Columbia Square

Since the beginning of the year, 15 companies have signed leases for space in Columbia Square, the 12-story office building at 1230 Columbia St. The leases, which total $8.2 million, bring total occupancy to more than 90 percent, says Frank Wright of Grubb & Ellis|BRE Commercial.

RGL Inc. was the most recent company to lease space in the 143,574-square-foot building. Its space totals 1,600 square feet.

Other major lessees are Anderson Mann & Hilbert for 3,200 square feet; Document Technologies Inc. for 4,000 square feet; University of Phoenix for 5,200 square feet; Phoenix Housing for 2,400 square feet; Callahan, McCune & Willis for 6,700 square feet; Epifany Properties for 7,000 square feet; Tetra Tech for 23,600 square feet; Berkman Communications for 3,400 square feet; Sloan Mason Insurance for 2,800 square feet; and Copeland & Tierman for 2,400 square feet.

The property is owned by WCB-H Tower San Diego LLC and managed by PM Realty Group. Wright, Andy La Dow and Scott Diggs are the marketing agents for Columbia Square.

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Tenants in DiamondView Tower will have a coffeehouse as a downstairs neighbor next year. It’s A Grind will occupy 1,420 square feet of ground floor retail space at the under construction office building adjacent to Petco Park under a 10-year lease. The coffee company is scheduled to open on March 1, following the completion of the building in early 2007.

Cox Communications, Comerica Bank and CB Richard Ellis have previously signed lease documents for the 15-story building and additional tenants are expected to sign leases in the coming weeks, says Jason Wood, director of development for Cisterra Partners, developer of the building.
Corinna Gattasso, who represented DiamondView Tower and the coffeehouse in the lease transaction, says the building has two restaurant spaces available that will offer tall ceilings and outdoor dining in a large patio facing the Park at the Park. “This is one of the very few options in Downtown today that can accommodate a large restaurant,” says Gattasso.

It’s A Grind was launched in Long Beach and has 136 franchise stores under development across the country. The coffeehouses feature a blues and jazz theme and fresh-roasted, specialty whole-bean coffees.

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Tenant improvements totaling $399,467 are being made at the 5,119-square-foot offices of Red Capital Markets at 655 Broadway, Suite 800. Johnson & Jennings General Contracting is installing new interior offices, a café, conference room, reception lobby and server room. Joe Weaver is project manager for Johnson & Jennings. Max Volkman is project engineer and Dave Back is onsite superintendent. Subcontractors are Dynalectric; Control Air; Schmidt Fire Protection; Pyro-Com Systems Inc.; Dave Painting Service; Re:Source Floors; Johnson, Barnes & Finch; Centex Glazing; Towne Construction; Insulcom; Spooner’s Woodworks; and H&R Steel.

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Interior Resource Inc., an interior architecture and design company, has moved out of Downtown and into the Office District at Liberty Station in Point Loma. The firm relocated 20 employees to a 5,438-square-foot space at 2468 Historic Decatur Road. Joe O’Hollearn, principal of the company, says the amount of parking at the new location was a major consideration in the move.

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.