Downtown's net absorption totaled 204,870 square feet through June, according to Jones Lang LaSalle, and ye olde CBD has led Atlanta in net absorption two out of the past three quarters. A litany of transactions tells the story.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission began moving into 101,000 square feet at Peachtree Center's Marquis I tower this year, and SunTrust will occupy 252,822 square feet at Marquis II next year. McKinsey & Co. quietly renewed for 50,000 square feet at Georgia Pacific Center in the first quarter. InComm doubled its occupancy and retained its HQ at American Cancer Society Center last month. 191 Peachtree captured a few Peachtree Center tenants in Deloitte and Carlock, Copeland & Stair, but the moves kept the tenants Downtown. Centennial Tower renewed Atlanta Spirit and attracted new tenants Web.com and the Federal Defender Services Program in the past year.  Richard Bowers & Co. recently closed on refinancing 270 Peachtree, as well as 80,000 square feet of renewals.

Sure, some of the tenant movement involves musical chairs, cannibalization, what have you, but that's evident in every submarket.

"We are well positioned to survive the recession, much better than in previous downturns," said A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress. "The trend in Atlanta is toward the urban core due to better transit infrastructure, and Downtown has a great mix of product - Class A, B and C - to choose from. Tenants of all sizes are looking for value, and Downtown is a major value play."

Moving on to Norcross, Cosentino leased Shaheen & Co.'s 28,000-square-foot 1741 Wilwat Drive building for its Atlanta show room. Fred Victor of Lavista Associates represented Cosentino, which is the world's largest manufacturer of natural quartz surfaces. Shaheen's Calvin O'Keefe represented ownership.

Also leased by O'Keefe, Shaheen's new multi-tenant building at 1741 Wilwat Drive has attracted its first tenant. Office Furniture Installation Solutions leased 16,000 square feet at the 54,000-square-foot building in a direct deal, expanding from another nearby Shaheen property. The transaction leaves the building with 18,000- and 20,000-square-foot blocks of space, O'Keefe said.