In the News
Washington State Employees Credit Union Occupies New Headquarters Building
October 10, 2009
The Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU) moved into its new headquarters building over the
weekend. WSECU employees now occupy approximately 70,000 square feet of the building with an additional
50,000 square feet retained for expansion. The 123,570 square foot building is located near the edge of
the Capitol Campus in Olympia, Washington.
A signature flagship branch, scheduled to open in mid-November, will anchor this environmentally
sustainable campus. A new 469 stall parking garage, located on 10th Avenue between Adams and Jefferson
Streets, serves the new six-story headquarters building.
The new state of the art facility allowed WSECU to upgrade its technology infrastructure, creating better
security of member accounts and information. The building’s floor plan features a very efficient core
housing elevators, building systems and restrooms, affording maximum flexibility and efficiency for the
remainder of the floor layout.
The building’s exterior is designed with a combination of scale and detail that is sensitive to the
mixed use and historic character of the neighborhood. The office building combined masonry with a glass
curtain wall as well as a metal trellis with a canopy to cover the top-floor decks. The garage has a
masonry base with the upper west, south and east walls featuring glass panels angled to look like cut
crystal. Green screens and plantings line the garage’s south side.
The headquarters building is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification.
1200 12th Awarded GOLD LEED-EB O&M
July 7, 2009
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded 1200 12th (formerly Amazon.com Building)
with LEED GOLD certification in the Existing Building – Operations & Maintenance category
(LEED-EB O&M). 1200 12th is the first building in Washington State awarded with Gold status
in this category, and the first in Seattle to receive LEED-EB O&M certification.
Since Wright Runstad & Company’s management history began at 1200 12th in 1999, the staff has
been striving toward high energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, and many
other facets of environmental stewardship. LEED GOLD is a measurable benchmark attributed to
these ongoing efforts. Seeking out leading-edge technology, implementing innovative strategies,
and continuing with frequent upgrades and ongoing maintenance allowed Wright Runstad & Company
to achieve this recognition while still preserving the historic beauty of a prominent Seattle landmark.
Wright Runstad & Company is a leader in sustainable development and operations, with over 4
million square feet of developed and/or managed space that is LEED certified or pending
certification.
Perkins Coie and Wright Runstad & Company Announce Major
Lease Renewal in Signature Downtown Seattle Office Tower
July 22, 2009
Perkins Coie LLP, an international law firm with headquarters in Seattle, Wright
Runstad & Company, one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier real estate development
and operating companies, and Beacon Capital Partners, LLC, today announced the renewal
of Perkins Coie’s lease at 1201 Third Avenue. The 55-story classically designed
tower in the heart of Seattle’s central business district has been home to Perkins
Coie since the building first opened in 1988.
At 269,000 square feet, Perkins Coie’s long-term lease commitment represents one
of the Pacific Northwest’s largest commercial real estate transactions so far this
year. Roughly equal in size to the space currently occupied by Perkins Coie, the
lease includes a renovation and reconfiguration of the firm's space within the 1.1
million square-foot high-rise.
"It's a handsome building at a great location," said Nancy Williams, managing
partner of the Perkins Seattle office. "For more than two decades, 1201 Third Avenue
has provided us with an outstanding, flexible setting for our evolving practice
needs. We have enjoyed a productive relationship with its owners and operators,
and are pleased to continue the relationship for decades to come."
"Since 1912, Perkins Coie has been an active member of the Seattle business
community. This agreement reinforces - in one of the best ways - our commitment
to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest into the foreseeable future," noted Bob
Giles, managing partner of the firm.
Greg Johnson, president of Wright Runstad & Company, said, "We're proud to
continue our long-term relationship with Perkins Coie. It speaks volumes that one
of FORTUNE magazine's '100 Best Companies to Work For' has surveyed the local commercial
real estate market and chosen to keep its headquarters within the award-winning
1201 Third Avenue."
CB Richard Ellis represented Perkins Coie and Wright Runstad & Company represented
the landlord in the transaction. Third and University Limited Partnership, a partnership
between Wright Runstad & Company and an affiliate of Beacon Capital Partners, LLC,
owns the building.
Formerly known as the Washington Mutual Tower, 1201 Third Avenue is one of the most
sustainable large office buildings in Seattle. Offering a direct connection to the
University Street Station on Sound Transit’s newly opened Link light-rail line and
boasting an Energy Star rating of 96, 1201 Third Avenue is also currently under
review for LEED certification in the existing building category.
