Team appointed for Albert Square properties revamp
FAMILY office investor LJ Group has appointed a team to work on its portfolio of properties on Albert Square, Manchester.
OBI Property has been appointed to interior design and project manage and lease the multi million pound refurbishment of the four buildings, with JLL as joint leasing agent and Knight Frank as managing agents.
LJ Group purchased the four buildings from Wrather & Co for £16.3m in an off-market deal earlier in this year
The four buildings are The Victoria Buildings – 19,215 sq ft; Northern Assurance Buildings – 28,788 sq ft; 2 Mount Street – 18,569 sq ft and St Andrew’s Chambers, Mount Street – 4,383 sq ft.
The buildings total approximately 71,000sq ft, with 44,000sq ft consisting of offices across the four properties and a mix of retail and restaurant units on the ground floors.
OBI’s interior design team haS been appointed to bring the Grade II-listed buildings back to life, enhancing the stunning listed features whilst modernising the office space to appeal to forward thinking occupiers looking for contemporary space.
LG Group director Sam Lawson Johnston said: “By purchasing these four buildings it immediately provides us with a critical mass of accommodation within one of the most prominent and well recognised areas of Manchester.
“We intend to create a range of design-led workspaces to accommodate entrepreneurs seeking a single desk through to businesses requiring a headquarters building.”
OBI Property director Dominic Horridge said: “We’re delighted to be working with LJ Group on these four fantastic buildings and relish the challenge of creating modern, flexible, contemporary workspace and communal areas in these historic properties.
“We’ve had a lot of experience in this field, having worked on office design and fit-out of Sevendale House in the Northern Quarter and Sunlight House on Deansgate to name just a few.”
Elaine Duffy partner at Knight Frank added: “This is a strategically important addition to our portfolio. Our customer-focused management approach will complement our client’s management and letting strategy in line with the refurbishment proposals.”
