Rapid7, a national cybersecurity firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, selected Tampa for its newest North American office following a nationwide search. Rapid7 cited the area's high concentration of universities and the presence of skilled military cybersecurity experts as two reasons why Tampa is considered one of the top emerging tech cities in the U.S. The firm opened its new Tampa office on Jan. 17, 2023, at the Sparkman Wharf office building in Water Street Tampa.
The company's office lease for 22,000 square feet across two floors at the Sparkman Wharf building located at 615 Channelside Drive was selected by a panel of local industry professionals as the winner of the CoStar Impact Awards' 2023 Lease of the Year for Tampa.
Rapid7 deployed a unique office layout at the Sparkman Wharf location. It has only 41 desks, but it can support more than 150 employees through the use of an innovative design that replaced individual desks with purpose-driven "neighborhoods" that use creative furniture solutions to support the type of work each employee needs to do on a given day. The workplace encourages activity-based work by providing group and heads-down areas away from desks.
Rapid7’s Tampa office currently houses 75 employees and the company plans to hire between 500 and 1,000 employees within the next five years.
About the project: Sparkman Wharf is a dynamic, 230,000-square-foot mixed-use office and retail complex offering waterfront, loft-style office space. Tenants enjoy private outdoor terraces that overlook the water and park, as well as ceiling heights up to 40 feet that flood offices with natural light.
What the judges said: "This lease is meaningful not only for it being a sizable tech company choosing to grow in Tampa Bay but also for being emblematic of how companies are going to utilize office space in the future," said Matt Mitchell, senior managing director of Berkadia Real Estate Advisors.
"To me, the Rapid7 lease was the most dynamic," noted Owen LaFave, Pinellas County president for The Bank of Tampa. "Finding the right tenant mix in a mixed-use property is a critical element for success. The space is flexible, functional and modern. The company created 75 new jobs and the existing space can accommodate up to 150. The potential future impact the company will have in the market was a key differentiator with Rapid7's goal of adding up to 1,000 employees within five years. Additionally, partnering with our local colleges and MacDill Air Force Base will help create a cyber-risk talent pipeline in Tampa Bay making this the most impactful lease."
They made it happen: Executive Vice President David Bevirt and Manager Mary-Kate Michalak of Strategic Property Partners' Corporate Leasing group, along with Director Matt Alexander and Managing Director Chad Rupp of Franklin Street, represented ownership. Market Leader Mike Griffin and Vice Chairman Mark Cote of Savills represented the tenant.
