HOK Commits to Downtown St. Louis In Exploring New Office Lease
Date Posted: May 30, 2024
Posted In: News,
HOK plans to keep its St. Louis office in downtown once its lease expires next August (2025). The design firm and its 170 St. Louis-based staff currently work out of a 39,000-sq.-ft. workplace on the first and second floors of the Equitable Building at 10 S. Broadway. HOK is now exploring other downtown office locations in addition to possibly building out new space in the Equitable Building.
HOK was founded in St. Louis in 1955 and has grown to become one of the world’s largest architecture, design and engineering firms with more than 1,700 employees located in 26 offices across North America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
“We are proud of our St. Louis origin and proud to have an office in downtown St. Louis ever since our founding,” said Margaret McDonald, a senior principal at HOK’s St. Louis studio. “As designers and planners, we know how important downtowns are to the health and vibrancy of a region. Simply put, you cannot be a suburb of nowhere. HOK is committed to seeing downtown St. Louis prosper.”
HOK announced its intention to stay in downtown during a staff meeting May 23 in which St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and Kurt Weigle, the chief downtown officer for Greater St. Louis, Inc., spoke about the work their teams are doing to add new vibrancy to downtown. Those efforts include reducing crime, championing new infrastructure (like the north-south MetroLink expansion and Brickline Greenway) and spearheading the revitalization of vacant properties through a new public-private partnership with Greater St. Louis Inc. and St. Louis Development Corporation.
“As a community, we are making a difference when it comes to downtown,” said Mayor Jones. “But change doesn’t come overnight. It takes commitment and teamwork. So, I thank HOK for its commitment to helping us create a safer, healthier and stronger St. Louis and downtown St. Louis.”
For more information on the new public-private partnership to revitalize downtown visit: greaterstlinc.com.
HOK is a collective of future-forward thinkers and designers who are driven to face the critical challenges of our time. We are dedicated to improving people’s lives, serving our clients and healing the planet. Together, we cultivate a culture of design excellence at the confluence of art and science, blending the power of creative expression with a clear sense of purpose.