Celebration Pointe announced Monday that its newest five-story office building is fully leased.
There will be about 700 employees working in the building by the end of 2018 according to Senior Vice President of Asset Management Sean McIntosh.
McIntosh said 250 of the 700 will work at Info Tech, the other office building, and 450 will work at the 5001 Celebration Pointe Ave. building. It will be shared by the Celebration Pointe parent company, SharpSpring, Inc., Nextran Truck Centers’ new corporate headquarters, Frankel Media Group, and an FBI office.
McIntosh said these companies are relocating their Gainesville offices to this area because of the location and amenities. The first floor of the building will be used for retail space and includes a nail salon.
“It also gives those people a place to be able to stick around after work and enjoy dinner, have a cocktail or watch a movie,” he said.
The office building differs from others because employees can work outside at the centrally located, grassy seating area with tables, wifi and couches called Tech Park, he said.
Kiah Turner, a liberal studies senior at Hampton University, started her 22nd birthday at Celebration Pointe Wednesday morning with her friend Dévonja Roberts, 22. The ongoing construction piqued their interest.
“I’m like, ‘What is this new area going on right now?’” Turner said. “I’m not recognizing Gainesville anymore.”
The only negative, Turner said, is the expected crowds once the bars, restaurants and stores open.
Roberts, a UF health education graduate, said larger cities she’s visited typically have an aesthetically appealing dining and shopping center like Celebration Pointe. She said she likes the idea of a place that will attract more students and professionals to Gainesville.
“I’m looking forward to everything opening up,” she said. “I know it’s going to get really busy and crowded out here.”
Follow Angela DiMichele on Twitter @angdimi and contact her at adimichele@alligator.org.
