Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Valuable Walnut Street retail space emerging from office conversion

Pearl Properties has plans to convert office space that now houses Brown Brothers & Harriman Co. at 1529 Walnut St. in Center City into retail space.

The private bank, for which the building is named after, is relocating its offices to another building in Center City, making the space available for the first time in nearly 90 years. It was constructed in 1926 for the bank.

The six-story building totals 35,424 square feet and 16,348 square feet across the mezzanine and second floor is slated to be marketed for retail use.

“We are looking for the highest quality retailer to occupy the space and that could take advantage of the incredible features of the building,” said Larry Steinberg, a retail broker with CBRE Inc./Fameco who is marketing it with colleague Christina Zipf. “Retail space along Walnut Street is so valuable that it makes sense to turn it into retail.”

The space will be marketed to a single user and be available in September.

The exterior of the building will be changed to make it more appealing to retailers. For example, windows along 16th Street will be extended to the street level. Some other façade improvements are also planned. For now, the upper floors will remain as office space.

Pearl Properties bought the building in 2012.

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