Still, the building opened in July at an 80% leased/committed level, says Brian Hogg, executive vice president of Portman Management Co., the leasing operation for the Portman companies and for the SunTrust Plaza complex. Gross rental rates are $24 psf. The tower, which opened in 1992, is 99.5% leased and rates are $28 to $31 psf.

About 275,000 sf in the Garden Offices was pre-leased to SunTrust Bank for offices. Another 190,000 sf went to Interland, a web-hosting company that is relocating its headquarters. Other tenants are KPMG, Steelcase office furniture systems, Oce-USA Inc., a France-based reproduction/copying business and Viant Corp About 2,000 to 2,500 people will work in the Plaza Garden Offices compared to 4,100 in the SunTrust Plaza Tower.

Each floor in the Garden Offices contains 100,000 sf of space, with open floor plans. The structure has a six-story atrium. Phase III, a 26-story, unnamed 700,000 sf building, is planned for the three-acre site north of the current structures. It will essentially be built on stilts—the first floor will be 160 feet off the ground—so that it will not block the view of the Garden Offices. The top floor of the parking deck will have a full garden for the viewing pleasure and use by tenants.