.

 

As well as its 12th and Midtown development with Selig Enterprises and MetLife, Daniel also controls parcels at 17th Street and West Peachtree, currently the site of Thai restaurant Nan, and Spring Street and West Peachtree, which is currently a parking lot.

 

Hines Senior VP John Heagy declined to discuss specifics of the deal, but, in an e-mail, stated that Hines and One Atlantic Center are still making the case to retain the law firm, one of the building's key tenants.

 

"Of course we are actively working to maintain our relationship with Alston & Bird - long term - at One Atlantic Center," Heagy said. "On that point I can be absolutely clear."

At the entrance of The Alter Group's Chattahoochee Corners in Duluth.

The Alter Group's Todd Yates has an itch to develop a build-to-suit at Chattahoochee Corners in Duluth.

Now, that desire to develop a build-to-suit may not set him apart from other metro Atlanta office developers, but the 19-acre site at the Duluth office park might. It's zoned for 250,000 square feet of office development and is the largest contiguously zoned and entitled parcel approximate to Interstate 285. You can't find another 20-acre site anywhere inside Pleasant Hill/State Bridge roads, Yates said.

"What we'll need is someone who's consolidating two or three locations," he said. "Because of (Chattahoochee Corners') location, it's a good spot, accessible to North Fulton and Gwinnett. At the end of the day, doing a two- to three-story low-rise building is more cost effective than going to Perimeter."

And who is Alter's ideal candidate? Someone with good credit, Yates said, but "I'm not sure who that is anymore."

Eola Capital's Bill Hollett and Mike Werner and Peachtree Center's CB Richard Ellis leasing team of Jeff Keppen, Chris Port and Elliott Grand have had a good run lately, leasing more than 150,000 square feet at the Downtown mixed-use landmark that Eola acquired last year.

Peachtree Center's new tenants and renewals account for 34,000 square feet at Harris Tower, more than 10,000 square feet in the South Tower, more than 19,000 square feet in the North Tower and approximately 26,000 square feet in Marquis One and Two. These deals follow up last year's blockbuster lease with SunTrust, which leased 250,000 square feet at Marquis II. The past 18 months new deals and renewals also have added 2,000 new people to the daily mix at Peachtree Center, which has more than 100,000 square feet of retail in addition to approximately 2.5 million square feet of office space.

"It's a confirmation and validation of the overall package of office space, amenities and value we offer at Peachtree Center," said Bill Hollett, regional senior vice president at Eola Capital. "We're an affordable and supportable location for business."

The latest round of transactions includes City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation's 10-year lease for 32,452 square feet at Harris Tower, Family Connection Partnership's 10-year lease for 14,055 square feet at the North Tower and Scoggins & Goodman's five-year lease for 11,487 square feet at Marquis I. Carter's Kirk Diamond represented Family Connection Partnership, and Rob Metcalf, Nicole Janney and Brannan Moss of Jones Lang LaSalle represented Scoggins & Goodman.

Gomel, Davis & Watson LLP also renewed and expanded in an eight-year, 8,392-square-foot deal at Marquis I. Dan Granot of Joel & Granot Commercial Real Estate represented the tenant.

Left to right:  John Decker, Clark Gore and Sam Chambliss at The Georgian Club for breakfast with the Rooster last week.

Team Rooster met up with John Decker of Childress Klein Properties, Clark Gore of Jones Lang LaSalle, and Sam Chambliss of Little, Crumly & Chambliss to get the scoop on this year's Real Estate Prayer Breakfast.  The annual event will be held Friday, February 19th at the Galleria Convention Center.

Pat Morley, well-known author of "The Man in the Mirror," will be the keynote speaker. John Bell of Crescent Properties, will provide local testimony before the key note to warm up the audience for Pat's message.

"The eggs hit the table at 7:00am!" noted Decker on our way out. Just a friendly reminder that the early bird always gets the worm!