
Brookfield Properties Corporation announced that the World Bank Group has signed a ten-year lease for 100% of the office space at 1225 Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C. totaling 227,000 square feet. The World Bank will begin to occupy the premises in the late winter/early spring of 2010.
“This long-term agreement with the World Bank is a major achievement for our U.S. operations, and another example of the enduring strength of the DC office market, especially in light of the current challenging economic climate,” said Ric Clark, president and chief executive officer of Brookfield Properties.
Brookfield Properties performed a complete renovation and redevelopment of 1225 Connecticut Avenue over the past two years, investing $32 million to transform the property into an environmentally friendly, class A asset. The building will be LEED-Gold.
“The commitment from the World Bank underscores the dynamic nature of the DC market and the strong appeal of high-quality, newly redeveloped, well-located and environmentally friendly property,” said Dennis Friedrich, president and chief operating officer of U.S. Operations at Brookfield Properties.
Paul Schulman, Brookfield’s regional executive for the Washington, DC region, spearheaded the lease negotiations for Brookfield along with Simon Carney and Eddie Trujillo. Zeke Dodson, Brian Daly and Laurie McMahon of Cassidy and Pinkard represented the World Bank Group.
The eight-story building has been completely redeveloped and modernized, with virtually all new space and superior detailing throughout. A state-of-the-art glass curtain wall, rising from the northwest corner of 18th Street, N Street and Connecticut Avenue, creates a stunning presence along one of DC’s most renowned business corridors.
Brookfield Properties owns and operates 28 commercial properties in the greater DC area, encompassing 6.6 million square feet. The company recently announced the completion of its other development project in the District, 77 K Street, an 11-story, 327,000-square-foot building located in the NoMa submarket.
About Brookfield Properties Corporation
One of North America’s largest commercial real estate companies, Brookfield Properties owns, develops and manages premier office properties in major U.S. and Canadian cities. The portfolio is comprised of interests in 108 properties totaling 74 million square feet in the downtown cores of New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Houston, Toronto, Calgary and Ottawa. Landmark assets include the World Financial Center in Manhattan, Brookfield Place in Toronto, Bank of America Plaza in Los Angeles and Bankers Hall in Calgary. The company also holds interests in over 16 million square feet of high-quality, centrally located development and redevelopment properties in its major markets. The company’s common shares trade on the NYSE and TSX under the symbol BPO. For more information, visit www.brookfieldproperties.com.