The largest of the newly signed leases is a 25,000-square-footspace at 3950 Shackleford Rd. to be occupied by medical device firmGiven Imaging. The tenant will relocate its North Americanheadquarters from another site in the submarket. American FamilyMutual Insurance Co. has made its debut in the market with a10,186-square-foot lease at 1854 Shackleford Court, drawn to thebuilding because of its access to Interstate 85 and amenities inthe area including a nearby Marriot Hotel, says Craig Flanagan,vice president of leasing at Duke.

The submarket's proximity to major highways, retail centers likeGwinnett Place Mall and employee housing, have also driven a numberof smaller tenants to locate to the region, along with severalrenewals and expansions. The I-85/Northeast submarket is enjoyingthe second lowest overall vacancy in the Atlanta Metro area at 8.6%and the lowest rental rates at $20.15, according to a third quarterCushman & Wakefield market report. "Atlanta has traditionallybeen viewed as a place where quality of life and cost of living isvery reasonable compared to the Northeast and other areas of thecountry," Flanagan tells GlobeSt.com of the influx of leases.

Motorola Inc. has renewed a 36,000-square-foot lease at Duke's105,000-square-foot Huntcrest II located at 1745 N. Brown Way inLawrenceville. Asbury Automotive, a tenant at Duke's80,000-square-foot Sugarloaf VI at 2905 Premier Pkwy., has renewedand expanded its lease from 9,300 square feet to 21,678 square feetin order to relocate its New York corporate offices. Specific termsof the leases were not disclosed.