Broadway Plaza anchor tenant to move to Ruffin Building to make room for hotel

UPDATED — As Sudha Tokala marches forward with her plans for a more than $125 million medical and trade school complex downtown, the last of the tenants in her Broadway Plaza at the southwest corner of Douglas and Broadway are vacating the building.

That includes longtime anchor tenant the Specialists Group, which does recruiting and staffing nationally and has been in the building for almost four decades.

“We’re probably one of the last to leave,” says CFO Brian Campbell.

Tokala plans a hotel in the building.

The Specialists Group is moving across the intersection to the Ruffin Building.

“We recruit for the Ruffin companies, and we’ve had a long, longtime association with the Ruffin firms, and I think Phil (Ruffin) has been wanting us . . . to come over to that building for some time now,” Campbell says.

The company’s 62-year history has all been within about a block of there since it started in what is now the CorTen building at Douglas and Market.

The Specialists Group was the only company to occupy a full floor in Broadway Plaza in recent years.

“The building’s kind of been in disarray since the Minnesota Guys bought it years ago,” Campbell says.

The developers sold entire floors as office condos.

The Specialists Group is in Suite 200, and that will be the company’s new suite number at the Ruffin Building, too, though it’s smaller space.

The company, which has offices in San Francisco, Denver and Houston as well, doesn’t need as much room as it once did because of online efficiencies.

There’s a personal perk for Campbell as well. 

He and his wife, Elaine Swart Campbell, have always shared rides to work. As of the June 3rd move, they’ll conveniently be working in the same building.

Not that that was part of the company’s decision to remain downtown.

“It’s just the most convenient for anyone in any part of the city,” Campbell says.

“We’ve always supported downtown.”

BY CARRIE RENGERS