This is the view from the corner office of the historic Union Trust Building in downtown Providence, renamed the iBuilding because of its high-tech features. Visible are Providence City Hall and the Biltmore.

The Providence Journal / Kathy Borchers

The new owner of the historic Union Trust Building in downtown Providence has landed its first tenant after renovating and remarketing the 12-story structure as a technology hub.

Forensic Risk Alliance plans to relocate on June 1 from Warren to 6,000 square feet on the second floor of the structure, renamed the iBuilding, at 170 Westminster St. The company is paying in the range of $20 a square foot for the Class B space.

The move from Warren was prompted, in part, by the technology needs of the company.

“The vibrancy of the downtown area, the ability to connect with high-speed utilities and the abundance of an educated work force are the main reasons why we chose to be in the heart of the city and plays directly into our growth and recruitment strategies,” said Frances McLeod, a cofounder of Forensic Risk Alliance.

Greg Mason, another of FRA’s founders and global information technology head, said, “We are very much focused on IT and being at the forefront of industry developments. The data and power service available at our current facility doesn’t have the required bandwidth to keep up with our substantial processing capabilities.”

The third principal in the company is Toby Duthier.

“We looked at every available property in the Greater Providence market and after running several financial models and considering the cost-benefits scenarios we came to the conclusion that being in the heart of downtown was the most important factor for FRA,” said Matt Fair, a broker at Hayes & Sherry Real Estate Services who represented FRA in its property search.

Forensic Risk Alliance provides forensic investigation and litigation support services and has offices in New York and London. The company plans to employ 25 workers in the Providence building that was acquired last summer by FB Capital Partners.

“FRA will be a wonderful addition to the iBuilding and we look forward to working with them closely to make sure all of their unique IT requirements are met,” said Gary Brandeis, managing director of FB Capital Partners.

“FRA’s commitment has reaffirmed our business plan and shows that tenants are increasingly demanding more from their office building than just electricity and HVAC. They need increased power and data speed, secure server rooms with fire suppression and supplemental cooling systems, and a landlord who understands the technology.”

The building’s improvements include free wi-fi, a digital directory in the lobby, new security systems and plans for a common server for the building.

Daniel Baudouin, executive director of The Providence Foundation, said, “FRA is the type of information technology company that can thrive in downtown due to its high-speed data and power infrastructure, central location, services and amenities. We congratulate FRA on the growth of their business and congratulate the owners of 170 Westminster Street.”

The building’s occupants include the Federal Reserve banquet facility on the first floor in the former location of the Greater Providence Deposit & Trust, a bank that closed after the failure of its private insurer, the Rhode Island Share & Deposit Indemnity Corporation.

The second floor of the building, to be occupied by Forensic Risk Alliance, was originally the executive offices for the Union Trust Bank when the building was constructed in 1902 as the tallest skyscraper in New England.

Much of the ornate detail of the space has been preserved including the intricate wrought-iron balcony railings, the oversized handcrafted arch windows, and the original wood-floored and crown-molded conference room.

“Our architects have designed the space to showcase its historical features, which will be fully restored during the build-out process,” said Brandeis.