The Tampa Port Authority on Tuesday approved the hiring of commercial real estate firm Colliers Arnold as the leasing agent for the Joseph Garcia International Center on Channelside Drive.

About 23,000 square feet of the 60,000-square-foot building will be available for lease in June when the University of South Florida's continuing education program moves out of about 11,500 square feet on the first floor that it has leased for as much as 10 years.

The college refused to renew its lease at the below market rate of about $13.50 a square foot, said James R. Renner, the port's senior director of real estate. And port officials declined to renew the lease at $8.50 a square foot as the college requested.

At Tuesday's meeting, Port officials asked and received permission to hire Colliers Arnold. The other two top-ranked firms are Jones Lang LaSalle Brokerage Inc. and SFL Investment Group LLC, known as Keller Williams New Tampa Realty.

Colliers Arnold, based in Clearwater, is in the process of rebranding itself Colliers International.

The port agreed to pay a real estate commission between 2 percent to 6 percent. If two brokers are involved, the 6 percent feel will be split between Colliers Arnold and the second firm. If Colliers Arnold represents the port and tenant, it will receive 4 percent. For lease renewals, the firm will receive 2 percent.

The port occupies 23,000 square feet, Renner said.

And there are two companies interested in leasing office space in the building, he said.

The University of South Florida's small business center will continue to lease the north portion of the second floor, Renner said.