"I'm excited to be part of this kind of growth for the city," says Margot McKean, the Kane Co.'s leasing agent on the office portion of Capital Commons. "For too long, the signature tenants in the area have had limited opportunities. Despite being in the state capital, there just hasn't been suitable first class office space." Capital Commons, she says, provides not only superior interiors and other amenities for occupants, but also has the modern infrastructure in place to accommodate IT and security needs of companies functioning in the new millennium.

McKean says she anticipates financial, legal and professional services companies will be among those attracted to the building. Capital Commons is accentuated by a 510-vehicle municipal parking garage constructed by the city, which also contributed infrastructure improvements to the surrounding block. Besides the office space, the new building features a three-cinema Red River Theaters, Centrix Bank and various salon and spa services. A full-service dining establishment is slated to be added to the Capital Commons menu over the near term.

Kane Co. is handling the retail leasing for Capital Commons developer Michael Simchik as well, with broker Jody Skaff overseeing that effort. "The synergy between the office tenants and the retail below is just fantastic," says Skaff. "I think this is going to truly be a hot spot unlike anything Concord has seen before." Opening last summer, the parking garage has already proven a benefit to the Downtown, and Skaff says she thinks the larger initiative will prove beneficial as Capital Commons leases up. "You just don't get a more dynamic project than this," she says.