Boca Raton, Fla. – (December 17, 2009) — Crocker Partners Senior Vice President Angelo Bianco today announced new leases and renewals totaling 23,000 square feet at the Bank of America Tower in downtown Boca Raton. The 110,000-square-foot building, located at 150 East Palmetto Park Road and Mizner Boulevard, is leased and managed by Crocker Partners for owner ING.  

 These latest  transactions bring the building to 92 percent leased, up from 76 percent when Crocker took on the assignment eight months ago, according to Jon Blunk, Senior Vice President Leasing for Crocker Partners.  

New tenants include:   

*  Interface Worldwide, a talent marketing company that promotes talent to industry professionals, is leasing 8,000 square feet on the building’s 1^st floor, space being converted from restaurant use.

 *  Dickenson Rex Sloan P.A., a long-established Boca Raton-based law firm, leased 4,000 square feet.

 *  Smart Money Management Group, an independent financial services firm with a client roster that includes professional football, baseball and hockey players, leased 2,557 square feet of ground floor lobby space to accommodate its growing practice.

 *  Charles Schwab expanded, renewing its 5,000-square-foot space and leasing an additional 3,000 square feet.

  “Tenants are responding to the opportunity to lock in Class A space in a prime location while the market is favorable,” said Blunk. “Bank of America Tower gives companies a notable downtown address and amenities, and the convenience of dining and shopping choices within walking distance.” 

 Crocker Partners is a real estate investment firm headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, active in the commercial real estate business for over 25 years. The Crocker team has established a reputation as a premier owner, operator, and developer of office and mixed-use projects throughout the Eastern United States and since 1993, has acquired and developed over $4.5 billion of real estate. The Company’s third-party services include leasing, property management and capital improvement financing.  

For more information, contact Jon Blunk, Crocker Partners, jblunk@crockerpartners.com;  561-889-4285.

“This location presents a rare opportunity in the highly coveted Banker’s Row area of Palm Beach. It combines one of the Town’s most important locations with the advantages of new, green construction and floor plans that can be tailored to a company’s needs,” said Jon Blunk, Crocker Partners’ Senior Vice President responsible for leasing. “While the ideal scenario offers building naming rights for a single signature tenant to create a distinct identity, the floor plans are flexible enough to accommodate multiple tenants.”

“Demolition of the existing buildings, one vacant for over 15 years, will finally give this premier site the attention it deserves, and will positively contribute to the quality of the street, ” Blunk added.

Designed by the award-winning firm of Oliver Design Group Architects, 204 Royal Palm Way’s classical architecture reflects Palm Beach’s heritage, while incorporating the latest energy efficient green building principles. While consistent with the scale and design context of neighboring buildings, 204 Royal Palm Way will be distinctive, according to Ed Oliver, whose firm also designed the nearby Brown Brothers Harriman and Fidelity Investments buildings. Oliver also designed the Pavilion at the Colony Hotel.

Design highlights include meaningful outdoor spaces for tenants including a landscaped private terrace and office balconies on the building’s second floor, and a terrace wrapping the third floor’s north side and a southern oriented loggia also on the 3rd floor . The first floor features a well appointed entry lobby and the convenience of full-time covered valet parking. The main entry is accented by an “arched” beam and architectural columns. Arches are also featured at the vehicle access point, and on a 3rd floor tower element adding to the building’s identity.

The project has received formal approval from ARCOM and the Town Council. Construction is projected to begin in 2010 and completion will take approximately 12 months.

Blunk said that Crocker Partners welcomes the opportunity to market 204 Royal Palm Way. The Company already is active in Palm Beach as owner of 400 Royal Palm Way and of 125 Worth Avenue, which also is poised to take on a higher profile this season. After relocating tenants to free up 3,000 square feet on the ground floor fronting Worth Avenue, Crocker Partners is rebranding that space as one of Worth Avenue’s premier destination retail locations, he said.

Mathews Consulting, a Florida-based civil engineering consulting firm, leased approximately 4,800 sq. ft. of space on the third floor of the building. Established in 1998, the firm offers a wide array of engineering services, including infrastructure improvements, facilities planning and construction administration. The firm will relocate from 1475 Centrepark Blvd. to its new quarters in March, 2010.

“We feel there’s great value to the building’s convenient CityPlace location, which will provide our clients and employees access to a number of nearby amenities, including restaurants, shops, cultural and entertainment options,” said Rene Mathews, president of Mathews Consulting, Inc. “But we were equally impressed with the contemporary design and creative office space layout, as well as the recent upgrades made throughout the building.”

More than $250,000 was spent on capital improvements to The Offices at CityPlace North, including a major refurbishment to the two elevators that service both floors of offices, upgraded lighting fixtures, new hardware, tenant signage and fresh paint throughout.

Practicing law for nearly 12 years, Christian Scholin signed a five-year lease for more than 2,000 sq. ft. of space on the third floor of the building. The firm focuses its practice on matters related to trusts and estate planning, estate and trust administration, estate and gift taxation, asset protection, probate law, partnership law, and real estate law. The firm relocated from 630 Fern Street to The Offices at CityPlace North earlier this month.

