Property briefs: Styles & Wood; Bravissimo move; Lettings at Boulton House; BID bid for Chester
FIT-OUT group Styles & Wood has completed a £3.37m refurbishment contract for Waldorf Astoria’s first property in the United Arab Emirates, the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al-Khaimah.
The 47,000 sq ft refurbishment of the 5-star resort was delivered by the Altrincham-based company’s joint venture with Dutco, Dutco Styles&Wood.
Spanning four floors of the 346-room hotel, the contract included fitting-out the hotel’s restaurants, conference centre, lobby, and reception area.
Warren Gemlik, general manager at Dutco Styles&Wood, said: “The Waldorf Astoria brand is synonymous with quality and being selected to support its market entrance in the UAE is a significant vote of confidence in our ability to perform high-end works in a region with an increasing number of prospects.”
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LINGERIE retailer Bravissimo is moving its Manchester shop from the Corn Exchange to King Street.
It is taking the former Timberland unit which is currently being fitted out.
The letting was confirmed by Tushingham Moore on Twitter, but the letting agent could not be reached for further comment.
The Corn Exchange is being remodelled as a centre for fine dining by landlord Aviva Investors.
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CBRE and joint letting agent, Jones Lang LaSalle, have agreed three lettings at Boulton House in Manchester city centre on behalf of F&C Reit, at £12.50 per sq ft.
Charitable organisation The Shaw Trust has taken two suites in the building totalling 2,061 sq ft on a five-year lease, and two existing tenants have expanded and agreed new leases. Training companies JHP and Inspire to Independence now occupy 1,983 sq ft and 5,200 sq ft respectively.
Nine-storey Boulton House in Chorlton Street is also home to Newsco and BPP.
Michelle Rothwell of CBRE said: “We are seeing an increase in demand for good quality sub-5,000 sq ft suites, which is a very positive sign for the market as smaller and new startup companies are clearly becoming increasingly confident in the changing economy. Boulton House is well positioned to accommodate these requirements with a range of refurbished suites available from 900 sq ft to full floors of 9,000 sq ft.”
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BUSINESSES in Chester are lobbying for Business Improvement District (BID) status, ahead of a vote in June.
Businesses within the proposed BID area will be asked to vote on whether or not to pay a 1% levy on their business rates when voting takes place in June this year. The levy would generate more than £2.5m over five years that would be reinvested back into the city centre.
The team behind the BID proposal at the CH1 Chester BID company outlined their vision for the city at a recent event at Chester Cathedral.
Chairman Paul Daniels said: “It was fantastic to see Chester’s business community out in force to hear more about our plans to implement a BID in Chester.
“We are a collection of business owners and managers who are passionate about the future of this great city and we believe that creating a BID in the City Centre is the only way we can increase footfall and spend.
“More than 170 other towns and cities including Manchester and Liverpool already have BIDs in place and are reaping the rewards. Chester has been left behind and we need to act now to make sure we secure a prosperous and vibrant future for our city centre.”
