“We’re constantly refurbishing, reinventing, reimagining,” said Bruntwood director Craig Burrow at first Property Lunch

Bruntwood’s Leeds director Craig Burrow set out his Platform at TheBusinessDesk.com’s property lunch.

130 people listened to Burrow share the journey with Bruntwood’s development of the office tower block which looms over Leeds railway station.

Bruntwood, which has assets worth £1bn, 117 properties across its offices in Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester, counts 3,000 businesses as customers.

“We’re constantly refurbishing, reinventing, reimagining buildings,” said Burrow.

The extensive blood, sweat and tears that went from turning the vacant City House into a viable asset, Platform, has made it one of Bruntwood’s most impressive achievements to date.

Burrow discussed the challenges and trials they faced bringing Platform to where it is now, due to open at the end of July.

Craig Burrow, regional director of Bruntwood

View the event’s picture gallery here

The building had been bought by its previous owners for £14m, but Bruntwood acquired it out of administration for £2.5m, believing they had a bargain.

“It was challenging in terms of redevelopment,” said Burrow, “There’s a limited amount of space on New Station Street, and it’s an engineering feat – the building is pretty much built on stilts. It’s also alongside a busy, pedestrian platform and Network Rail was involved with an asset protection agreement.”

Despite the challenges, Bruntwood achieved planning permission in 2011, but then the scheme stalled and required a pre-let to keep it going.

He said: “I was determined to unlock the puzzle that was City House. I tried every combination you could think of of leisure, residential, a hotel, we discussed a new entrance and offices. We ended up redesigning it all.”

Then, disaster struck as contractors Bay Construct went into administration after a bad job in London.

“We recovered quickly, bringing six staff in-house as Bruntwood Construction,” he said.

With a tech hub, a co-working accelerator space, and the largest mural in the UK planned for the building, it will once again turn it into the iconic site that Leeds deserves for such a prominent position.

Burrow said: “The intention for us was to accommodate all sizes of businesses.”

Having been the brains behind other developments such as Sovereign Square, Bruntwood has a keen interest in the Leeds region, said Burrow.

Citing the growth of the West End, the impact of Trinity and Victoria Gate, he said there is still a lot more to do.

“Credible developers have got hold of areas in South Bank, and there are regenerative effects of even emerging innovation centres,” he said.

“What’s important to make it work is growing room. What we need is reinvention and innovation, and hopefully some inward investment too.”

Freeths and Pegasus Group sponsored the first of these lunches, which aim to highlight the region’s property markets, its strengths, challenges and ultimate successes.