Fulcrum building downtown will include lockers, showers and bike racks to help nontraditional commuters

As momentum continues on the renovation the Fulcrum Building in downtown Orlando, the building has been redesigned with showers, lockers and racks designed to help nontraditional commuters who might bicycle, walk or run to work.

Third & Urban and Federal Capital Partners scored a loan of $19.4 million to update the building’s structure, common areas and amenities for its tenants. Berkadia Orlando’s Michael Weinberg, Rebecca Van Reken and Alec Fox helped secure the financing.

Located at Jefferson Street and North Orange Avenue, the Fulcrum building is planned to finish its redevelopment this fall.

In total, there will be enough room and racks for around 30 to 40 bicycles.

“We see people with their bikes at their desk, people have nice bikes and have nowhere to store them,” said Hank Farmer, who leads development efforts for Third & Urban. “This is to give people options to bike to work, walk to work and run to work, to get some exercise in the morning and possibly during the day.”

For those who commute using public transportation, the commuter rail station is only two blocks away.

The locker room and shower area will be access controlled, meaning no one will be able to enter without being a documented employee, and they will have touchless entry.

“It’s really meant to be a place where you can stick something while you are out exercising,” Farmer said.

In addition to the amenities, the retail area on the ground-floor will have multiple food and beverage areas, one of which will be a coffee window. Farmer said that the developers are interested in getting a corner restaurant. “At the end of the day, we want the retail to serve the office and the surrounding community,” Farmer said.

This 140,000 square foot building will feature 77,000 square feet of large format creative office spaces and is expected to offer the largest contiguous block of space in downtown Orlando. Anchor tenant AECOM, which occupies the second floor, will move back in once renovations are complete. Foundry Commercial is leading the office and retail leasing for the rest of the building.

As coronavirus continues to spread, the project timeline allowed for the office spaces to be designed with elements that will help in a post-COVID world. The building will have touchless lobby entries and sanitation stations at entries and elevators. At just four stories, Fulcrum can serve as a walk-up building, with multiple staircases and plenty of stairwell space to give tenants an alternative to lobby elevators.

“With flexible office space and design decisions that can still be made to ensure health and safety, Fulcrum is well-positioned to welcome growing companies seeking a creative feel in an environment that accounts for the needs of a changing workplace,” Farmer said.

erosen@orlandosentinel.com