"It's an opportunity to lock in your occupancy costs and enjoythe tax benefits that come from ownership," Becker tellsGlobeSt.com, in explaining why he believes locals are finallyembracing a structure that has been largely missing from thecommercial real estate landscape in Greater Boston. Becker offers anumber of reasons why the format finally seems to be catching on,the most obvious being a record run-up of office rents during thepast 18 months fueled by tight supply and new landlords who paidbig prices for buildings and now need to pass on those costs.

"People are getting sticker shock in a big way," relays Becker,who notes that buyers of the six units already trading at theCooper Building in Charlestown all hailed from Boston. Hunneman wascalled in by owner Davis Marcus Partners last summer to determinewhat could be done with the three-story historic structure whosetenant had recently departed. "We felt the parts were more valuablethan the whole, and were able to sell them on the (condo) concept,"says Becker, who was engaged at the time by Florida-based BayviewFinancial to market 185 Devonshire St.'s units.

One Cooper Building unit was purchased soon after the marketingcampaign began, and five more have traded since, including threelast week that closed after an aggressive push to land prospectivebuyers. "We had a lot of activity from that," says Becker, who ishandling the Charlestown assignment with NAI Hunneman associateDavid Cooney. The second quarter surge filled more than 15,000 sfin the 36,000-sf building, including a 7,000-sf unit purchased byTrevi Icos Corp. Presently at 273 South St. in Boston, Trevi Icoswas represented by Equitable Real Estate Solutions principal MarkCarangelo in the transaction.