By KEN MAMMARELLA
Special to Delaware Business Times
Gawthrop Greenwood, PC, last week hosted a ribbon-cutting at the law firm's new offices. The event doubled as a celebration of Greenville and the growing business corridor on Kennett Pike.
"Everything is convenient: parking, highways, financial institutions, restaurants and retail. A hub of activity," said Sandra L. Knapp, chair of the management committee.
The firm moved to a 3,200-square-foot space at 3711 Kennett Pike. The staff has grown from four employees to seven
"I'd love to work here full-time," said Brian K. Hoffman Sr., a firm administrator and Middletown resident who works there one day a week. "So I'm trying to grow the office."
Greenville is getting a lot of attention from the legal community, according to Neil Kilian, a principal at Emory Hill Companies who specializes in office space. He said proximity to clients in Greenville, Centerville, Hockessin and courts in Wilmington are part of the appeal.
"It's one of the most sought-after submarkets in northern Delaware," said Rob Stenta, vice president of commercial leasing for Pettinaro Management, LLC. Greenville's walkability and aesthetic make it "a nice play to work."
Pettinaro's Greenville portfolio "“ 335,000 square feet in five properties "“ suggests a strong market: 95 percent occupancy rate, with multiple trust and wealth-management firms catering to the area's high-income demographic. Pettinaro and Delle Donne & Associates both have projects in the works to increase their commercial space in Greenville.
Michael Weidinger of Pinckney, Weidinger, Urban & Joyce, LLC, a law firm upstairs at 3711, said "overall, costs are less" than downtown Wilmington, which it left two years ago.
"The environment makes sense," Weidinger said, plus the move eliminated client complaints about parking, traffic and hassles with its old space.
On the other hand, Gawthrop Greenwood found the bigger space because another law firm "“ Cooch and Taylor "“ consolidated into downtown Wilmington.
Centreville resident and Gawthrop Greenwood client Tracy Stover said "proximity and the skill set" are factors she likes about the firm.
