With the Wednesday morning ground breaking of Mesa Creek, a new 60,000-square-foot Class A office building to be completed by April or May of 2018, Round Rock will double its available Class A office space, according to the Alecia Burdick, the building's leasing agent.

Burdick said Round Rock has one of the lowest vacancy rates in Texas for Class A space. She said downtown Austin's vacancy is roughly 7 percent, and Round Rock's is below 3 percent.

She said she expects to lease the entire building in roughly one year, in line with the construction timeline.

The building will feature two stories with floor-to-ceiling windows, expansive parking options, and an outdoor deck with covered seating and picnic areas.

Ben White, Round Rock Chamber vice president of economic development, said the building is meeting the demand of area businesses.

"We are in desperate need of this product in our community," he said.

Mayor Alan McGraw, on the day before he exited office, said his most common request from the Round Rock Chamber was for more office space.

He said the location of the new building, at 801 E. Settlers Blvd., will be convenient for incoming businesses and employees.



"Your tenants will be able to get to the airport faster than most people in West Austin," he said.

After the building is completed, another will be constructed on the other side of the nearby creek, said Tim Thoman, president and founder of Performance Services, the building that broke ground today's first tenant.

Thoman said that building will likely be larger than the first.