Confetti falls over the stage during Medley’s opening celebration in Johns Creek. — Confetti falls during Medley’s Oct. 29 opening celebration in Johns Creek. Photo courtesy of Medley/The Wilbert Group.

Medley opened in Johns Creek on Thursday with all 112,000 square feet of its office space leased, giving the new shopping and dining district a base of weekday workers as its first restaurants and stores welcome visitors.

Boehringer Ingelheim anchors the office building with its U.S. Animal Health headquarters. The company leased 73,000 square feet and moved 500 employees into the space in August, according to Toro Development Company.

Healthcare software company Brightree has leased another 17,751 square feet, and First American Bank & Trust will occupy 3,290 square feet. A fourth tenant has leased the remaining space, but its name has not been disclosed.

The full lease-up comes as office landlords elsewhere in North Fulton continue to contend with empty space. Stream Realty Partners, which handled Medley’s office leasing, puts North Fulton’s Class A office vacancy at approximately 31% and Johns Creek’s office vacancy at 18%.

“We wish we had built more office at Medley given the demand,” said Mark Toro, founder and chief vision officer of Toro Development Company.

Visitors gather on the lawn beneath shade canopies at Medley’s Plaza. — Visitors gather at Medley’s Plaza during the opening celebrations. Photo courtesy of Medley/The Wilbert Group.

A workplace built around what is outside

Medley’s office building is a renovated part of the former State Farm campus. The developer retained the 112,000-square-foot building while demolishing another building and replacing surrounding parking lots with streets, shops, restaurants and gathering spaces.

The office renovation began without signed tenants, an approach developers call speculative construction. Toro said the space was fully leased during construction.

His argument is that the appeal extends beyond the desks and meeting rooms. Employees can walk to lunch, meet someone for coffee or stay for an event after work. The office address is 4300 Medley Boulevard, within the same district as the shops and public Plaza.

“This tells us location and quality aren’t the only things that matter,” Toro said. “Energy is the real difference maker in creating a commute-worthy workplace experience.”

For Medley’s businesses, the offices add a weekday customer base alongside residents and visitors. Boehringer’s 500 employees were already working there before Thursday’s public opening. Move-in dates for the other tenants have not been announced.

What it could mean for nearby offices

Bryan Heller of Stream Realty said he expects demand to extend to nearby office buildings within an easy walk of Medley. He pointed to the area around Avalon in Alpharetta, where restaurants, shopping and public gatherings have become part of the appeal for employers.

At Medley itself, an older office building has found tenants as part of a district designed to stay active beyond the workday.

An audience gathers for an evening piano performance at Medley. — An evening performance draws a crowd during Medley’s opening celebrations. Photo courtesy of Medley/The Wilbert Group.

The first phase opened Oct. 29, with more of the 43-acre development still to come. The broader plan includes 145,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, housing, a boutique hotel and a 25,000-square-foot Plaza.

For the restaurants and shops joining the district, see our Medley opening lineup. Our Medley guide brings together opening updates, photographs, events and continuing coverage.