The Cay Building rose above Ellis Square in a blink.
The finishing touches, however, have required a more measured pace.
The opening of the six-story office building is two months behind schedule due to construction delays tied to “design details,” including facade paneling and window issues within the building and streetscape details outside.
Yet the anchor tenant — the federal government — is scheduled to move in furniture beginning Aug. 15 and the U.S. Attorneys are scheduled to be in their new digs some time in September, according to the developer and the building’s leasing agent.
“The detailing took more time then we originally envisioned,” said John Holder of Holder Properties, the project’s developer. “It’ll be open later than expected, but it’s going to be a spectacular building. It’ll be worth the wait.”
Workers were busy at the site Friday morning, pouring concrete and laying paving bricks for the sidewalk, as well as installing the final few windows.
And the ground-floor retailers have already begun to build out their spaces. Veri Berri, a frozen yogurt shop, could be open as early as Labor Day weekend. Moe’s Southwest Grill is eyeing an early October opening date. The largest retail tenant, First Citizens Bank, will move its offices from York Street to the Cay Building “sometime in the fourth quarter,” according to a company spokeswoman.
The building is 94 percent leased, according to leasing agent Jay Andrews, with room for one more office tenant on the second floor. The first floor is retail while the top four floors will be occupied by the U.S. Attorneys.
Another federal government agency is “close” to taking a large portion of the second floor space. Cay Insurance and Palmer & Cay will also have offices on the floor. A 4,000-square-foot space remains.
“The building is going to be unbelievable,” Andrews said.
Construction began last May with a ceremonial groundbreaking, and the building’s superstructure was completed within the first few months. The original timeline was for the building to be open in the “early spring,” and officials said in March the U.S. Attorneys were scheduled to move in around June 1.