Yesterday, we hoofed it down M Street to meet Akridge's Greg Tomasso and Ben Meisel on the 11th floor of their firm's under-construction 1200 17th St, where a Pillsbury lawyer's corner office might eventually be located (the firm's committed to 101k SF.) With 67k SF of space left (45k SF unencumbered), the guys expect the remaining space to be filled by high-end government affairs, lobbying, and law firms, which should be enticed by the 169k SF trophy building's totally column-free space. (One tenant they'll never get: National Parthenon Lovers Association.) 9,500 SF of high-end spec suites represent the rest of the remaining space, to be built on the fifth and sixth floors.

From 1200 17th's rooftop (which will be partially enclosed in glass), here's this cool look down 17th Street, with a peek at the Jefferson Memorial at the end—something Greg and Ben tell us the firm didn't even realize it would have when designing the building. They say the building's 17th and M location acts as a gateway: to points north (the 16th and 14th Street corridors, among others) and south (CBD).

The terracotta design on the exterior not only distinguishes 1200 17th from other glass trophy offices, but also complements the classic brick designs of its neighbors—St. Matthew's Cathedral, Sumner School, and the YMCA. The building also features an innovative dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) setup, which Greg tells us can help save tenants $0.35/SF annually on HVAC costs. The building will be complete by July 1, the guys tell us, and Pillsbury could move in before the end of the year, though its lease doesn't start until January 1; rents are checking in at the low-to-mid $50/SF range, triple-net.