Sidley Austin LLP to Lease Top Floors at Iconic McKinney & Olive Development in Uptown
Sidley to occupy approximately 75,000 square feet, bringing 100-plus lawyers and support staff to Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed structure
DALLAS (July 16, 2014) – Just weeks after breaking ground, momentum continues to grow as Crescent Real Estate Holdings LLC announces that global law firm Sidley Austin LLP will lease approximately 75,000 square feet – and the prime top two-and-one-half floors – at McKinney & Olive, Crescent’s newest development in Dallas ’ Uptown. Sidley was represented by Randy Cooper and Craig Wilson of Cassidy Turley in the transaction.
McKinney & Olive is a one-of-a-kind, 20-story structure offering world-class architecture by award-winning firm Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, plus premier office space and unrivaled visibility in the vibrant pedestrian-oriented Uptown Dallas neighborhood. McKinney & Olive will be the first commercial building in Dallas to be designed by an internationally acclaimed architect since the 1980s.
“Sidley is an exceptional law firm of international stature, and Crescent is delighted to welcome them to McKinney & Olive,” said John Goff, chairman and chief executive officer for Crescent Real Estate Equities LLC. “We know they had many options from which to choose, but we’re thrilled that McKinney & Olive’s vibrant setting, stunning architecture, building amenities and Crescent’s award-winning service won them over.”
Sidley, a global law firm with 18 offices located around the world, expects to move approximately 100 lawyers and support staff into McKinney & Olive in August 2016. To help ensure its interior space builds upon Pelli Clarke Pelli’s contemporary and elegant architecture, Sidley has hired architectural firm Gensler to design its interior space.
“The architecture created by Cesar Pelli and his team is stellar, so we want our offices to reflect and enhance that bold design,” said Yvette Ostolaza, managing partner of Sidley’s Dallas office. “Gensler will create a space that will be very forward-thinking in terms of how people work now and how they might work in the future.”
Ostolaza adds that Gensler’s design will embrace many of the latest trends for the “law firm of the future.” These include how to organize interior space, utilize new ways to maximize natural light, and provide more open, collaborative spaces.
“Flexibility also is a focus. We want our space to meet all our goals and objectives and to look great on day one, but we also must have the ability to adapt and change over time as our business model and/or staffing needs change,” said Ostolaza.
Crescent held groundbreaking ceremonies June 19 on the 3.1-acre site at McKinney Avenue and Olive Street. Located adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, and just blocks from The Crescent® , the 530,000-square-foot development has been designed to accommodate firms in Class A+ style with the latest building innovation and technology.
Sidley Austin LLP to lease top floors at iconic McKinney & Olive development in Uptown
Features and amenities for business include 480,000 square feet of Dallas’ finest office space, highly efficient floor plates, 10-foot ceiling heights, full Wi-Fi connectivity, and “A List” award-winning property management. Typical floor size is 25,000-30,000 rentable square feet. Amenities will include a customer-only Concierge Level with a rooftop garden, a fitness center and a conference center.
“We know Sidley’s top priority is taking care of their lawyers, staff and clients, and we think McKinney & Olive delivers in a very unique way,” said John Zogg, managing director of asset management for Crescent Real Estate Equities, LLC. “Thanks to a terrific pedestrian-friendly location, great architecture and top-notch retail in beautiful piazza-like setting, McKinney & Olive is Dallas’ premier office location.”
Additionally, there will be 50,000 rentable square feet of retail space. A coffee shop hub plus three restaurants will offer dining at various price points. The beautifully lush ground-level piazza will feature generous open space with almost a full acre dedicated to hardscape and landscape along Olive Street with mature street trees planned for all four sides of the project. Aligning with Uptown’s urban flavor, the general public will be encouraged to enjoy the dining that McKinney & Olive offers and to gather in the outdoor space filled with umbrella-covered tables, park benches, water features, and more.
As is the mission with its other properties, Crescent will provide exceptional customer service to its customers at McKinney & Olive with service that has been recognized ten times with the prestigious National Commercial Real Estate Customer Service Award for Excellence, or the “A List” Award, from CEL & Associates, Inc.
Slated to open summer 2016, the development is expected to attain LEED Gold certification.
For more information, visit mckinneyandolive.com.
ABOUT CRESCENT
Crescent Real Estate Holdings LLC, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a fully-integrated real estate company owned by Goff Capital and Barclays Capital. Through its subsidiaries, Crescent manages and develops premier, Class A office buildings. Crescent also holds investments in resort residential developments in locations such as Scottsdale, Vail Valley, and Lake Tahoe; a luxury hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas; and the wellness lifestyle leader, Canyon Ranch®. For more information, visit Crescent's website at crescent.com.
About Sidley Austin LLP
With more than 1,800 lawyers in 18 offices worldwide, Sidley has built a reputation as a premier legal adviser for global businesses and financial institutions. For the fourth consecutive year, and every year since the survey’s inception, Sidley received the most first-tier national rankings of any U.S. law firm in the 2014 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” survey. On Law360’s list of Global 20 Firms, Sidley was ranked among the top law firms “with the greatest global reach and expertise.” To stay up-to-date with the latest Sidley news, please follow us on Twitter at @SidleyNewsroom or download the Sidley Mobile App.