$6M Tenant Improvements Ready Law Firm for Court

SAN DIEGO-Contracting firm Johnson & Jennings has completed a $6.2-million tenant improvement project for DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary. The renovations span three floors in the law firm’s headquarters at Wells Fargo Plaza at 401 B. St.

The refurbishments included recovering previously subleased space to allow for the relocation of the firm’s litigation attorneys from its University Town Center office to its downtown headquarters at the Wells Fargo Plaza. The tenant improvements began with the demolition of the former improvements on the second floor and on ors 17 through 20 to make way for the new TIs.

Among the changes and upgrades are a new reception area, a conference center and a 1,500-sf data center. The mock courtroom and the jury selection room were added to aid the attorneys in trial preparation.

DLA Piper Rudnick occupies a total of 94,703 sf at the Wells Fargo building, where Dean Petersen served as project manager for locally based Johnson & Jennings, with Garry Dickson and David Boyd as onsite supervisors. The space was designed by Jim Kaylor, Karen Letteney and Janea Nakagawa of RMW Architecture & Interiors.

Wells Fargo Plaza was built in 1984 and features views of Coronado Island and Petco Park. The Newport Beach-based Irvine Co. acquired the class A property from California State Teachers Retirement System more than a year ago for $148 million.

Following the acquisition by the Irvine Co., the property received another facelift from ROEL Construction. The $3 million in improvements included lobby and corridor upgrades and restroom renovations.

Wells Fargo Plaza comprises more than 472,000 sf, with a tenant roster including Smith Barney, the law firm of Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich and the San Diego Convention & Tourists Bureau.