WASHINGTON, DC-These are not blockbuster lease days by any means. However, in the last several days, the DC area has seen a number of respectable-sized leases close, raising hopes that leasing is beginning to pick up.

The most recent transaction was a renewal in Rosslyn, VA, where law firm Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth signed onto a 20,871-square-foot lease extension at 1300 N. 17th St. Ezra Co. EVP Gene Martin and SVP Damon Rothman represented the firm in the transaction. Tishman Speyer owns the 387,720-square-foot, 19-story building.

Another newly-inked lease comes from the Nuclear Energy Institute, which is taking 50,861 square feet at 1201 F St., NW. It is moving from nearby 1776 Eye St., NW. Also, the American Bar Association will occupy 61,000 square feet at Washington Square, when it delivers in 2013.

The Washington, DC area office market, for all its strength when compared against national markets, has been experiencing limited net absorption and a vacancy rate that refuses to budge, from 12%, Delta Associates observed in a recent report. Gross leasing activity, while steady in 2011, was not enough to keep pace with tenants vacating space.

Delta expects the Washington metro area market to remain one of the best performing office markets in the nation in the intermediate and long run--however, it said, recovery will continue to be slow during 2012. Government leasing will remain muted, while leasing by the private sector will only gradually start to rise.   Indeed, leases in the 20,000-square foot to 60,000-square foot range appear to fit this description of gradual growth very well.

The market won’t see conditions normalize until 2014 and 2015, Delta also predicted.