WALSH ANNOUNCES GROWING SYRACUSE BUSINESS TO RELOCATE DOWNTOWN
O’Brien & Gere Will Anchor Pioneer’s Newest Downtown Development

(Syracuse, New York)- Congressman Jim Walsh today announced that O’Brien & Gere will move its international headquarters from its current location in East Syracuse to a downtown mixed-use development project proposed by Pioneer Companies at the corner of West Washington and Franklin Streets in Syracuse. 

The move will bring 330 new employees downtown each and every workday and is the result of conversations between Terry Brown, CEO and President of O’Brien & Gere, Congressman Jim Walsh, and Michael J. Falcone, Chairman of the Pioneer Companies.

“I’m proud of my role in challenging O’Brien & Gere to commit to relocating downtown,” said Congressman Walsh.  “The company’s decision is a powerful, positive statement about the future of downtown Syracuse, and Pioneer deserves praise as the developer that’s done more work in downtown Syracuse than any other single company.  Pioneer’s mark is on just about every single new private office building downtown over the last two decades or more.”

Terry Brown, CEO of O'Brien & Gere, sees a downtown location to be consistent with the
company's business philosophy that includes redevelopment projects, collaborations with academic research institutions through the Connective Corridor, and accessibility by its clients.  "A new facility provides the company with an opportunity to demonstrate green buildings and
renewable energy technologies that we are currently developing and commercializing.  The
demonstration and adoption of alternative energy technologies is an important step in creating
energy independence."

“This project is something we have been working on for the last seven months and is the subject of the Pioneer Design Studio at S.U.’s School of Architecture,” said Michael P. Falcone, CEO of Pioneer.  “The concept we have been working on involved a mixed-use project using LEED Design standards and will include offices, luxury condominiums, student housing, and ground floor retail and dining.  The fact that we can kick it off with such a quality tenant like O’Brien & Gere is extremely exciting.”

The project will have the first new large plate office space built in Syracuse since Pioneer completed 250 S. Clinton St. in 1991.  Pioneer is committed to designing a green building with O’Brien & Gere and has engaged Roy Design of New York City to be the design architect.  The project, which includes two sites, will consist of 120,000 square feet of office space, 30 to 40 luxury condos, approximately 80 to 120 student housing apartments, underground parking, and ground floor retail and restaurants.  Over the last 25 years Pioneer has built and renovated nearly 800,000 square feet of office space in the downtown core and most recently negotiated a new 15 year lease with AXA Equitable Insurance to keep their nearly 1,000 employees in the AXA Towers complex.

O’Brien & Gere’s relocation will also compliment MDA’s Essential New York Initiative downtown and the Connective Corridor project and reestablishment of a downtown campus presence by Syracuse University.  Combined with a growing demand for new downtown housing, today’s announcement marks continued transformational change for downtown facilitated by Walsh.

O’Brien & Gere has been a part of several economic / real estate growth initiatives in the past. Once a gravel bed in East Syracuse, O'Brien & Gere’s Brittonfield development is now home to more than 1100 employees in seven buildings. O’Brien & Gere also put together a similar project at Beacon North off Northern Blvd.  Once a swampy piece of real estate, today, it is a thriving office park with twelve businesses and more than 500 employees.  Duplicating this leadership will be an important piece of achieving growth in downtown Syracuse.

O'Brien & Gere is an employee-owned engineering and project delivery company with 850 scientists, engineers, construction, and operation personnel located in 30 offices across the U.S. With a 60-year history of applying technology and innovation, O'Brien & Gere is a leader in providing total environmental, water, capital & facilities solutions.  O'Brien & Gere's integrated 360° life cycle delivery model reduces project cycle time and creates value for its industrial & manufacturing, municipal & state, federal, higher education & healthcare, and developers & professional services sectors.

The Pioneer Companies has been developing, managing, and leasing office buildings, shopping centers, hotels, industrial and office parks, assisted living, senior housing and single family residential developments for over 25 years.  Currently it has development projects underway throughout upstate New York, New York City, Denver, Colorado, and Phoenix, Arizona with a total value in excess of $1 billion.

“O’Brien & Gere is an internationally recognized and respected company with homegrown roots,” added Walsh.  “Its addition to downtown in Pioneer’s newest development is a clear statement of optimism in the future of our community’s urban core.”

Construction is scheduled to begin on the roughly $70 million project in late Summer/early Fall 2007.

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