Baltic Pointe is Utah’s first 'mass timber' office building – and now it's 100 percent occupied

Where one would expect to see steel and concrete, a closeup shot of the construction phase of the Gardner Group’s Baltic Pointe office building in Draper shows the structure being built primarily with laminated wooden beams. The project recently reached full occupancy. (Photo courtesy Kalesnikoff Mass Timber)

Trumpeted as a building method that answers the climate change conundrum, “mass timber” construction has found its way to Utah.

Commercial real estate firm JLL, leasing agent for owner the Gardner Group, announced last month that the Baltic Pointe office building, just off I-15 in Draper, is now fully leased. Baltic Pointe is the state’s first mass timber building.

The new popularity of wood construction is driven by its sustainability. According to wood building proponents, steel and concrete — the main ingredients in most office structures — are carbon-intensive to produce. Both require the burning of large amounts of fossil fuels, the purported bad guys in climate change.

Wood, on the other hand, has a mostly positive impact on the environment as it is harvested, milled and laminated into structural beams that are tough enough to support buildings up to 25 stories. The crossbeams in Baltic Pointe are up to 32 inches thick and are produced in processes that generate much less carbon dioxide than equivalent steel and concrete components, the
developers said.

Mass timber buildings are a little more expensive than traditional steel and concrete structures, but according to industry reports, more than 1,600 of the wood edifices are completed, under construction or planned in the United States. A large number of those are in the Pacific Northwest, where there is plenty of lumber for the process. One of the largest mass timber structures will be in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Walmart is replacing its current headquarters with a 2.4 million-square-foot mass timber campus with the materials coming from the Arkansas lumber industry.

Signed tenants who will fill Baltic Pointe include venture capital firm Pelion Venture Partners, a financial partner with the Gardner Group in the development of the project. Redo, a consumer retail operations tech group has signed on, as has Vector, a defense and space manufacturing company that manufactures drones. Financial services firm PorchSoftware and restaurant group Savory Fund round out the five lessees.

Method Studios was the architect for the project and Okland Construction was the general contractor. Kalesnikoff Mass Timber of British Columbia, Canada, supplied the mass timber components. David Nixon, JLL senior managing director, handles marketing and leasing at Baltic Pointe on behalf of the Gardner Group.

“This milestone at Baltic Pointe sets a new benchmark for sustainable office space in Utah, and is indicative of the market’s appetite for innovation, not just in the work done here, but also in the spaces the work is done in,” said Nixon.

“Baltic Pointe provides a one-of-a-kind environment for our employees and an unbeatable location in Silicon Slopes,” said Blake Modersitzki, managing partner at Pelion Venture Partners. “Quality office space like this allows us to continue attracting top-tier talent while staying in close proximity to our esteemed clientele. We admired Gardner’s commitment to delivering a first-of-its-kind offering and were proud to serve as the kickoff tenant on-site.”

With all the leases signed, Baltic Pointe is expected to be fully occupied by fall 2025.

“We’re proud to lead the charge in sustainable office building practices in Utah,” said Mark Murdock, partner at the Gardner Group. “In addition to ensuring Baltic Pointe is the premier all-electric, energy-conscious office destination, we intentionally designed its functionality for the modern employee. This unique balance of aesthetics and sustainability has proved just as important for the companies that will soon call it home.”

Features at Baltic Pointe include exposed-wood interiors; mountain views; easy access to I-15; and a range of amenities that include gym space with locker rooms, pickleball and basketball courts, as well as an outdoor lounge. EV charging stations, a covered parking structure and several community spaces are also available on-site.

“We’re thrilled with the strong list of tenants that have landed at Baltic Pointe,” Nixon added. “These businesses’ choice to secure long-term leases at the office building is further evidence of the value this sustainable building model provides in today’s modern work environment.”