Completion heralds second stage of office refurbishment project
PJD Group has completed its £2.2m refurbishment of Two Express, Ancoats.
The Altrincham-based firm has now focused its attention on the larger part of its Express Networks portfolio with Chorlton-based contractors Urbanise, starting on site to deliver a £3.5m refurbishment of adjacent building, One Express.
Formerly known as Express Networks, the buildings were rebranded as One and Two Express following PJD Group’s acquisition in November 2017.
The work on Two Express involved a comprehensive refurbishment of a single floor of 14,000 sq ft of office space and a remodelling of the ground floor entrance and reception area.
This included reconfiguring the entrance to provide a double door entrance directly off George Leigh Street and a complete retiling of the exterior to include new signage.
The office space was let in its entirety to CTI Digital, providers of bespoke web solution, digital marketing and support services, who took occupation at the beginning of 2020 on a new 10-year lease.
The work at One Express will see the provision of around 25,000 sq ft of office space, over three floors, with the ground floor dedicated to flexible workspace with meeting rooms and break out areas which will include pre-fitted suites to allow access for tenants who are ready to move quickly.
In addition, there will be a front of house reception area, a ground floor coffee shop with outside seating and a 2,000 sq ft gym incorporating changing and showering facilities in the basement. The building will also feature smart technology that will enhance the tenant experience.
Mark Davies, owner of PJD Group, said: “Two Express is the first part of a bigger project and I am delighted with the end result, which has produced a real cutting-edge look.
“It is well documented that Ancoats is the next area of commercial growth, particularly in the tech sector, and the quality of refurbishment helped us attract the largest single occupier in the area.
“Our vision for One Express is to create a communal hub to facilitate tenants from start-ups to more established businesses.
“It is quite apparent that occupiers’ expectations have increased, and we intend to provide space that is attractive to tenants through the overall experience they get in the space, from flexibility of use, to health and wellbeing benefits.”
He added: “We expect the project to finish in Spring 2021 and at that point One and Two Express will provide 40,000 sq ft of space providing a collaborative, community environment for this location.”
John Boardman, of Stephenson STUDIO is the architect and principal designer for the One Express scheme. He said: “It is a pleasure to work with PJD again, having worked on both Sevendale House and Two Express.
“We have worked extensively with Manchester City Council’s planning and listed building officers to create what we feel will be modern office space as befits the current market, whilst at the same time recognising and embellishing the fantastic Art Deco look and feel of the building.”
Peter Bolton, of IN4M, was the project manager for both One and Two Express, and OBI and Daniel Harris and Co concluded the letting to CTI Digital.