The Offices at CityPlace North are located at the north end of Palm Beach County’s leading visitor destination – CityPlace. It’s less than 10 minutes from Palm Beach International Airport, a quarter-mile from I-95, less than one mile to Palm Beach and in close proximity to the Palm Beach County Courthouse to the north and the Convention Center to the south. The prime CityPlace location, competitive price point, efficient floor plans, convenient parking in an adjacent garage, tall windows and wrought-iron balconies are just a few of the features that have attracted other major tenants like WRMF Radio and Urban Design Kilday Studio.

“Most people think of CityPlace and its 100 shops and restaurants as a place for dining and entertainment, but it’s also one of Florida’s biggest commercial real estate leasing success stories,” said Kenneth A. Himmel, president and CEO of Related Urban, the mixed-use division of Related Companies. “The fact that we’re continuing to attract new tenants in today’s economic climate speaks volumes about the types of office space we have presented to the market.”

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge will relocate to its new quarters in May 2010. Jonathan Satter of WGCompass Realty Companies represented the law firm in the lease negotiations. CityPlace Tower was represented by Jon Blunk, Crocker Partners senior vice president, and Kevin Probel, Related Companies general manager.

“We are very pleased to be moving into CityPlace Tower. The firm will be well-served by this new space in a terrific building,” said Gregory E. Young, Partner-In-Charge of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge’s Florida offices. “The decision to move came after many months of reviewing what made the most sense – financially and otherwise, over the near and long-term for the firm’s continued commitment to and strategic needs in the south Florida marketplace. We appreciate what CityPlace Tower has to offer and feel that it is the best place for the firm.”

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge has been in Florida for nearly 30 years, currently with offices in West Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. The firm’s Florida offices include the following areas of practice: Business Law; Insurance/Reinsurance; Intellectual Property; Litigation; Private Client; Public Finance; and Real Estate. With over 525 lawyers worldwide, the firm offers a full array of legal services to clients. Its mission is to create value by providing superior legal advice and business counsel that protects clients’ interests and advances their goals. In addition to Florida, the firm has ten other offices located in Boston, Hartford, Madison (NJ), Newport Beach, New York, Providence, Stamford, Washington D.C., Wilmington, London and an associated office in Hong Kong.

Kenneth A. Himmel, President, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Related Urban Development, a division of Related Companies, said that the addition of a firm of the stature of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge is a fitting conclusion to the list of anchor tenants in the building. Even though smaller offices ranging from 1,500 to 15,000 square feet are still available, the building now has a fully coherent brand of prestigious companies, and is regarded as the catalyst that has shifted the central business hub in West Palm Beach to the CityPlace district.

“This success story is magnified many times when viewed in the context of the current state of commercial real estate in all markets,” said Himmel. “It substantiates our vision that top-tier businesses still demand a premier office environment, with the latest features and amenities. CityPlace Office Tower has many of the features we incorporated into the Time Warner Center in New York, and its direct access to CityPlace is cited repeatedly by our tenants as a bonus that many underestimated when they made the choice to lease space in the building.” Located on the northwest corner of Okeechobee and South Quadrille boulevards, CityPlace Office Tower anchors the south entrance to the county’s leading visitor destination – CityPlace.

Direct, covered access to the mixed-use complex puts tenants within steps of the popular shops and restaurants. The location is viewed as one of the best commercial sites in Palm Beach County, anchoring the “gateway” to Palm Beach, less than 10 minutes from Palm Beach International Airport, a quarter of a mile from I-95 and directly across the street from the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

With $4 million in back-up generators — more power than any other office building in the state — tenants are assured that normal business operations will continue with minimal interruption if a major storm should occur. The tower features hurricane-resistant construction and advanced technology, including high-impact windows throughout and multiple telecommunications providers for uninterrupted power, which protects access to electronic data in all offices.

Designed by Elkus/Manfredi Architects of Boston, the same firm that designed CityPlace, the tower’s iconic architecture has added a striking new dimension to the Downtown skyline and created a new landmark that has re-shaped the City’s status within Florida’s business community. The spectacular exterior concepts were carried inside and realized through luxurious, contemporary finishes and appointments, and expansive views of the Atlantic Ocean, city lights and Intracoastal Waterway. Four floors of parking and gated, direct-to-suite access from the garage for senior executives via private elevator make the building the most user-friendly and efficient in the region. The ground floor offers a mix of retail options including a Regions Bank with drive-through teller, Cleveland Clinic’s Florida Health and Wellness Center and valet and concierge services, all monitored with the most advanced building security systems in all of South Florida, many of the same used in New York’s Time Warner Center, also developed by Related Companies.

