Property news: Home Bargains for White City; Roxy Ball Room & more
PROPERTY developer Derwent Group has agreed terms with Home Bargains at its White City Retail Park in Old Trafford, for a 14,140 sq ft unit on a 15-year lease.
Due to open just after Easter, the Home Bargains letting comes on the back of a deal to bring a M&S Foodhall to the site.
Tenants already located at White City include Currys, Dreams, Furniture Village, Halfords, Sofaworks, SCS and Costa. Derwent is also in negotiations with further tenants which it should be in a position to announce in the coming weeks.
White City has benefited from a £10m transformation, a recent strategy that Derwent Group has adopted across much of its portfolio in the North West. Intense tenant interest has been expressed in the last remaining units by a range of retailers including fashion brands which would take the retail park to a new level.
James Maule-Ffinch, senior asset manager at Derwent Group said: “Home Bargains is a welcome addition to White City’s tenant mix. The refurbishment work we’ve undertaken is paying real dividends and some really exciting retailers are already in negotiations for the last remaining units at the Park.”
Joint agents for White City Retail Park are Cheetham & Mortimer and CSP (Curson Sowerby).
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JONES Bar Group has opened its second Roxy Ball Room, the ping pong and pool concept, at Liverpool ONE’s Hanover Street.
Set across 6,929 sq ft on the top floor of 26 College Lane, bordering with Hanover Street, the new venue features four pool tables and five ping pong tables. In addition, the bar includes a VIP room available for private hire.
Miles Dunnett, director of portfolio management at Grosvenor Fund Management, said: “The opening of The Roxy Ball Room is another key moment for Liverpool ONE. The brand adds to the eclectic nature of our offer, and is very much about entertainment and fun.
“Roxy Ball Room is a great complement to our strategy of providing something new for visitors, be they people living and working in the city, visiting from across the wider region, or from amongst the growing number of UK and international tourists choosing to spend time in the city.”
Matthew Jones, managing director of Jones Bar Group, added: “Liverpool ONE is a fantastic location, with Hanover Street and the neighbouring Rope Walks area one of the most vibrant parts of the city centre. We had to be here and have created something we feel is quite special.”
Metis Real Estate Advisors and Cushman & Wakefield acted for Liverpool ONE. Creative Leisure represented Roxy Ball Room.
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WORKPLACE, which opened a co-working space in Manchester’s Churchgate House, says the facility is three quarters full three months after its launch.
A mix of businesses, including organisations from the IT, pharmaceuticals and recruitment sectors, have made WorkPlace their new home, with 10 of the 14 offices now occupied and ten of the 10 reserved desks also in use.
Jane Schofield, director and one of the founders of WorkPlace, said: “The first three months have been so encouraging and to be able to say we are 75% is a massive milestone which we are really proud of.
“Being a true start-up, my business partners, Louise Pollard and Adrian Stevenson and I are working full time running the business – doing everything from the sales, accounts, reception, customer service and cleaning. On top of managing and controlling all the deals, so it’s been a busy time.”
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A CREATIVE co-working space at MediaCityUK has been revealed.
Called WorkNation and aimed at freelancers, start-ups and small businesses, the facility is located within the Greenhouse building at MediaCityUK and offers a collaborative open plan space with flexible hot-desking and co-working space.
Lynn Haime, Asset Manager at MediaCityUK said: “The Greenhouse has become a real eco-system and a home to a plethora of some of Manchester’s most innovative and exciting businesses. The evolution of the Greenhouse means the time is right to create a new space where freelancers and small businesses can bring a fresh dynamic to our city – without having to make any major financial commitment. We are providing an adaptable environment and easy solutions for the demands of today’s cutting-edge business requirements”.
Prices start from as little as £20 per day.
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MANCHESTER commercial property consultant Canning O’Neill has announced it has secured two deals at Laser House in Salford Quays to Hach and Bibby Factors.
Hach is relocating from Pacific Way to take 5,719sq ft, whilst existing tenant Bibby Factors has taken a new lease on 5,818sq ft at the property, both on 10-year deals with breaks after five years. Other occupiers in the scheme include Helly Hansen and Global Radio.
Owned by TH Real Estate on behalf of a German client, Laser House comprises 35,000sq ft in a spectacular waterside setting, and is one of five self-contained buildings that make up Media Village offering over 120,000 sq ft of high quality office accommodation.
Laser House and its neighbouring office, Magnetic House, still have available suites from about 3,000 to 7,300sq ft.
Director Mark Canning of Canning O’Neill, joint agents for the scheme with Cushman & Wakefield, said: “Media Village has enjoyed a huge surge in lettings over recent months, attracting occupiers such as Portwest Clothing, Interserve Construction and Solar Communications.
“We are now quoting £16 psf including service charge which represents excellent value for office accommodation when you consider the substantial amount of car parking on offer and its central location within the Quays.”
