Law firm moving from downtown Tampa to Ybor City
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: May 12, 2023

A law firm will move from downtown Tampa to Ybor City later this year, marking the latest departure from the central business district.

McIntyre Thanasides Bringgold Elliott Grimaldi Guito & Matthews PA has leased 13,700 square feet or more than half of Casa Carbonell, a 23,880-square-foot office building located at 1228 East 7th Ave. The property is owned by Ybor City developer Darryl Shaw.

JLL Inc.'s Jim Moler, Lisa Coulter and Pearlita Price represented Shaw in the lease transaction. Amy Cox and Thomas Grandoff of TMC-The Mahr Company represented the law firm.

"Ybor City continues to draw significant interest from companies across all sectors because of the historic district's growing appeal amongst executives and employees alike," Coulter said in a statement. "As tenants look to enhance the workplace experience, properties like Casa Carbonell have risen in popularity. Ybor City provides the same live-work-play experience with plenty of parking options and more favorable pricing all around."

Rich McIntyre, firm president, sold the downtown building that previously housed the law firm for $9.6 million in April to an entity linked to Tampa investor Jason Kuhn, according to Hillsborough County property records. He will move The Attic, a cafe that was also housed at 500 E. Kennedy Blvd., to another of Shaw's Ybor properties.

"Since I have been here, downtown Tampa was where you went to work, and Ybor City was where you went to have dinner and drinks. It wasn't that way in the past, and thanks to some visionaries who have guided its redevelopment, it won't be that way in the future," McIntyre said in a statement. "Ybor City has the character of an old-world city. It's accessible, with good, inexpensive parking. It has Class A office space and restaurants and a vibrance that comes from its rich history and diversity. I loved the last 30 years in downtown Tampa, and I look forward to spending the remainder of my working years in Ybor City."

McIntyre's firm expects to move by fall, and the building will be fully occupied once they are in their space. It is the second law firm in recent months to announce its departure from the central business district. National law firm Bradley plans to move from the CBD to Water Street Tampa. CBRE Inc., a commercial real estate firm, will move from the CBD to The Heights this summer.