A. Lee Graham Reporter lgraham@bizpress.net
Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller LLP has leased more than 36,000 square feet in the five-story downtown Commerce Building, currently under construction at 420 Commerce St. The deal marks the first office lease signed in the building, bringing its total leased space to more than 80 percent. The law firm will leave its space at 777 Main St., formerly the Carter Burgess Plaza, its home for the past 13 years. “We couldn’t be more excited to have Shannon, Gracey coming to Sundance Square,” said Johnny Campbell, president and CEO of Sundance Square, commenting in a news release. “Interest in the Commerce Building, as well as The Westbrook and The Cassidy, has been extremely strong from day one. We will continue to sign leases throughout the rest of the year, which is a testament to the popularity and demand of the buildings in Sundance Square,” Campbell said. Shannon, Gracey will be the sole tenant on the top three floors of the 83,000-square-foot building. Remaining space includes slightly more than 2,300 square feet of retail area on the first floor facing Commerce Street and 8,400 square feet of second-floor office space. Representing Shannon, Gracey in the deal were brokers Jack Huff and Kyle Poulson of Transwestern Commercial Services Fort Worth, with Sundance Square represented by Bill Booker, its director of leasing, and Robert Gamblin, its senior leasing representative. “Shannon, Gracey is honored that Sundance Square has partnered with us on its new centerpiece for downtown Fort Worth,” said Rich Lowe, managing partner of Shannon, Gracey. “Consistent with our other downtown offices throughout the state, the Commerce Building will be the ideal location for us to continue to provide practical legal solutions for our business and individual clients in Texas and beyond,” Lowe said. Opening in the fall 2013, the Commerce Building also will be home to Del Frisco’s Grille and Shannon Wynne’s Bird Café. Sporting an L-shaped design, Bird Café will occupy 3,883 square feet of space in the adjacent Land Title Building and 2,586 square feet in the Commerce Building. Del Frisco’s Grille will lease more than 9,000 square feet between two floors in the Commerce Building, including a large patio fronting the plaza. The Commerce Building’s façade will be broken into three distinct parts to complement the scale of other buildings in the area, including the existing Land Title Building built in 1889. The Commerce Building’s center facade will feature four-story arched brick window bays over a rusticated brick and granite base. Offices on the fourth and fifth floors will feature terraces on both the north and south ends of the building. The Sundance Square entertainment district spans 35 blocks and attracts more than 10 million visitors each year. More information is available at www.sundancesquare.com.