Republic Properties Corp has signed the first two tenants for its spec office building in NoMa.

The National Association of Counties and the National League of Cities have collaboratively signed on for 78k SF at Republic Square II, Republic’s 200k SF building at 660 N Capitol St. NACo has signed on for 40k SF, while the NLC will lease 33.7k SF, the Washington Business Journal reports. The groups will also share a 4k SF conference center on the first floor of the building, which is scheduled to be completed in February.

Republic broke ground on the project in June 2014, at a time when leasing was rather sluggish in the area. The developer remained confident in the prospects for Republic II for several reasons, including the building’s smaller size and proximity to Capitol Hill.

Republic’s confidence in NoMa was apparently well-founded as the area has attracted a long line of developers. Earlier this month, Foulger-Pratt submitted plans for a massive mixed-use redevelopment project at 301-331 N St NE, which is less than a quarter of a mile away from a planned mixed-use development from Kettler. On the leasing front, NoMa landed the biggest DC office lease of the year just last month when StonebridgeCarras signed the Department of Justice to occupy 839k SF at Constitution Square. [WBJ]