Paul Graham
Colliers International was honored last night with a NAIOP Award of Excellence for the lease negotiated on behalf of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for a dog-friendly headquarters in Washington, DC. The award in the category of Best Real Estate Transaction: Tenant Lease Over 20,000 Square Feet recognizes the creativity of the brokerage team in arranging a complex lease in a multi-tenant building that serves as a model for other organizations seeking to create work environments that welcome both people and their dogs.
The Society’s new 23,279-square-foot headquarters at 1255 23rd Street, N.W. in Washington features expanded dog policies and facilities that include special accommodations. Among them are state-of- the-art air filtration systems to protect workers who may have allergies and cubicles with pet gates so dogs can be kept close to their human partners.
“After an exhaustive search—during which some 20 building owners turned us down—we identified 1255 23rd Street, NW as an ideal location. And we found in Carr Properties a building owner who was willing to work with HSUS on accommodating its unique needs for a pet-friendly workplace. The result is something that makes us all extremely proud,” said Paul Graham of Colliers International, who led the leasing team.
HSUS wanted to ensure that its new headquarters lease would enable employees to bring their pets to work and would not exclude any breed of dog, as many landlord pet policies do. The Colliers team spent many hours working with HSUS and the building owner to create a pet policy that met everyone’s needs.
Prior to arranging this lease, the Colliers team also worked with HSUS to sell several real estate assets that paved the way for its new Washington, DC headquarters. With no designated capital fund for new buildings and with its financial resources fully dedicated to programming in service of a mission to protect animals, HSUS saw an opportunity to monetize its existing real estate assets.
The Colliers team sold HSUS’ 30,000 square foot building at 2100 L Street, NW in downtown DC to a three-party development team for $11 million, nearly twice its assessment value. Colliers also sold a 7,314 square-foot property on Capitol Hill, also securing a higher than assessed price.
About Colliers International Group Inc.
Colliers International Group Inc.(NASDAQ: CIGI; TSX: CIG) is a global leader in commercial real estate services with more than 16,300 professionals operating from 502 offices in 67 countries. With an enterprising culture and significant insider ownership, Colliers professionals provide a full range of services to real estate occupiers, owners and investors worldwide. Services include brokerage, global corporate solutions, investment sales and capital markets, project management and workplace solutions, property and asset management, consulting, valuation and appraisal services, and customized research and thought leadership. Colliers International has been ranked among the top 100 outsourcing firms by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals’ Global Outsourcing for 10 consecutive years, more than any other real estate services firm.
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