LaSalle buys Midosuji Front Tower

On October 3, LaSalle Investment Management, headquartered in Chicago, announced the purchase of Midosuji Front Tower in Osaka’s Umeda district through their Frontier Property LLC, signalling the end of the building's 8 year vacancy. The sale price was not disclosed.

Midosuji Front Tower was completed in 2010. It has sat vacant ever since due to a dispute between the owners.Read more


Office building to be torn down after 2 years

This would set a record for one of the shortest lived office buildings in Japan. Only two years after completion, a high-rise office building near Osaka's Umeda area is now facing a threat of demolition.

Midosuji Front Tower is located in alongside Midosuji Avenue in Sonezakishinchi 1 Chome in Kita-ku. The 20 story building was completed in June 2010 and has a total floor area of 18,000 sqm (193,680 sqft). It was intended to be let out to tenants but the construction barricades around the building have never been removed and it has never been occupied.

In 2003, Toyo Real Estate bought the 1700 sqm site. After approaching Mitsubishi Jisho, the two companies set up a special purpose company in 2007 to develop the site. Both parties would contribute funds to the project while the remaining majority was to be financed. The SPC entered into an agreement with Kajima Corporation to construct the building at a cost of 5 billion Yen. When completed, the building was expected to bring in an annual rent of between 800 million ~ 1 billion Yen.Read more