All but two of the high-end condominiums are sold, and one is under contract.

More than half of the office space in the two-building complex is occupied by award-winning companies with ever-expanding reaches in Lawrence, the region and nationwide.

But when Bo Harris shows up for work each day at the Hobbs Taylor Lofts at the edge of downtown Lawrence, there’s a visible reminder that a $15 million investment doesn’t always pay off right away.

Vacant storefronts will do that.

“It’s always disappointing : but I did think that it would take some time to get it completely leased,” said Harris, builder and developer for the iconic project along the eastern side of New Hampshire Street, north of Eighth Street. “There’s other space that we’re competing with, and maybe there’s a lack of national tenants looking for space.”

The retail portion of the lofts project – the balance of the ground floor that welcomed Capital City Bank early last year – isn’t the only downtown property angling for retail prospects. A number of storefronts along Massachusetts Street have “for lease” signs posted in windows, and just a few blocks south on New Hampshire Street are the untapped lots of Downtown 2000.

But the lofts project already is in place, at the edge of downtown and poised to capitalize on the district’s popularity once the market picks up again.

Harris and his partners built the lofts as a mixed-use development:

Retail space at Hobbs Taylor Lofts downtown remains vacant, a year after the 5 million project welcomed its first residents. The 10,000 square feet of street-level space is available for lease.

¢ 32 loft-style condominiums, of which only one remains on the open market.

¢ 22,000 square feet of office space on the second floor of both lofts buildings. About half is occupied by three tenants: Dan Sabatini’s architecture firm, which designed the lofts; Harris Construction Co. Inc., which developed and built the project; and Lindquist & Craig Hotels & Resorts. The remainder is available for lease.

¢ Commercial space at street level. Capital City Bank is using about 7,600 square feet in the lofts’ southern building, leaving about 10,000 square feet available for retailers. There are three entrances to the space: one off the lobby and two off New Hampshire Street.

“There’s easily a potential for three different locations,” said Harris, who is chief executive officer for Harris Construction. “I feel real good about our location in downtown Lawrence. We get one or two inquiries a month.”