Date: February 22nd, 2007 12:49 PM
Author: Balding ungodly lay
http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2007/02/ropes_gray_will.html
The law firm of Ropes & Gray LLP said today it has signed a letter of intent to lease the top floors of Prudential Tower and move its Boston offices there from One International Place.
Beginning in the fall of 2010, Ropes & Gray said it will occupy 400,000 square feet of space in the Prudential Tower, or about a third of the tower's roughly 1.2 million square feet of space.
Put another way, Ropes & Gray will occupy up to 15 floors of a 52-story tower.
At One International Place, Ropes & Gray currently occupies about 350,000 square feet of space, a spokeswoman for the firm said.
Ropes & Gray's plans are presumably good news for Boston Properties Inc., the real estate investment trust that owns the tower.
A spokeswoman for Boston Properties said it is the company's policy not to comment on leases until they are executed.
The tower was long home to Gillette Co., before the Boston razor maker was acquired in 2005 by Procter & Gamble Co.
Last month, Procter & Gamble said Gillette will vacate its Prudential Tower corporate headquarters and consolidate at the company's South Boston factory.
Ropes & Gray chairman Brad Malt said in a statement: "As was the case with our recent relocation of our New York office in Midtown Manhattan, we're looking forward to moving to a dynamic new space that can accommodate our future growth."
One International Place is managed by the Chiofaro Company, whose president, Don Chiofaro, is also a part owner of the building.
Chiofaro said he is "disappointed" to lose a good tenant and noted that at this time, 400,000 square feet of contiguous space is not available for Ropes & Gray's expansion at One International Place.
"The bad news is, we're losing a good tenant," he said. "The good news is that this will free up the best office space in Boston, with 360-degree views, at a time when rents and values are rising."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=584374&forum_id=2#7649059)