City Center Plaza - Officially Opens
May 19, 2009
The 26-story, 574,970 square foot City Center Plaza officially opened on May 19,
2009 when Microsoft took occupancy of floors 2 through 9. The building’s office
space is 100% leased to Microsoft and this was the first of their multi-phased moves
into the building. City Center Plaza had a partial retail opening on December 1,
2008, when the premier El Gaucho restaurant opened to the public.
The building features a large, well appointed atrium style lobby that opens onto
a two and a half acre urban landscaped plaza. The plaza, framed by City Center Plaza
and City Center Bellevue, borders the Bellevue Transit Center and provides pedestrian
connections to Skyline Tower and NE 4th and 108th to 110th Avenues mid-block.
The landscape design of the plaza offers both dense plantings surrounding private
seating and expansive grass areas for a more open, community feel and use. A metal sculpture designed by Tilton Metalworks
and a water feature will provide visual
interest along the pedestrian walkways. The plaza also offers a vehicle path of
travel for valet parking for El Goucho and a drop off point for the building.
In addition to the 16,342 square foot El Gaucho restaurant, there are three small
retail spaces available in the building: 2,459 square feet in the lobby with plaza
access, and 1,025 square feet on Level A, fronting 110th Avenue.
Ninth & Jefferson Building – Grand Opening
April 8, 2009
The Harborview Medical Center - Ninth & Jefferson Building celebrated its grand
opening with a traditional ribbon cutting on April 8, 2009. Eileen Whalen, Executive
Director, Harborview Medical Center gave the opening remarks. Other speakers at
the event included Bill Fallon, M.D., Chair, Harborview Medical Center Board of
Trustees, and Johnese Spisso, COO for UW Medicine. Dow Constantine, Chair of the
King County Council, gave a special thanks to Wright Runstad & Company for helping
complete the project on time and under budget. Guests were given the opportunity
to tour several floors in the building and glimpse areas that will not be open to
the public once the spaces are occupied.
The 14-story, 417,531 square foot building sits between Ninth and Terry Avenues
and James and Jefferson Streets. The exterior of the building features a combination
of classic “Harborview” brick at the base and granite columns at street level. A
glass curtain wall along with metal panels, metal grilles and granite are woven
together to enclose the tower. Specialty features and extra capacity built into
the loading dock allows the dock to serve the entire Harborview Medical Center campus
through a connection tunnel under Jefferson Street.
The front lobby entrance is located on Jefferson Street, facing west towards Ninth
Avenue. The pedestrian scaled podium and the set back of the lobby are designed
to respect and compliment the existing campus buildings. Retail spaces wrap around
the building along Ninth Avenue and James Street and at the corner of Terry Avenue
and Jefferson Street. A below grade parking garage provides 650 parking spaces serving
the entire Harborview campus.
The Harborview Medical Center - Ninth & Jefferson Building provides state of
the art labs for the King County Medical Examiner, Harborview Pathology Department,
and the UW School of Medicine. It also houses the King County Superior Court Civil
Commitment Court, Neurosurgery and Surgical Spine Clinics, UW Medicine Virology,
and numerous other Harborview outpatient clinics, along with five floors of office
space for various UW Medicine departments. Several other King County agencies will
also occupy space in the building.
The granite floor of the building entry and lobby is the canvas of artist Robert
Horner. He created a lunar calendar in inlaid travertine, quartzite and slate that
maps the moon’s radiant movement for one complete revolution of the earth around
the sun. The building lobby showcases the aerial scuplture Vereinigung by
Connie Watts. This large suspended artwork features three animal figures: raven,
bear, and wolf. The sculpture reflects the culture of Northwest Coast First Nations.
Energy Star
WR&C Management Portfolio receive Energy Star Ratings
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program offers a proven
energy management strategy for new homes and commercial and industrial buildings.
This voluntary program is designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products,
equipment, and systems, in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Using the
tools and guidelines offered by Energy Star, building owners and operators can calculate
a building’s energy performance and receive an Energy Star rating on a 1 – 100 scale.
This program measures current energy performance, sets goals, tracks savings, and
rewards improvements. For facilities that achieve a score of 75 or higher, an “Energy
Star” is awarded indicating that they are among the top 25% of facilities in the
country for energy performance.
1201 Third Avenue recently received an Energy Star certification from EPA.
After an analysis of the building equipment and systems, the EPA scored the property
96 out of 100 possible points. This significant achievement is attributed to management’s
proactive preventative and corrective maintenance standards and efficient lamp selection
for the building.
Other buildings in our management portfolio with 2008 Energy Star ratings of 80
or higher include World Trade Center – North and Park Place at 83, Edna Lucille
Goodrich Building at 87, King Street Center at 88, and Redmond City Hall at 91.