Freeport-McMoRan Center Receives TOBY Award; MIG Picks Up Class A Office Building

By Amalia Otet, Associate Editor

Freeport-McMoRan Center, a 26-story mixed-use building in downtown Phoenix managed by Transwestern, has received The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) Award for 2013 from the Building Owners and Managers Association International’s Greater Phoenix chapter. The award recognizes Transwestern’s property management and operations skills in the corporate facility category.

The TOBY awards honor outstanding commercial office projects and recognize excellence in building management. During the competition, the building goes through a series of assessment procedures that evaluate everything from community involvement and site management to environmental and “green” policies and procedures, tenant relations programs, amenities package, building standards, energy management, accessibility and overall service.

Owned by National Electrical Benefit Fund, the three-year-old property serves as the corporate headquarters of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., the world’s largest publicly traded copper mining company. It is also home to The Westin Phoenix Downtown hotel and Province restaurant. In 2010, the building was named one of the best tall buildings in the Americas by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

In office investment news, Newport Beach, Calif.-based MIG Real Estate has acquired Arcadia Gateway Center, an 89,835-square-foot, Class A office building in Phoenix, for an undisclosed price.

Located at 4222 East Thomas Road, the four-story property offers a variety of suite sizes with views of Camelback Mountain and the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. Additionally, the property features a three-story, detached parking structure. It was 93 percent leased at the time of the sale.

“Arcadia Gateway Center is one of the higher quality office properties along the 44th Street Corridor,” said Greg Merage, CEO of MIG Real Estate, in a statement. “We plan to continue investing in Phoenix, as it is in the early stages of recovery and is expected to outperform the U.S. in terms of office employment growth and corporate investment, as highlighted by the recent announcement from State Farm to increase its workforce by 6,000 employees.”

Arcadia Gateway Center offers convenient access to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport as well as to upscale shopping destinations including Downtown Scottsdale and Biltmore Fashion Park. Retail centers such as Arcadia Crossing and Desert Palm are within walking distance.

Photo credits: Transwestern via PRNewswire