KPMG LLP moves 60 GR employees to renovated space at nearly full 99 Monroe center offices

With its official grand opening celebration slated for June 4, U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm KPMG, LLP has officially announced it will move its 60 Grand Rapids-based employees to a new office space at 99 Monroe.

"Although KPMG has served clients in the Grand Rapids area for a number of years now, our needs and services have grown, necessitating a move to a new, larger, innovative physical space," says KPMG Michigan Managing Partner Heather Paquette. "We have a strong commitment to the Grand Rapids market and wanted this move downtown to reflect that commitment." 

Alongside an effort to accommodate increased firm growth, KPMG plans to expand client services to include more emerging, technology-based solutions – a perfect fit for the existing roster of 99 Monroe Ave. tenants curated by building owner Franklin Partners, says the real estate firm's CEO Don Shoemaker. 

"They're a perfect example of why we're so bullish on downtown Grand Rapids," Shoemaker says. "There continues to be a search for talented employees and employers are looking for, 'how do we attract the right employees?' In KPMG's case, like a lot of places, they're looking for tech-oriented people. Those people are in great demand and not as great supply, so we're paying attention to where we're located to attract those employee and how do we retain them?" 

He says Franklin Partner's high-tech, amenity-focused building renovations are exactly the kind of office environment young, tech driven talent is attracted to, and KPMG LLP fits the bill. 

"They're a great firm with great credits and a great reputation, so we're really excited to have them in downtown Grand Rapids," he says. 

Shoemaker says the remaining 9,000 square feet is already committed, putting the 12-story building at 99 Monroe at 100 percent occupancy – up from the 40 percent occupancy the building was at prior to the firm's purchase and renovation in 2012. Shoemaker is waiting for official signatures on the lease to release any more details on the final tenant, but did say the company has a small existing presence in downtown Grand Rapids and represents many of the same modern, tech-driven values as the other building tenants. 

"They're a good, stable employer. A great addition to the space." 

Written by Anya Zentmeyer, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of Franklin Partners, LLC.