Highwoods Properties Lands Nashville Tenant Amid Renovations

Symphony Place in downtown Nashville is getting a second act, and a new anchor tenant to lead the show.

Holland & Knight, the second-largest law firm in Nashville, leased 145,000 square feet across seven floors at Symphony Place, at 150 Third Avenue South in SoBro, marking one of the largest downtown office deals so far this year, the Nashville Business Journal reported.

The move will boost occupancy at the 520,000-square-foot tower from about 40 percent to about 65 percent, according to the building’s owner Highwoods Properties.

It’s a saving grace for a building that had recently seen several major departures more or less in succession.

Symphony Place, previously known as Pinnacle at Symphony Place, lost two of its largest tenants to Nashville Yards in 2021: Pinnacle Financial Partners and law firm Bass, Berry & Sims. PricewaterhouseCoopers and Butler Snow also exited earlier this year, leaving Highwoods scrambling to reposition the tower.

The Raleigh-based landlord is midway through a dramatic renovation of the 29-story building. The makeover includes upgraded lobbies, new retail tenants, a private club and an adjacent park. The renovation is expected to finish by the end of the year.

Holland & Knight is relocating from Austin-based CapRidge Partners’ Nashville City Center, where Waller Lansden — which merged with Holland & Knight in 2023 — had long been a tenant. The firm said its headcount is higher than ever, and that it deliberately chose to stay in the heart of the city, despite decreasing its space.

The move stands out in a market where several firms have left downtown for newer buildings elsewhere.

Recent departures include Regions Bank, Sony Music Publishing and Butler Snow. Holland & Knight’s decision to remain downtown signals confidence in the urban core particularly as development momentum accelerates in the adjacent East Bank.

— Judah Duke