Husch Blackwell is pleased to announce that the firm has signed a lease agreement to take space at Commerce Bank Tower, the east building of Forsyth Pointe, a premier 1,000,000 square foot two-building office development currently under construction in downtown Clayton, Missouri. The firm will relocate its main St. Louis-area office to Commerce Bank Tower once construction is completed.
“We are excited to be a part of this new development,” said Husch Blackwell’s Chairman Greg Smith. “St. Louis is the largest office in our firm, and our lease agreement at Commerce Bank Tower allows us the flexibility to manage this important part of our real estate portfolio in an efficient manner while also touting the amenities of a truly world-class commercial real estate property.”
Husch Blackwell has committed to taking on between 100,000 and 120,000 square feet of space in Commerce Bank Tower, a reduction of its current St. Louis office footprint by approximately 50 percent. Commerce Bank is the owner of the east building and will occupy a portion of the space in Commerce Bank Tower.
“Commerce Bank has called Clayton its corporate home since the early 1980s and we look forward to reaffirming our commitment to this community with the completion of Commerce Bank Tower,” said Bob Holmes, Chairman and CEO of Commerce Bank of St. Louis. We are pleased to have Husch Blackwell lease space in this building and enjoy the class-A office environment it offers.”
“For several years now, well before the pandemic, we have been driving toward more flexible space with fewer square feet per lawyer,” said Chief Executive Paul Eberle. “Our recent buildouts have followed the same logic we are applying here, and those new offices have been resounding successes. More than ever, we are focused on the experience of being in the office, and much of that experience is the product of design, technology and firm culture, not just the amount of square footage you have.”
“We are combining what we’ve learned from recent buildouts with what we are learning during the pandemic,” said Husch Blackwell’s Chief Administrative Officer Bret Chapman. “Husch Blackwell’s new St. Louis office will emphasize an office experience driven by efficiency, collaboration and convenience, while maintaining a focus on the firm’s targets on costs and square feet per attorney.”
Located at the corner of Forsyth and North Brentwood Boulevards, Forsyth Pointe will encompass two office towers, a 1,200-car parking garage, a one-acre garden terrace on the seventh floor, and ground-floor retail space. There will be a 7,500 square-foot fitness facility located on the terrace level which will be utilized by the tenants of both towers. The project is being designed to meet LEED Silver rating and will feature a green roof and electric vehicle charging stations within the garage.
“The Forsyth Pointe space will feature improved access to natural light and outside visibility for all employees, enhanced technology, and ergonomically designed furniture, with individual offices and workspaces designed to meet the needs of our attorneys and staff in a post-pandemic setting,” added Bob Tomaso, Husch Blackwell’s St. Louis office managing partner.
Husch Blackwell is excited to partner with Commerce Bank and U.S. Capital Development on the project. U.S. Capital Development has vast development experience with commercial environments in the industrial and office sectors. Other tenants in the development’s west tower include US Capital Development headquarter offices, Barry-Wehmiller Group and ElmTree Funds.