Large ad agency cites area's vibrancy in decision to return

More than 25 years after leaving downtown Dallas for Las Colinas, TM Advertising is heading back -- another sign the city's once lackluster urban core is starting to shine once again.

The ad firm looked in Las Colinas, the Galleria area, Plano's Legacy corridor and at other downtown Dallas locations before deciding to take four floors in Comerica Bank Tower at 1717 Main St. in Dallas, said Tom Hansen, president of TM, formerly known as Temerlin McClain. The search took more than two years. About 340 employees will make the move on Jan. 2.

The cranes and construction in the downtown and adjoining Uptown markets are exhilarating, Hansen said. But in the end, the growing energy of people working and living downtown were what really lured the company back, he said.

"There are more people concentrated in a smaller space, so you're always kind of bumping into folks," Hansen said. "It's that friction of rubbing up against each other and running into people that creates that energy."

He predicted the location will fuel the ad firm employees' creativity.

"We have a very young, high-energy company," he said. "Our business is being in touch with what's going on culturally in the world. With what's happening downtown, we felt it was really important for us to be right in the middle of it."

TM's move shows growing momentum for downtown, said John Crawford, president and CEO of Downtown Dallas, a business and economic development group.

"We're very glad to have a national advertising firm moving into downtown Dallas," he said. "It indicates the renewed importance of a downtown address."

Crawford said more firms such as TM are choosing downtown to provide an environment that helps recruiting and retention of younger workers who want to live, dine and be entertained close to their workplace.

He expects the "live-work-play" philosophy to continue to drive downtown and reduce historically high office vacancy rates.

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source: bizjournals.com