Portman Holdings

Description: 60-story office tower and 6-story garden offices tower, a 2,800-space parking garage and 48,288 sq. ft. of retail space.

Issue: Develop a mixed-use property that creates a “statement” on the Downtown Atlanta skyline. The property should befit the headquarters of a Fortune 500 company and an image-conscious tenant base in order to command premium rents and drive high occupancy rates.

Background: In a market where there was high demand for the 50+ story “trophy” towers, SunTrust Plaza was designed to address the demanding and discerning needs of a corporate headquarters building.

Quality in Action I: Image is everything, and the design, location and finishes of SunTrust Plaza reflect the success and prestige of its clientele. The unique finishes employed in the design of SunTrust Plaza include a “serrated” exterior curtain wall offering up to 36 corner offices per floor, heavy use of granite in all public spaces, as well as an exterior plaza and sculpture garden. Much consideration was given to providing tenants with opulent, yet inviting public areas to be enjoyed for individual use as well as for company functions.

The occupancy rate reached 99%, averaging in excess of 90% over the past five years

Quality in Action II: With SunTrust Bank projecting a substantial need for additional space, Portman Holdings developed an expansion plan to provide more space at less-than-premium rates without compromising the Class-A environment of the existing SunTrust Plaza. Portman’s Phase II plan offered large floorplates to meet the needs of the mid-sized companies who were driving the expansion requirement. These tenants sought an open floorplan configuration and a more economical rent structure, contained within a building that featured Class-A finishes in public areas.

The result was Portman Holdings’ delivery of the SunTrust Plaza Garden Offices — a unique product featuring a central atrium capped with a pyramidal skylight that spans the length of the building. Third party tenants have embraced this one-of-a-kind solution, evidenced by the national firm presence of Steelcase, UPS and Interland, as well as old-line Atlanta engineering firm Newcomb & Boyd.

Proven Results: The high quality of the SunTrust
Plaza mixed-use development is reflected in the impressiveness of its numbers and by the prestige of its tenants. The occupancy rate reached 99%, averaging in excess of 90% over the past five years, while maintaining the premium lease rates commensurate with a trophy building. In addition to Sun Trust Bank, the complex attracts many notable clients, such as: KPMG, Heidrick & Struggles, Dow Jones, Wall Street Journal, the Atlanta offices of McKenna Long Aldridge, and several other major law firms.

SunTrust Plaza has also received numerous accolades. These include the Atlanta Chapter of BOMA’s “The Office Building Of The Year” award in 2002, The Best In Atlanta Real Estate award in 1995, the Development Of The Year award in 1994, and the Award for Excellence In Design in 1994. SunTrust Plaza has also received awards in categories ranging from lighting design and concrete structure to energy efficiency.