BBGM Director, Alfred Gooden, published an article in Work Design Magazine titled “The Urban Suburban”. In the article, Gooden describes the trend of commercial office tenants leaving the city for more affordable office spaces.
As property managers in the city work to lure tenants back, an increasing number of suburban landlords are being forced to renovate their office buildings into sleek, contemporary spaces, in order to compete with their urban counterparts. The article features two projects by BBGM – McLean Plaza and Reston Executive Center. Senior Associate Israel Olmos and Principal Bruno Grinwis of BBGM are also quoted in the article, discussing BBGM projects and creative solutions to project challenges.
“BBGM successfully transformed the Reston Executive Center into a sleek and contemporary space that is currently in demand in Reston,” said Goubeaux. “More and more tenants are seeking that urban feel of the city while remaining in the suburbs which has forced us to rethink our renovation designs and methods.”
Though the DC market has weathered better than most areas in the United States, things will remain tight for the next couple of years. The competition between the suburban markets and the aggressive investment of properties downtown has forced suburban market developers to create a “new downtown” persona.
