"We were looking for a new approach," Lorraine Marino, spokesperson for Modern Continental, tells GlobeSt.com. Trammell Crow was the building's leasing agent for two years but Marino insists that the move has nothing to do with Trammell Crow's performance. "We understand it's a difficult market," she says. "We wanted different marketing ideas and Trammell Crow agrees that we need to make some changes." Independence Wharf was opened in September and the building is currently 40% committed.

A few months ago, the investment services team at Trammel Crow--led by Robert E. Griffin Jr.--defected to Cushman & Wakefield but Marino declined to comment on the impact of that move on Modern Continental's decision. "We interviewed with some other companies and we just felt that Cushman & Wakefield was the strongest company for us," she says.