Skanska 2+U Urban Village: Press Release

Month XX, 2020                            Press Release

SEATTLE - Skanska, a leading global development and construction firm, has begun a series of lease agreements in the Urban Village at 2+U. At the corner of 2nd Ave and University St., it will feature more than 24,000 square feet of covered, open and outdoor space under the lifted 2+U office tower. The Studio a space for local artists and free to the public recently opened its doors, and Skanska signed two major lease agreements with One Workplace and Valient Barber & Supply to open to the public within the next year. Skanska’s vision of the Urban Village is offering tenants and the surrounding community great retailers in a beautiful, convenient area.

One Workplace, is a corporate interior provider with designers, audiovisual specialists and business strategists for nearly every workspace scenario. The Northern California-based retailer will open a new ground-level store at 2+U and expects to open to the public in summer of 2021. Their fifth location in the country will offer furniture, office supplies, audiovisual systems and more so organizations can build their dream office spaces.

“One Workplace’s innovative offerings and concept make it the perfect fit for 2+U, an innovative structure in itself,” said Murphy McCullough, Executive Vice President of Skanska USA Commercial Development in Seattle. 

The 370 square-foot retail lease with Valiant Barber & Supply, a Seattle-based hair styling and grooming supply brand. The business's second location with the new ground-level barber shop and retail store at 2+U is expected to open to the public in prior to the end of the year. The new Valiant Barber & Supply will be a full-service barber shop and grooming supply store. 

“Much like the products and services we offer, 2+U is stylish and innovative,” said VALIANT BARBER SPOKESPERSON. “We are confident our clientele will enjoy visiting us in our new location, and exploring the other amenities the Urban Village has to offer, and are excited to bring our services to the downtown core.”

Shunpike, a Seattle-based artist collective, is managing The Studio, a 1,100 square-foot workshop and rehearsal space thoughtfully designed to accommodate all types of local artists, including dance, music, vocal performance and theatre. The Studio also can be used as a community meeting space or for visual art presentations. Skanska self-financed the arts space, which will remain free-of-charge to the Seattle arts community in perpetuity. The Studio is now open and welcoming in the public.

“This space has an amazing energy to it and being able to provide free and equitable access and opportunities to underserved and emerging artists in our region fits perfectly with our mission. We look forward to introducing these amazing artists to 2+U tenants and the local community.” said Shunpike Executive Director Line Sandsmark.

2+U is a 701,000 square-foot retail, office, and arts-and-culture project in the heart of downtown Seattle. Skanska engaged community stakeholders in the planning stages of the project to create a building that adds immediate value to the tenants and the surrounding community. Located at the corner of Second Avenue and University Street, the building is adjacent to Seattle Art Museum and Benaroya Hall, and just steps from the new waterfront. 2+U is lifted 85 feet off the ground at the highest point to create an outdoor urban village situated under the building. 

The urban village includes nearly a half-acre of open space designed for gathering and connecting tenants, neighbors and visitors with local retail, and arts and cultural space. Through its thoughtful design, 2+U becomes a connection linking the new waterfront, Pioneer Square and surrounding downtown neighborhoods. Current tenants include:

• Italian eatery from Seattle restaurateur Ethan Stowell Tavolàta (2,232 square feet)

• Seattle-based specialty coffee purveyor Caffe Ladro (1,000 square feet)

• Leading online employment search company Indeed.com (200,000 square feet)

• Global collaboration platform firm Dropbox, Inc. (121,000 square feet)

• Flexible workspace innovator Spaces (91,000 square feet)

• Customer experience leader Qualtrics (275,000 square feet)

• OTHER URBAN VILLAGE TENANTS ANNOUNCED PREVIOUSLY

With more than 70 years of history in the Puget Sound region, Skanska combines generations of local knowledge with the vast tools of a global development and construction firm to build what matters for local communities. Skanska’s portfolio ranges from investing its own capital and developing award-winning sustainable real estate, like Brooks Sports’ headquarters at Stone34, to building local landmarks, such as Benaroya Hall and the Museum of Glass, major infrastructure projects like the replacement of the southern mile of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and small tenant improvements. Recognized as one of the region’s top corporate philanthropists, Skanska is also committed to creating new opportunities for local small, traditionally disadvantaged businesses. For further information, please contact:

Dan Miller, Curator PR for Skanska, 206.979.4055, dan.miller@curatorpr.com

Alicia Jones, Skanska, 703.835.2762, alicia.jones@skanska.com

This and previous releases can also be found at www.usa.skanska.com. 

About Skanska 

Skanska is one of the world’s leading construction and development companies. In the U.S., Skanska’s core operations include building construction, civil infrastructure and developing self-financed commercial properties, which together generated $7.6 billion in revenue in 2019. As a developer in the U.S., Skanska has invested a total of $2.7 billion in commercial and multi-family projects. With U.S. headquarters in New York City, Skanska has offices in 28 metro areas with 7,900 employees nationwide. Skanska is an industry-leading innovator in both safety and project execution, and offers competitive solutions for both traditional and complex assignments to help build a more sustainable future for our customers and communities. Global revenue of parent company Skanska AB, headquartered in Stockholm and listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, totaled approximately $18.7 billion in 2019. 

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