TAMPA, FL-In one of the largest corporate moves in the Tampa Bay area this year, AmeriLife leased the three-story complex formerly known as Prestige Place II on US 19 in Clearwater. The senior-focused life and health insurance marketing firm plans to move its 350 employees there in March 2012.

“This is the space we’ve needed to expand our services as well as our employee base,” AmeriLife CEO and president Timothy North, said in a statement. “This move will facilitate company expansion and accelerate our ability to serve our agents and clients alike.”

AmeriLife is moving from its long-time location at the AmeriLife Towers at the intersection of US 19 and Countryside Blvd. The firm was attracted to the 2650 McCormick Dr. complex, soon to be called AmeriLife Place, by its central Pinellas location and parking facilities. Built in 1987, the interior of the building is being renovated and remodeled for AmeriLife’s use.

Alan Feldshue and Melanie Jackson of Colliers International Tampa Bay represented AmeriLife. Colliers International negotiated an 11-year lease. Hans Kaunath and Judy Healey of Ciminelli Real Estate Services represented the landlord, CW Capital Asset Management.

“The new location is only about a mile and a half from the old one,” Feldshue tells GlobeSt.com. “It’s a more modern and efficient space. AmeriLife was in multiple floors in the other building. The new location has a much larger floor plate. AmeriLife looked at more than 20 locations in the Tampa Bay area before settling on this space.”

Although Feldshue hasn’t seen many lease deals of this size in the Tampa Bay area this year, he says the demand for office space is picking up. It’s still a tenant’s market, but landlords who are willing to invest in the building like CW Capital Asset Management are seeing traction.

Indeed, the Tampa Bay area office market showed positive signals in the third quarter, according to Cushman & Wakefield. Even though the overall vacancy rate closed the third quarter at 23.0%, vacancy decreased three-tenths of a percentage point from mid-year 2011 and is down seven-tenths of a percentage point from the same time last year.

“Next year is going to be very interesting based on what we’ve seen in the third quarter and so far in the fourth quarter,” Feldshue says. “I’m hopeful that we will continue to see some positive absorption as we move into 2012. The election is going to have some impact on occupancy because it will impact employment.”