Cornish & Carey Commercial Newmark (C&CCNewmark) today announced Genworth Financial Wealth Management, Inc., a subsidiary of Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW), executed a long-term lease agreement with Swift Real Estate Partners for approximately 50,000 square feet at Swift Plaza in Concord, Calif. Currently headquartered in Pleasant Hill, Calif., the investment management and consulting firm serving financial advisors plans to relocate operations into two floors of the four-building, 1.1-million-square-foot Class A office campus at the Concord BART station in September of 2013.
C&CCNewmark senior vice presidents Alex Grell and Breck Lutz represented Swift and Cassidy Turley senior vice president Mark McNally represented Genworth in the transaction, Concord’s most significant lease in nearly four years.
“We are all looking forward to moving our headquarters into this modern, transit-oriented office campus,” said Gurinder S. Ahluwalia, president and CEO of Genworth Wealth Management. “Swift Plaza reflects the image and the culture of our company, and we are able to configure the space to support the way our employees work.”
“I am thrilled to welcome Genworth to Swift Plaza,” said Christopher Peatross, Swift Real Estate Partners president and CEO. “We recently completed a full-scale renovation, creating a state-of-the-art campus environment. We are pleased with the support that we have received from our current tenants, and newly-signed tenants like Genworth reaffirm our belief that Swift Plaza will continue to draw tenants from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The tenant activity in the market is escalating and Swift Plaza’s image, safety, ample parking, and access to amenities and public transportation are simply unmatched.”
Genworth has begun tenant improvements to tailor floors nine and ten of 1655 Grant Street. Huddle areas and an interior staircase between the two floors are designed to maximize collaboration and, with these larger accommodations, each department will have ample room to grow.
Other Swift Plaza tenants include Bank of America and mortgage firm WCS Lending, which recently signed a lease. Currently, approximately 120,000 divisible square feet remain available for lease at 1655 Grant Street and the entire 4-story, 185,000-square-foot 1755 Grant Street building is available for lease or sale.
Situated on a sprawling campus of immaculately landscaped lawns, reflection pools, sculptures and foliage, commuters have the option of two parking structures or public transportation. The campus is located directly adjacent to both the Concord BART station, as well as a central hub of the Contra Costa Connection bus system and offers immediate access to Interstate 680 and Highway 242 making Swift Plaza the most accessible office building in the region.
On-site amenities include a state-of-the-art cafeteria with interior and exterior seating, fitness center with showers and 24/7 security. Swift Plaza is also an aggressively green campus; not only is the building pursuing the prestigious LEED Gold Certification, but it also has benefited from numerous green initiatives and capital improvements that make the campus an exceptionally energy efficient and comfortable place to conduct business. A building-wide recycling program, a new energy management system, and the installation of energy efficient boilers all help to minimize tenants’ environmental footprint. For more information, please visit http://swift-plaza.com/web/.
About Cornish & Carey Commercial Newmark
A dominant regional real estate force since 1935, Cornish & Carey Commercial Newmark has an expansive reach as part of one of the largest commercial real estate service firms in the U.S. Regionally, Cornish & Carey Commercial Newmark has more than 310 agents in 13 strategically located offices throughout Northern California, creating a powerful platform from which to deliver superior services locally, while upholding its core values of integrity and knowledge. For further information, visit www.ccareynkf.com.
About Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) is one of the world’s leading commercial real estate advisory firms. Together with its affiliates and London-based partner Knight Frank, NGKF employs more than 11,000 professionals, operating from more than 340 offices in established and emerging property markets on five continents.
With roots dating back to 1929, NGKF’s strong foundation makes it one of the most trusted names in commercial real estate. Its integrated services platform includes leasing advisory, global corporate services, investment sales and capital markets, consulting, program and project management, property and facilities management, and valuation services. A major force in the real estate marketplace, NGKF serves the local and global property requirements of tenants, landlords, investors and developers worldwide. For further information, visit www.ngkf.com.
NGKF is a part of BGC Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: BGCP), a leading global brokerage company primarily servicing the wholesale financial and real estate markets. For further information, visit www.bgcpartners.com.