Marc Elias' New Law Firm Signs First Lease At Capitol Crossing's 250 Mass

Two years after delivering the second building at Capitol Crossing without any tenants, Property Group Partners has inked its first lease. 

The developer signed law firm Elias Law Group for 54K SF, the entire fourth floor of the 559K SF building at 250 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 

Elias Law Group was launched in September by election rights lawyer Marc Elias and 10 of his partners who previously worked with him at Perkins Coie, Reuters reported. The group said it focuses on electing Democrats, supporting voting rights and helping progressives make change. The company said in a release it chose the Capitol Crossing location because of its proximity to the White House and U.S. Capitol, plus the architecture and environmental sustainability of the development. 

This will be the firm's first office, meaning the deal represents net new demand for the D.C. office market. The occupancy growth is much needed for a D.C. market that has struggled with rising vacancy and stagnant demand in recent quarters. 

The deal is also much needed for PGP, which has experienced a slower-than-expected lease-up pace at Capitol Crossing. The project's first delivery, a 414K SF office building at 200 Massachusetts Ave. NW that opened in 2018, is 75% leased. The 250 Mass building delivered in 2019 and has been vacant for two years.

PGP switched the leasing team for Capitol Crossing in 2018 from Cushman & Wakefield to JLL, and it has also undergone a major leadership shakeup of its own. Three executives who oversaw the D.C. market and Capitol Crossing — Bob Braunohler, Sean Cahill and David Happ — have left the company since the start of 2019. Last week, PGP announced it hired George Cantrell from Republic Properties Corp. to lead its D.C. market. 

Cantrell told Bisnow last week that leasing Capitol Crossing was his main focus in his new role, and he signaled the firm was nearing a closing on its first lease at 250 Mass. 

“Having Elias Law Firm Group launch 250 Mass with this lease further endorses the impeccable development quality and massive infrastructure that is Capitol Crossing, and secures it as a dynamic destination and neighborhood with the highest-quality most efficient office space available in the city," Cantrell said in a release.

JLL's Evan Behr, Doug Mueller and Nathan Beach represented PGP in the deal, while Cushman & Wakefield's Ella Cooper represented the tenant.