Property round-up: ID:SR wins St Peter’s Square fit-out; Hindley Green Business Park fully let; and more

KPMG has appointed ID:SR to fit-out its 65,000 sq ft Manchester headquarters at One St Peter’s Square.

KPMG initially appointed ID:SR – the interior design arm of architecture practice Sheppard Robson – in 2011 to carry out due diligence reviews of a number of sites, which culminated in it choosing One St Peter’s Square as its preferred location.

The 270,000 sq ft building, which is being jointly developed by Argent and Greater Manchester Property Ventures Fund, starts on site this month with the steelwork erection, but ID:SR is not due to begin its work until the shell and core completes in April 2014. It is expected to handover the building by early 2015.

Andrew German, partner at ID:SR, said: “These new Manchester headquarters present an exciting opportunity for KPMG to create a best-in-class workplace that reflects and enhances its brand strategy, provides a dynamic, memorable and welcoming client experience and a flexible workplace which will respond to the rapidly changing technologies and requirements of all generations.”

Jonathan Hurst, Northern chairman of KPMG, said: “The Manchester office has always been something of a trailblazer within KPMG for our approach to office design – for example, we were the first office to move to a fully open-plan working environment.

“It was therefore vital that we chose a partner who could deliver our vision of a modern, innovative and collaborative work space, whilst also fulfilling our environmental and sustainability objectives.

“This appointment is one of the biggest architectural commissions in the North West for the past few years and probably for the next few years to come, and we look forward to seeing our new home take shape over the coming months.”

Ian Mackintosh, capital projects manager at KPMG said that it had shortlisted three proposals from interior design practices before opting for ID:SR.

“We believe that ID:SR’s unique approach to the fit-out and client user/interface will provide KPMG with a truly inspiring place to visit and work in the heart of Manchester.”

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CBRE Global Investors has revealed that its Hindley Green Business Park in Wigan is now fully let after Focus Pharmaceuticals took a ten-year lease on a 34,283 sq ft unit.

Rob Trevor, director at CBRE Global Investors, said: “This was one of our most challenging refurbishments. We took a former engineering unit in very poor condition following the liquidation of the previous tenant and completely transformed it, with the help of ISS and Jones Building Maintenance, into a high quality pharmaceutical warehouse. It has been a pleasure to work with Focus on this project.”

Richard Grethe, finance director of Focus Pharmaceuticals, added: “CBRE Global Investors has worked very closely with us to produce one of the highest specification Pharmaceutical Distribution facilities in the country.  

“The site was virtually derelict when we first saw it, but CBRE Global Investors worked closely with us to produce a facility that has surpassed our expectations and will help propel the company to the next level.”

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RETAIL agent Cheetham & Mortimer has been appointed by HIMOR Group to advise on the regeneration of its recently-acquired Bramhall Village Square scheme.

Manchester-based HIMOR Group bought the 52,000 sq. ft. scheme in December last year for £5.5m at a net initial yield of 10.8%.

Cheetham & Mortimer will advise HIMOR on refurbishing the scheme to improve the environment for both occupiers and customers. This will enhance the shopping experience, and in turn bolster the income stream.

Cheetham & Mortimer partner Warwick Smither said: “We are thrilled to have been appointed to this scheme as we look to working closely with HIMOR to unlock its prospective value though a considered regeneration strategy.

“Bramhall Village Square is a great example of a high-value precinct in a desirable area that has been neglected in recent years, and which is in need of some investment to fulfil its potential.

“As well as looking at improving the existing area, we will be working on a letting strategy to ensure that void space creates an exciting opportunity for potential retailers.

“We have worked on similar schemes in similar locations, like Chorlton and Hale Barns and will bring this experience to assist in achieving HIMOR’s long-term aims for the scheme.”

Will Ainscough, managing director of HIMOR said: “Bramhall Village Square has a huge amount of potential and we therefore chose Cheetham & Mortimer for their experience, vision and approach.

“Our plans to upgrade the current site will bring it more in line with the needs of the Bramhall residents, as well as complement the quality of the area it is situated in.”

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RYLANDS Hall in Stretford has been bought by Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), the Phillipines-based worldwide Church of Christ.

The organisation paid £750,000 for the building, which until recently had been used as 7,378 sq ft of offices by St Vincent’s Housing Association.

However, INC now plans to transform the Edge Lane building back to its original use as a church with spiritual study centre, residential accommodation and ancillary offices.

Daniel Lee of Regional Property Solutions, who acted for vendor The Leck Group, said: “John Rylands took a leading role in the erection of this building for the Union Church for Congregationalists in 1867 so it is very appropriate to see it being returned to its intended purpose and as such the ‘change of use’ approval was quite straightforward.”

Carlito Apostol, a minister of the church said; “This building will be used as a place of worship for the members of the Church’s local congregation of Manchester, District of Northern Europe.”

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KNIGHT Frank has been instructed to let Pennine House – a 13,897 sq ft office building in Oldham Town Centre – on behalf of a private client.

The building, which is based at Union St, is spread over four floors and can either be let on a floor-by-floor basis (with floorplates ranging from 1,343 sq ft to 4,325 sq ft) or in its entirety. It also has private parking and is two miles from the A627 link to Junction 20 of the M62 motorway.

Paul Kelly, associate at Knight Frank, said: “We are extremely pleased to have been instructed on Pennine House. There has already been a high level of interest, which is mainly due to its prominent location within Oldham town centre.

Breakey & Nuttall is joint agent on the scheme.

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DEVELOPER Merepark has signed a deal with pubco Mitchells & Butlers, which has taken a 4,446 sq ft unit at its leisure-led Central Village scheme in Liverpool.

The firm is set to open a Harvester outlet in the Plaza and Uper Plaza within the former Lewis’s department store building. It will sit alongside the 14,000 sq ft Cosmo independent pan-Asian restaurant and a 135-seat Prezzo restaurant around a new public realm area.

The refurbishment of the Lewis’s building, which is part-funded by the European funding, is a central part of the development and will also see the unused upper floors brought back to life as 80,000 sq. ft. of offices and a 126-bed Adagio apartment-hotel.

The Harvester unit is the 11th pre-let secured at the scheme, which also includes a six-screen Odeon cinema.

Neal Hunter, associate director at Merepark, said: “Central Village is attracting a great deal of interest from leisure operators and the development already has a number of further exciting pre-lets in the pipeline.

“We’re delighted to welcome Mitchells & Butlers on board, whose Harvester restaurants perfectly complement the offering already on the table at Central Village.

Merepark is already on site delivering a 459-space Q-park multi-storey car park, a new public space and the refurbishment of the Grade II-listed Lewis’s Building.

Tony Palmer from Mitchells & Butlers said: “We currently have three successful, traditional Harvester restaurants in the Liverpool area, and this letting marks our first move into the city centre.”

Savills and CBRE are advising on the leisure offering for Merepark.