Innovative New Use of Old Vacant Space Garners Award Win for Cresa Madison Brokers Rikkers and Blitz

Madison, WI, February 15, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Ross Rikkers and TJ Blitz of Cresa Madison have been awarded the Deal of the Year - Office by the Commercial Brokers Group, along with Chris Richards of Hovde Properties. Rikkers and Blitz used their extensive knowledge of the Madison Central Business District to help Filament Games move into the AT&T Building owned by Hovde Properties just off the Square on West Washington Ave.

Filament Games creates digital learning games and interactives for the education market. Most products are distributed to schools. Their approach to game design is to translate learning objectives directly into meaningful gameplay mechanics and playful curriculum materials. The challenge for Cresa was to find a space that met Filament's need for wide open, flexible, collaborative and interactive space in a neighborhood that is attractive to the twenty-somethings that make up the majority of the staff.

This deal helped set the stage for an exciting redevelopment project in Downtown Madison at the former AT&T Building. The property, currently undergoing massive renovations, needed a tenant with a strong vision for the space and confidence in the landlord's ability to unlock the property's vast potential. "The Filament Games deal is a great example of the changing landscape of Downtown Madison's office market," said Chris Richards, the representative for Hovde Properties. "Many firms are more interested in the culture and tenant mix than the typical Class A finishes and amenities."

CEO Lee Wilson of Filament calls the move "the greenest thing we could do" in reusing an old building. Filament will occupy 11,000 square feet in a building that previously housed just one tenant, AT&T. The space boasts beautiful views of both lakes and the Capitol plus nearly 20-foot tall ceilings. According to the needs of Filament, the majority of the square footage is open space. Filament employees will not have offices, instead they will work from desks on coasters. Wilson explains that this will allow employees to work in impromptu teams for as long as each project dictates. Even the CEO will not have an office but will work from the middle of the space.