Southern First Bank Enters Atlanta Market with Class-A Buckhead Lease

Savills Studley, the leading commercial real estate firm specializing in tenant representation, completed an 8,500-square-foot deal in Atlanta for Southern First Bank. The bank will open its first office in the city at 309 East Paces Ferry Road located in the Buckhead district. The space is currently under construction and will be ready for occupancy late 2017.

Sandy Bowen, EVP – Atlanta Market Executive said, “We will be delighted to serve bank clients and patrons at our new location in the heart of Atlanta’s commercial business district. Our logo is the pineapple, symbol of hospitality, and we look forward to welcoming everyone who visits us.”

“We’re proud to have a space that’s not only accessible and attractive to our clients and employees but also reflects the Southern First Bank brand and our growth in the region,” said Art Seaver, CEO. “Bo Keatley and his team at Savills Studley provided the insight, comprehensive analysis and thorough execution we needed to make our Atlanta market expansion a reality. We could not be more pleased with their work on our behalf. We are excited about our new location and the opportunity to provide a more thoughtful and creative banking solution to Atlanta.”

Established in 1999, Southern First Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFST), headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina with assets of approximately $1.5BYN.  Southern First Bank has expanded to 11 locations in the Southeast including new offices in Atlanta and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Formerly known as the Aaron’s Rents building, 309 East Paces is a newly transformed property ready for occupancy, developed by a joint venture between KnoxRedan and The Loudermilk Cos. Originally built in 1963, the 54-year-old building was Buckhead’s first high-rise. The redesigned 12-story structure now offers 80,000 square feet of office space in addition to ground-level retail space, onsite parking, industrial style windows with expansive views and all the local conveniences of the district.

The Savills Studley team included Atlanta Executive Managing Directors Bo Keatley, John Flack and David Rubenstein. The landlord was represented in negotiations by Cameron Golden of Redan Group.

“Southern First Bank has achieved record success through creating strong relationships with its clients, so it was important that we identify options that were centrally located with great exposure and accessibility to the community,” said Keatley. “The space at 309 East Paces is highly-visible and conveniently located on the building’s first floor. We were pleased to achieve favorable terms for our client as Buckhead continues to be a very active and attractive district for tenants seeking commercial real estate within Atlanta’s urban core.”