CHICAGO—Tech companies have become one of the most sought-afteroffice tenants by downtown landlords, and East Loop landlords inparticular want firms from this burgeoning sector to help revivewhat has been an underperforming submarket. As reported in GlobeSt.com last Friday,GlenStar Properties, LLC just signedPunchkick Interactive, Inc. to 23,401-square-feetat the 55 East Monroe building, its first true high-tech tenant,and company officials say it's just the beginning.

“Once you get a couple of these firms in your building, youvalidate yourself as an attractive place for others to locate,”GlenStar managing director Christian Domin tellsGlobeSt.com, calling the Punchkick lease a “watershed deal.” Toattract more high-tech to 55 E. Monroe, GlenStar has decided to adda host of amenities demanded by many of the younger workers thatstaff the high-tech world. The company has begun constructing, forexample, a 4,000-square-foot bike room in the building.

“It's no longer uncommon to have a bike room, but this one isuncommon in its size,” Domin says, and can certainly handle theaddition of many more young tech workers. GlenStar has also startedbuilding for its tenants a giant video conference room on themezzanine level next to the bike room. “Office buildings that havealmost residential amenities are very attractive to thesefolks.”