Anticipating continued growth, a law firm’s Wilmington office is relocating to space in one of downtown's newest buildings.

Smith Moore Leatherwood, which has more than 170 lawyers in seven offices in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, plans to move its Port City location this spring from 300 N. Third St. to about 9,200 square feet on the fourth floor of 101 N. Third St. in downtown Wilmington, firm officials said recently. 

“The economy’s gotten better, all of our practices have improved, and we’re at the point where we’re out of space and need room to grow,” said David Martin, managing partner of Smith Moore Leatherwood’s Wilmington office, which employs 17 people including eight lawyers.

The firm’s current office downtown is 7,400 square feet. Martin said the firm plans to be in its new Wilmington space by no later than the end of March.

Also at 101 N. Third St., which opened last month, BB&T occupies more than 33,400 square feet on the building’s first three floors, said Brian Eckel of GHK Cape Fear Development, the company that developed the office building. Eckel said Friday that a Dunkin' Donuts in the new building was nearly complete and expected to be open soon.

“We are pleased to add Smith Moore Leatherwood to our roster of tenants for 101 N. Third. We look forward to them occupying the building in the new year,” Eckel said in an email Friday.