Santander signs for 4 St Paul’s Square

SANTANDER has completed its deal to take space at English Cities Fund’s No 4 St Paul’s Square building in Liverpool city centre.

The bank has taken the entire seventh floor of the building, comprising 14,155 sq ft, on a ten-year lease at £20 per sq ft. It will use the space for its corporate, commercial and business banking arm.

It is the first tenant to agree a lease at No 4 St Paul’s Square, which was completed in June 2011.

Sue Douthwaite, divisional managing director for Santander Corporate Banking, said: “We are delighted to be moving No 4 St Pauls Square at the heart of Liverpool’s new business district.

“We have spent the past three years growing our corporate banking business in the region and this move signifies the strength of our business and our commitment to businesses within the Merseyside region.”

English Cities Fund is a joint venture between fund manager Legal & General, Muse Developments and the Homes & Communities Agency. Director Darran Lawless said: “We are delighted to announce that Santander has chosen No.4 St Paul’s Square as its Merseyside HQ.

“The £34m development with its striking architecture is the final phase of St Pauls Square and has already established itself as a world-class business location for Liverpool.

“We believe that this seal of approval from a major corporate will attract other leading businesses to locate at No4.

“The Liverpool office market is poised for some significant activity with a number of very high profile, large space requirements in the market. These include Barclays, Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank and Direct Line.

“With the competitive rents we can offer, a great location and fantastic landmark building, there is a real opportunity to build upon what is already a strong location.”

GVA advised ECF on the deal, while Santander was advised by CBRE.