American Trucking Associations Inc. (ATA), the largest association for the trucking industry, pre-leased 60,000 SF of office space at 80 M St. SE in the Capitol Riverfront district. ATA expects to move into their new headquarters in mid-2022, consolidating their footprint from 101,000 SF to 60,000 SF. The company will be relocating from 950 N. Glebe Road in Arlington. 

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ATA leased the space from Columbia Property Trust, who is currently adding two stories plus a penthouse at 80 M Street. The top-level addition adds 105,000 SF of space and 35 ft. of height to the building. The new office space will also feature nearly 4,000 SF of connected outdoor space and ATA will have prominent top building signage that is visible from National’s Ballpark. 

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The impressive 16-foot ceiling heights and 12-foot windows are a rarity in D.C. commercial real estate and made possible with mass timber. Designed by Hickock Cole, the new expansion will be the first building in D.C. to be constructed with mass timber, setting a new standard for sustainable construction in Washington.

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Using mass timber required unique negotiations as there were greater concerns about construction delays. The landlord had not started building the addition when the lease was signed, and ATA couldn’t start construction on their office layout design until the floors were completed. The timing of the negotiations equired significant detailed attention to the construction process, so ATA wasn’t penalized for construction delays by having to extend their current lease in Arlington.

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CBRE brokers Susan Thomas, Emanuel Fitzgerald, James Dennin, & Tom Boyer represented the tenant. JLL’s team of Doug Mueller, Evan Behr & Kristen Mathis represented the landlord.