An architecture and planning firm has leased space in a new downtown office building, according to a release Monday from local real estate company Cape Fear Commercial.

Officials with LS3P, which is based in Charleston, South Carolina, but has offices in Wilmington and other cities in North Carolina, signed a 10-year lease for 8,500 square feet of office space on the fifth floor of 101 N. Third St., the announcement said. 

LS3P also worked closely with 101 N. Third St. developer GHK Cape Fear Development to design the building that will soon house its Wilmington office, according to the release. The structure, completed last year, is a 69,000-square-foot, class-A office building at the corner of Third and Princess streets.

LS3P's current location is in Unit 200 at 2528 Independence Blvd. The company is expected to occupy its new space in December, according to the announcement.

The release said Cape Fear Commercial partner Brian Eckel successfully negotiated the transaction for an undisclosed amount on behalf of the landlord, 101 North Third Street LLC. With the execution of LS3P’s lease, 101 N. Third St. is now 80 percent leased, and the other tenants are BB&T, Dunkin Donuts and Smith Moore Leatherwood. 

“We have a long standing relationship with LS3P and are pleased to add them to our roster of tenants,” said Eckel in the release. “They did an incredible job with the design of the building, and we look forward to seeing their new space.” 

LS3P is an award-winning architecture, interiors, and planning firm with eight offices across the Southeast, the release said. The firm’s Wilmington office was founded in 1922 by Leslie N. Boney; Boney Architects merged with LS3P in 2005. 

Thomas Construction Group is handling the construction of LS3P’s new office.

“Our team is excited to see this project come to downtown and we are glad to be involved," said Jim Hundley, vice president of business development for Thomas, in the release. "The addition of LS3P to the building speaks volumes about the future of development in the area.”