MIAMI—For the past two years, Torburn Partners has been working to reposition the Motorola office park in Plantation. The firm has spent $35 million on the project.

The renovation is attracting innovative tech and healthcare companies as tenants and adding restaurants, landscaping, lighting, a fitness center, a jogging trail around a manmade lake and other amenities for tenants to enjoy. The campus is now home to Motorola, Magic Leap, a company developing virtual reality technology, and health care company Amsurg Corp., among others.

GlobeSt.com caught up with Arnstein & Lehr Attorney Josh M. Atlas to discuss the back story on the relationship between the developer and the general contractor, Blue Water Builders, as well as the lending challenges, in part two of this exclusive interview. You can still read part one: How Motorola Office Park Renovation Is Paying Community Dividends.

GlobeSt.com: How did the relationship between the developer and the general contractor added value to the repositioning of the property?

Atlas: The developer and contractor enjoyed a close relationship as a result of previously working together on projects in Illinois. This was the first major project that either had undertaken in South Florida and they approached it much more as if they were partners rather than as contractor-for-hire situation.

That translated here to a project that saw almost no conflict during the ramp-up and construction process, and correspondingly no delays and additional costs as a result of disputes. Given the particular needs of some of the tenants that were expected to occupy the new office campus—and now have moved in—this approach also added value by giving the parties flexibility on the project and in their business relationship without the concern of generating claims between them.

GlobeSt.com: What were some of the challenges you had to overcome to help move the project forward?

Atlas: The biggest challenge that we faced was right before construction started and that was dealing with the requirements and demands of the construction lender. The partnership approach taken by the developer and contractor created a situation during the negotiation of the construction agreements where there was not really much to argue over.

However, construction lenders want to make sure their interests are protected in the event they need to take over a project. That typically comes in the form of asking for concessions from the contractor in the construction contract even though the developer may have already otherwise agreed to a term or condition. We were able to navigate competing interests to satisfy the lender and keep the developer and contractor moving forward together.

MIAMI—For the past two years, Torburn Partners has been working to reposition the Motorola office park in Plantation. The firm has spent $35 million on the project.

GlobeSt.com: How did the relationship between the developer and the general contractor added value to the repositioning of the property?

GlobeSt.com: What were some of the challenges you had to overcome to help move the project forward?

Instant Insights /

How Motorola Park Owners Navigated Lending Challenges

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