ST. LOUIS 鈥 Global public relations firm FleishmanHillard is leaving its longtime headquarters in downtown St. 不良研究所导航网址 for smaller offices in Clayton.
The agency has spent 70 years downtown and nearly 40 at the St. 不良研究所导航网址 Place Building at Pine Street and North Broadway, where it has occupied the top four floors as one of the foremost PR and marketing firms in the country. Its clients have included Anheuser-Busch brewery, technology manufacturer Emerson and consumer goods maker Procter & Gamble Co.
This spring, Fleishman will move to in Clayton and occupy 40,000 square feet 鈥 an office less than half the size of its downtown headquarters. Online show the agency鈥檚 space is already being marketed for lease.
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Fleishman confirmed the move Monday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a huge privilege to be part of the downtown St. 不良研究所导航网址 community since 1953 and we will continue to advocate for St. 不良研究所导航网址 as our headquarters and home,鈥 the company said in a statement provided by Senior Vice President Chelsey Watts. 鈥淥ur new location in Clayton will provide us with a flexible office environment that fits our current and future needs, along with putting us in closer proximity to many of our local clients.鈥
The company would not say how many employees it had here, said it had no plans to make local staffing changes and attributed the move in part to a hybrid work schedule. Watts would not say if downtown crime played a role in the firm鈥檚 departure.
Fleishman鈥檚 exit follows other high-profile decamping, including Polsinelli law firm, KMOV TV station and the state of Missouri, the latter of which left two of its downtown offices.
Jason Hall, CEO of regional business group Greater St. 不良研究所导航网址 Inc., on Monday called on City Hall and other partners to make downtown a bigger priority.
鈥淢ake no mistake: Downtown needs urgent investment, and it needs that investment now,鈥 he said in a statement.
Fleishman鈥檚 departure after seven decades marks an emotional blow for downtown. The neighborhood has struggled for years as businesses left for other corners of the St. 不良研究所导航网址 region and country. The pandemic further exploited downtown鈥檚 weak market conditions as remote work emptied office buildings and streets, storefronts closed and lawlessness grew.
For city officials and downtown boosters, it鈥檚 been a game of Whac-A-Mole in tackling the problems and persuading St. 不良研究所导航网址ans that downtown is a safe destination, outside of concerts and sporting events.
Greater St. 不良研究所导航网址 Inc. has taken a co-pilot role with City Hall in addressing these issues: The organization launched an ambassador program of unarmed workers to 鈥渁dd a sense of security.鈥 It bought the Wainwright Building from the state, which said it is leaving downtown for Chesterfield.
And the business group has thrown its support behind the Gateway Arch Park Foundation buying the vacant Millennium Hotel and the city economic development agency鈥檚 lawsuit to gain possession of the troubled Railway Exchange Building.
But it鈥檚 not enough, Hall said on Monday. The city receives 20% of its revenue from downtown but spends just 5% of it in the neighborhood.
鈥淭his is not sustainable,鈥 he said.
He echoed his previous call to spend the Rams relocation settlement on downtown infrastructure and development.
鈥淎t a time when major leases are coming up for renewal, and when unique one-time resources like the Rams funds are available, we must act now to preserve the City鈥檚 tax base,鈥 Hall said.
FleishmanHillard was founded in St. 不良研究所导航网址 in 1946 by Alfred Fleishman and Robert Hillard. Its influence as the voice of corporate and civic establishment became enmeshed in the local landscape even as its stature grew globally. It was acquired by New York-based Omnicom Group in 1997.
The agency moved into the St. 不良研究所导航网址 Place building, at 200 North Broadway, just a few years after it was built. Prior to that, FleishmanHillard had offices across downtown.
In Clayton, the agency will rub shoulders with some of the region鈥檚 biggest corporations, including Emerson and health care giant Centene Corp.
Clayton is the premier office market. It commands the highest rental rates of more than $30 a square foot and boasts some of the best building amenities that companies say are key to getting their employees back into the office.
Fleishman named a new CEO, J.J. Carter, on Oct. 1.
Carter is based in San Francisco.