The company expects to move from its current headquarters at 70 Ellis St. by Oct. 1. Skanska, formerly called Beers Construction, has been located Downtown since 1907. Skanska Atlanta office area general manager Steve Laux tells GlobeSt.com that the company sought to find new space because existing space no longer met the company's needs.

"We are rebranding and changing our business model so we wanted space that reflected these changes," Laux says.

55 Allen Plaza is a 14-story building with 346,000 sf of office space. Leigh Martin, of CB Richard Ellis' Atlanta office, represented Skanska in the lease transaction. Allen Plaza is a nine-block development by Barry Real Estate Cos. that includes two office buildings, 30 and 55 Allen Plaza, with a W hotel and residences under construction.

"This important decision by Skanska to keep its presence Downtown is yet another sign of the continued growth and progress of Downtown Atlanta," says Central Atlanta Progress president A.J. Robinson.

The property is bordered by the Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola to the west. The development has direct access to Interstate 75 and the Interstate 85 Downtown Connector and is directly adjacent to the Civic Center Marta rail station. "We felt it was important to stay Downtown because of the company's roots," Laux says.