Optos "needed more space to accommodate their internal growth,"explains Lincoln Property Co. broker Tim Latham, who negotiated thelease for the landlord along with Lincoln colleague Kevin Malloy.The commitment for nearly 27,000 sf on the third floor representsan increase of 17,000 sf to be occupied by Optos, says Latham, whodeclined to provide terms such as lease length or rates due toconfidentiality agreements. Jack Kerrigan and Steve Cook of Grubb& Ellis represented the tenant, whose US headquarters isrelocating from another Marlborough building.

Optos is among a cadre of tenants with requirements of 10,000 sfto 30,000 sf who have been driving activity in the Interstate 495West submarket, says Latham. "There has been some good velocityover the past month or two," he reports. Latham and Malloy are alsoexclusive agents for Realty Financial Partners on anotherMarlborough asset, 293 Boston Post Rd. Occupancy in that 180,000-sfbuilding has spiked from 40% to 90% in the past 18 months, while 67Forest St. is now two-thirds leased after being completely empty atthe outset of 2007.

The I-495 West office submarket of 16.8 million sf had a solidyear statistically, posting 504,000 sf of positive net absorption,according to year-end figures compiled by Richards Barry Joyce& Partners. The vacancy rate of 17.2% is slightly below theoverall suburban rate of 17.8% and compares favorably to the 20.8%average for the entire I-495 belt of 33 million sf, the RBJ surveyindicates.