Property round-up: Bruntwood scores City Tower hat-trick; Welspun heads for Park Square; and more
BRUNTWOOD has announced that Hays and Hempsons are to join Amey as tenants at its City Tower building in Manchester.
Financial recruiter Hays has taken 17,844 sq ft at the building while Amey has taken 8,9421 sq ft and law firm Hempsons has taken 13,324 sq ft. All three are set for a move into the building during summer.
The three new customers will join Aegis, the Indian outsourcing firm, which recently took occupation of its 36,000 sq ft of office accommodation in the building.
Bruntwood said that around 45,000 sq ft of the 225,000 sq ft building remains available.
CEO Chris Oglesby said: “Attracting Amey, Hays and Hempsons is extremely positive news, both for Bruntwood and the wider Manchester business community.
“City Tower is rapidly positioning itself as a well-connected and diverse business hub in the centre of Manchester.”
Steve Elliott, head of office for Hays, said: “Manchester is an exciting marketplace, and an expanding one, but it also remains challenging so employers and jobseekers need to be able to access recruitment experts where the business needs are.
“As an existing Bruntwood customer in Portland Tower our business expansion plans meant a move to City Tower would provide us with even more space, with room to grow and we’ll now have over 150 consultants all under one roof in Piccadilly Plaza.
“The new space will better fit our ever-changing ways of working.”
Hempsons partner Racquelle Morris said: “City Tower is perfect for our current office requirements, being located in the heart of Manchester Piccadilly with good transport links for our clients.”
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TURNER & Townsend has been appointed to project manage Hugh Baird College’s plans for a new £5m higher education centre opposite its existing site in Bootle.
The 30,000 sq ft complex will be built on Balliol Road and will contain both a new resource centre and facilities which can be used by the local community.
The college’s executive director of estates and resources Pat Farrell said: “This is an ambitious project but one which shows the college’s long term commitment to providing high quality education in a modern teaching environment.
Martin Perryman, a director in Turner & Townsend’s Manchester office said: “After the recent turbulent times with funding in the further education sector we are delighted that we are able draw upon our extensive knowledge of the sector to help colleges realise their plans and assist them to develop robust property strategies and secure much-needed funding.”
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ORBIT Developments has let more than 12,000 sq ft of space at Park Square in Cheadle to Welspun UK – the Indian-owned business which took over the Christy Towels business in 2006.
Welspun currently employs around 50 people at Christy’s existing base at Hyde, Cheshire. These will all relocate to Park Square, which will act as its UK headoffice and showroom.
Welspun UK chief executive Robert Walker said: “Park Square matched our requirements perfectly and offers affordable yet impressive modern office accommodation in a well-placed environment. 
“In addition, Orbit Developments worked closely with our advisors Altus Edwin Hill throughout the process ensuring a smooth transition and we are looking forward to the move.”
Rhys Owen, leasing surveyor at Orbit Developments, said: “It’s fantastic to see a global business choosing to base itself in the Stockport borough.”
DTZ and GVA acted for Orbit Developments.
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A WOMENSWEAR online fashion company, Missguided, has taken on a 60,000 sq ft unit at Centenary Park in Trafford Park.
The firm has taken a five-year lease at a rent, with an option to extend for a further five years. It was advised on the deal by WHR.
WHR associate partner Gary Chapman said: “This was an excellent deal for our client, Missguided, who appointed us to acquire new premises to facilitate its rapid expansion in to new international markets.
Riddell TPS and Colliers were joint letting agents acting on behalf of landlord the Duchy of Lancaster.
WHR has also been appointed as joint letting agents with Jones Lang La Salle to market the remaining four industrial units on the Guinness Road Trading Estate in Trafford Park. The 220,000 sq ft estate, which contains 22 units in total, is already home to a number of blue chip companies including Speedy Hire and Zutux.
The remaining units range in size from 6,691 sq ft–21,078 sq ft are available on a leasehold basis only with quoting rental levels from £4.75 per sq ft.
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The founder of call centre outsourcing firm LBM has moved his two new businesses to Anchorage Court at Pacific Road in Altrincham.
Paul Beck, who sold LBM to venture capital firm ISIS Equity Partners in 2004, has moved mobile applications firms Bidtech and The Event Pad to the self-contained Unit A building at Anchorage Court.
He said: “Having spent several happy years on Atlantic Street building LBM into the force it is today, I am happy to move two of my promising technology businesses to Anchorage Court which will provide them with the right platform for what we believe will be a period of significant growth”.
Unit A contains 5,235 sq ft of ground and first floor accommodation with 20 car spaces and has been taken on a five year lease at a rent of £12.50 per sq ft.
Daniel Lee of Regional Property Solutions who acted for landlord Satinwood said: “The companies are currently based in unsuitable space in Timperley and Anchorage Court was chosen for its flexible open plan floorplate, which is now being fitted out to provide an efficient and excellent working environment. “
Regional Property Solutions acted as joint agents with TFC.
