SAN FRANCISCO-LePort Schools, an Orange County-based private school group, has signed a 15-year lease for the entirety of 50 Fell Street in downtown San Francisco, marking its first location in Northern California. LePort will debut its authentic Montessori program for children ages 3 months to 6 years in September 2014, after a multi-million-dollar renovation to the property.

Built in 1931, the 23,604-square-foot, four-story building between Van Ness Avenue and Market Street, features classic architectural design and a private outdoor courtyard.

"The ability to convert the outdoor courtyard to playground space and immediate access to the Van Ness Muni station make 50 Fell an ideal site for LePort's first school in San Francisco," said Nick Carey, a managing director with Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) in Newport Beach. He represented LePort with local partner Shannon Dolan, a vice president at Cornish & Carey Commercial Newmark Knight Frank in San Francisco. "The influx of residents in the immediate area and location within a burgeoning tech center were also significant factors in site selection."