Sue Hodges, left, managing partner of the Downtown law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, is shown with architect Anne Sneed, who designed the law firm’s new suite in the Koll Center.

The law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman was near to bursting its old, cramped quarters in the AT&T building on Broadway, what with 25 attorneys and staff crowding the floor. Not anymore.

The law firm, part of a national practice, last month moved into smart new offices in the Koll Center at 501 W. Broadway. The 11th floor suite covers just under 20,000 square feet. The suite, formerly occupied by Ernst & Young, was almost completely gutted and rebuilt to the law firm’s specifications. Construction lasted about four months.

Ron Sutluff of Staubach Co. managed the project. The new space was designed by Howard-Sneed Architecture and Design. The suite includes state-of-the-art audio-visual components. Johnson & Jennings was the general contractor.

“We were offered a fantastic deal,” says Sue Hodges, managing partner of the office. “Our lease was up at 101 Broadway at the end of August and we had to do something. This is a great location for litigators. We’re committed to the core area of Downtown.”

Pillsbury Winthrop has a second San Diego office in the Torrey Reserve complex in Carmel Valley, where 24 lawyers are housed. But the firm is starting construction on a new office for those lawyers in Paseo Del Mar on El Camino Real. Occupancy is scheduled for December.

Hodges has been with the law firm for 18 years. She obtained her law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in Chicago in 1984 and worked for a Chicago law firm before moving to San Diego in 1988. She first worked at Lillick & McHose, a Downtown firm that later merged with Pillsbury Madison & Sutro. Hodges also holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from UCLA.

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TR Office sits above TR Retail.

Peter Horjus spent 20 years at his design studio in Mission Hills before he was forced to move. The building he occupied was about to be torn down. Thus, Horjus Design became one of the first office condominium owners in the recently finished TR Produce development on the block bounded by J Street and Island, Eighth and Ninth avenues, adjacent to Petco Park. He took Suite 305, which gives him 712 square feet of space for his design and illustration work.

“Being a designer, I appreciate the materials and proportional design of the building and all its elements large and small, as they work beautifully together,” says Horjus. “TR Office is a coveted space and a great opportunity whether you’re a designer or an attorney. The location is unbeatable, right in the center of all the action and just 200 feet beyond centerfield.”

The move means Horjus can now walk to work. He lives in the Crown Bay condos about six blocks away.

“I love good architecture. I just love old brick buildings,” says Horjus. “This is an office condo, which is a new concept Downtown. I own it. And it was close to home. I love the big open space inside with 12-foot ceilings and I-beams. And it’s a good investment.”

TR Office sits above what developer Cruzan|Monroe calls TR Retail, a 19,000-square-foot renovated brick warehouse now leasing for restaurant use. Cruzan|Monroe acquired TR Produce, formerly known as the Wellman-Peck Building, in 2003.

There are 28 office condominiums in Horjus’ section of the three-story building, 20 of which have been sold. Other buyers include a furniture showroom, lawyers, real estate investors, developers and brokers and other business professionals. The eight remaining units range from 700 square feet to 1,300 square feet and run from the high $300,000s to more than $1 million.

The TR project was designed by architect David Thompson of Bundy & Thompson Architects. Wheelihan Construction was general contractor.

Horjus is originally from Los Angeles. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Point Loma Nazarene University and taught graphic design there for three years after he graduated.

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Another Downtown high-rise has changed hands. Legacy Partners, a private equity real estate company based in Foster City, purchased the 24-story Comerica Bank tower at 600 B St. for $95.5 million from Triple Net Properties of Santa Ana. The 338,905-square-foot building is 98 percent leased. The city of San Diego occupies nearly 50 percent of the building.

CORRECTION:

In the June issue of Downtown Relocations, officers of ICS Restaurant Builders were misidentified. The CEO and president is Charlie K. Dusenberry II. The CFO and v.p. is Glenn Miller. The Metropolitan regrets the error.

The Downtown Relocations column features news on firms that are abandoning, embracing or expanding in the 92101 ZIP code. Send submissions to Manny Cruz, manny@sandiegometro.com.