Accountancy firm exchanges contracts for move to former NUM headquarters
Grant Thornton has exchanged contracts to become the anchor tenant of the historic former National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) building in Sheffield.
The move will see Grant Thornton relocate its 140-strong office to the city centre from Broadfield Court.
Grant Thornton will take 14,000 sq ft of space at the former NUM building in Holly Street when it becomes the central occupier of the site before the end of 2018.
Paul Houghton, senior partner at Grant Thornton in Sheffield, said: “The exchanging of contracts for our move to Sheffield city centre is not only a major milestone but a serious statement of intent from Grant Thornton.
“The move to the former NUM building, an iconic landmark in the heart of Sheffield’s professional and financial services business district, reaffirms our commitment to being at the front and centre of helping to shape a vibrant future for Sheffield.
“Grant Thornton is extremely grateful to everyone that has helped us to get to this landmark moment, and we are particularly appreciative of all the hard work that Brook Property and Sheffield City Council have carried out to bring the building to fruition.”
Grant Thornton will occupy the top three floors of the building, including a large roof terrace overlooking Barkers Pool. The fit-out, being carried out by TSK from the autumn, will take around 12 weeks.
Grant Thornton’s Sheffield office includes teams working locally and across the world with corporate and private clients on audit, tax, accountancy, corporate transactions, and wealth advice.
Houghton added: “The office will be ground-breaking and have a very different look and feel to other professional services firms in Sheffield, providing a large and ultra-flexible working environment.
“As well as catering for our own people, we want it to provide an ‘open to the city’ approach, for both our clients and others with whom we work closely in Sheffield.”
The former headquarters for the NUM has stood empty for more than 25 years. The building was constructed in 1987 and opened in 1988, becoming the NUM headquarters for four years.
Brook Property, which has secured the long-lease of the building and the adjacent car park from the NUM, has overseen its redevelopment.
The building has undergone a £5.5m renovation, funded through a collaboration between CBRE, the Sheffield City Region JESSICA Fund and Sheffield City Council’s Growing Places Fund.
In addition to Grant Thornton, when completed the building will have three restaurants, including Turtle Bay, which opened early in June, and Pitcher & Piano which is due to open in the autumn.
