Equity Office signs 155,874 s/f lease at 225 Franklin Street

Equity Office has signed a new lease with Columbia Management Investment Advisers (CMIA). Columbia Management, the eighth largest long-term asset manager in the U.S., will be relocating to 225 Franklin St. in Boston's Financial District. CMIA, recently purchased by Ameriprise Financial from Bank of America, will merge its Cambridge and Boston management offices and relocate and expand in the space formerly occupied by Fish and Richardson. Occupying six floors and 155,874 s/f of space, CMIA takes possession of the lease in the fourth quarter of 2010, with full occupancy in the first quarter of 2011. "Our recent investments into the lobby and Equinox have restored 225 Franklin St. back into one of the best buildings in Boston. We are thrilled that a tenant of Columbia Management's quality has recognized the value and choose to relocate to 225 Franklin St.," said Andrew Maher, managing director of leasing for Equity Office. Equity Office recently completed $20 million of renovations to 225 Franklin St. which has spurred over 450,000 s/f of new leases at the building with the likes of Bank of America, GMO, Raymond James, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and others.