Trammell Crow Co.'s Peter Farnum, who along with the firm's Alison Cavanaugh-Leo, represented owner HRPT Properties Trust of Newton, MA, tells GlobeSt.com that property's 251 Causeway St. location near Beacon Hill and the Southeast Expressway made it the right choice for the agency. The Office of Environmental Affairs was self represented in the transaction.

"The building just works," says Farnum, noting that the 10-story, fully leased brick structure, which was rehabbed in the 1980s, offered nearby access to other government agencies and an array of transportation options for employees, including nearby North Station with its rapid transit connections.

Farnum, citing a confidentiality agreement, declined to reveal what the state will pay to lease the building, but said properties in the same area generally rent in the low to mid-$20 per-sf range. The building also is home to the state Office of Veteran Affairs.