Property briefs: Metro building now half-full; Iceland warms up Eden Square

A COMPANY which supplies IT equipment to businesses has become the second firm to take space at BAM Properties’ Metro office development in Salford Quays.

The UK arm of US-based Insight Direct firm has taken 18,000 sq ft of space on a ten-year lease at the building. It will house Insight’s North West office, which is being relocated from nearby Trafford Park to cope with an increase in space.

Jet Golia, Insight’s EMEA commercial vice-president, said: “Insight is delighted to have secured new office space at the Metro development. Insight places great emphasis on providing a world class working environment for all its staff and the design quality, amenity and expansion space offered by the Metro has long been needed by our fast growing Manchester operation”.  

The deal is only the second to complete at Metro following Sinclair Knight Mertz’s decision to take 18,000 sq ft on the fourth floor in July. However, it means that half of the 72,500 sq ft building is now let.

Neil Mort, BAM Properties’ northern development manager, said: “It’s been tough during the recession, so it is particularly gratifying to have let half the building in the last five weeks, which hopefully augurs well for the north-west property market”.

Metro was the first building in the region outside Manchester City centre to achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating.  

Joint letting agents CBRE and Canning O’Neill acted for BAM Properties, while Savills represented Insight.

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FROZEN food retailer Iceland has agreed a deal to let a 7,500 sq ft unit at Ask Developments’ Eden Square scheme in Urmston.

The deal means the second phase of Eden Square is now 85% pre-let, with Aldi and Quality Save already having signed up as tenants. Only 3,000 sq ft of space remains, and Ask said that it is in the process of completing “detailed” discussions with a main contractor regarding a potential start date.

Leon Guyett, development director at Ask Developments, said: “It is great to be able to finally announce the arrival of Iceland.

“We have been in dialogue with Iceland for some time and have worked together to adapt the plans in order to accommodate the supermarket into the scheme. Iceland is a fantastic addition both to Eden Square and to the wider shopping offer in Urmston.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Iceland said: “We are always looking for new opportunities and Eden Square, Urmston, fills a gap in our coverage to the west of Manchester.

“We look forward to working with Ask Developments to bring about the earliest possible store opening.”