The building is anchored by the fast-growing institutional money management firm, INTECH, formerly based in Palm Beach Gardens. The firm has leased the top two floors, totaling more than 50,000 square feet. Other major tenants besides Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge include the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic in Florida; the West Palm Beach office of Carlton Fields, P.A., one of the largest law firms in the southeast; intellectual property law firm Novak Druce + Quigg; Regions Financial Corporation, a full-service provider of consumer and commercial banking; Shutts & Bowen LLP, a full-service, Florida- based law firm; The ComVest Group, a private investment firm; JBHanauer & Co., a leading investment specialist for wealth management; Raymond James & Associates, a national leader in financial planning for individuals, corporations and municipalities; Goodrich, LLC, a Massachusetts-based management company; Neuberger Berman, a New York-based money management firm; Carey O’Donnell Public Relations Group, a full-service corporate communications company in West Palm Beach and on Madison Avenue; Callisto Partners, an independent investment banking boutique; and Barry & Company, CPA.

ING engaged Crocker Partners for the 109,426-square-foot BOA Tower located on Palmetto Park Road at Mizner Boulevard in downtown Boca Raton. The building features prime ocean-view and ground floor suites of up to 10,000 sq. ft.

According to Crocker Partners Senior Vice President Angelo Bianco, the Company is putting its 25 year track record as one of Florida’s leading commercial real estate firms and its experienced executives to work for third-party clients. Berke will oversee property management for the the Bank of America Tower and the company’s own properties, drawing on more than 18 years of experience in corporate facilities, commercial office buildings, regional malls and shopping centers. He has managed office portfolios of more than 1 million square feet, including a Miami hi-rise and a 12-building corporate campus for Florida Power & Light.

In addition to the Bank of America Tower, Crocker Partners is currently responsible for leasing at four other unique South Florida properties, Bianco noted. These include 18,000 square feet of Class A office space at The Terrace at Town Center Mall for Simon Properties Group; CityPlace Tower, the iconic 18-story Class A office tower in downtown West Palm Beach, a joint venture with the Related Companies, and the 125 Worth Avenue and 400 Royal Palm Way office buildings on the island of Palm Beach. Senior Vice President Jon Blunk directs the leasing operations.

“This is a prime space with unique advantages — a trade area approaching 600,000 people, high visibility signage opportunities, direct-to-office garage and valet parking, extended hours of operation and the convenience of 220 shops and restaurants on-site. It’s ideal for a variety of tenants, from an ad agency or interior design firm to a plastic surgeon,” Jon Blunk, Crocker Partners Vice President and leasing agent said. The office space, adjacent to the Mall management office and a Boca Raton Police Department substation, can be subdivided from 5,000 to 18,000 square feet.

The Town Center Mall office space is a prime location for Class A office tenants seeking a high visibility location. It was carved out during development of The Terrace at Town Center, the regional mall’s lifestyle center expansion, which was completed in 2007, according to Blunk. “When Crate & Barrel, the Mall’s newest anchor, built out a two-level store, the Mall took the opportunity to add this adjacent second-story office space,” he explained.

Crocker Partners is currently responsible for leasing at three other unique South Florida properties, Bianco noted. These include CityPlace Tower, the iconic 18-story Class A office tower in downtown West Palm Beach, which is now 80 percent leased, and the 125 Worth Avenue and 400 Royal Palm Way office buildings on the island of Palm Beach. “The Crocker Partners’ team brings an owner’s perspective to every assignment,” Bianco said. “We believe that is a distinct competitive advantage for our clients in the current economic climate.”

Located at the NorthPlace development within the Central Perimeter submarket, the new project will occupy a 2.2-acre site acquired by Crocker Partners. The Company projects a construction start in the first quarter of 2008, and completion in the first quarter of 2009 for the building, which offers immediate access and signage visibility to Georgia 400 and is close to Interstate 285 and Marta.

The project is Crocker Partners’ second in Atlanta, a market which is a focus for building the Company’s portfolio, said Crocker Partners’ Vice President Christopher Eachus, who heads the Atlanta regional office. In 2006, Crocker Partners acquired the 413,000-square-foot, 17-story, Class A Cumberland Center II office tower at 3100 Cumberland Blvd. and is pursuing other projects in the market. Eachus said company principals had previously been active in the Atlanta area for a number of years through CRT Properties Inc., a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust, prior to forming Crocker Partners in 2005.

Crocker Partners named Jones Lang LaSalle senior leasing director Jeff Bellamy and leasing associate Brooke Dewey to handle project leasing. Eachus noted that NorthPlace is proving its appeal with a corporate headquarters for Omni National Bank underway and Promenade at NorthPlace, a development of brownstone-style condominiums, is in its final phase.

Headquartered in Boca Raton, Crocker Partners LLC is a full-service commercial real estate firm with wide-ranging expertise in acquisitions, leasing, property management, capital markets, construction and redevelopment. The Company’s other current projects include two new hurricane-resistant office towers, in South Florida, the 300,000-square-foot CityPlace Tower nearing completion in downtown West Palm Beach, and Atlantic Center, a 477,000-square-foot building planned for downtown Fort Lauderdale. In addition, Crocker Partners recently acquired two Class A office buildings in Palm Beach and has proposed plans to develop Sanborn Square, a mixed-use project to redevelop two blocks in downtown Boca Raton.