Vail Williams represented Hach. Quoting rental is £16 psf including service charge. Media Village is managed by MJ Mapp.
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DEVELOPER Downing is set to start the refurbishment on its landmark No 1 Old Hall Street building in Liverpool’s business district.
The building houses tenants including the Chamber of Commerce and its fourth floor is due to undergo a major refurbishment, which will create 2,831sq ft of flexi office space available to let.
The flexible fourth floor space will be divided up into units ranging from 140sq ft to 1,850 sq ft, depending on demand.
Available from March, the Flexi Office units, are available for upwards of one person for as little as one month.
Downing head of Property Management John Clegg said: “Our upgrade of the fourth floor space will create a great space for tenants at a prime address in the heart of Liverpool’s bustling business district.
“It is perfect for fast-growing SME tenants who are looking for a flexible space which can grow with them, or for more established companies that are looking for a high-quality, managed office in a convenient, central location.”
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BIRCHWOOD Park near Warrington has welcomed events company Contest Sports and Media to Lovell House, an office space especially designed to accommodate SMEs.
The company has been established for two years, during which it has seen more than 25,000 participants to its events, which include the English Half Marathon and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Liverpool Marathon.
The business, previously based at the Cultural Quarter in Warrington’s town centre, relocated to Birchwood Park in January.
Rob Griffiths, director at Contest, said: “Birchwood Park is the ideal location for our expanding business. We love the modern facilities Birchwood Park has to offer and, as sport enthusiasts, we know this is the right place for us.
“Whilst being small in size, we are a global business therefore Birchwood Park’s close proximity to fantastic transport links is ideal for the team to reach our international clients.”
Mark Baldwin, senior leasing manager at Birchwood Park said: “We are delighted to welcome Contest Sports and Media to Birchwood Park. The location of our offices is a huge bonus for this company, providing the team with efficient access to their international sporting events.”
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OLDHAM Council has agreed a deal that could bring an Audi dealership to the borough with an investment of about £8m and the creation of over 80 jobs.
Last year the council was approached by the Jardine Motors Group, one of the largest dealers of the prestigious German-marque in the UK.
The company was interested in acquiring the five-acre site that formerly housed Westhulme Hospital, off Chadderton Way, attracted by its location in Greater Manchester and proximity to the motorway network.
Consisting of a 17-car showroom for new vehicles and a 24-bay service workshop, as well as a full aftersales and pre-delivery inspection service, the hub would be capable of supporting Jardine’s existing Audi businesses across the region.
It is anticipated that the proposed new centre will create about 87 jobs and see millions of pounds invested in the site.
Although the land was not council-owned, officers have worked with their counterparts at the NHS trust to facilitate the deal and to bring the surplus site forward for development in a timely manner.
A Cabinet meeting approved the proposals in July last year and the NHS has also formally rubberstamped the deal, which will proceed if planning permission for the dealership is granted.
A planning application for the dealership is set to be lodged by Jardine Motors Group in the next few weeks and if approval is given work is scheduled to begin this summer.
Cllr Jean Stretton, leader of Oldham Council, said: “Since Jardine Motors Group informed us they were interested in coming to the borough, officers have been working extremely hard to make this possible.
“Audi is the type of high end global brand we are looking to attract. We’ve done it already with Marks and Spencer at Prince’s Gate at Oldham Mumps and this again shows that blue chip firms see the borough as a place where they can do business.
“This deal is a good example of how the council and our partners in the NHS are working closely together to help attract a business which is prepared to invest in the borough and will have a positive impact.
“Jardine have also confirmed that they are committed to our Get Oldham Working campaign, and are looking forward to working with local colleges and supply chains, which is great news for jobseekers and the local economy.”
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ART organisation dot-art is to open a new gallery space at Queen Avenue, in the heart of Liverpool’s commercial district.
The space will become dot-art’s new permanent home and opens on Friday February 12 with an exhibition entitled Dear Liverpool, showcasing the work of 18 talented artists from the local area.
dot-art supports visual artists and champions art as an integral part of everyday life by offering access to affordable, locally sourced art for homes and businesses, and through the work of its social enterprise arm, which runs arts classes, a unique membership scheme for local artists and an innovative inter-school art programme.
The new gallery space offers dot-art the chance to further raise its profile across the region and give more opportunities to the 100+ artists it works with.
Queen Avenue is part of the Bruntwood-owned Queen Insurance Buildings and is home to a range of independent businesses including R&H Fine Wines and Moose Coffee.
Several areas of the building have undergone major refurbishment and in 2015 it welcomed Argentinian steal restaurant CAU and international budget hotel Tune.
Lucy Byrne, managing director of dot-art, said: “We’re thrilled to be opening our new gallery in such a great location, and look forward to welcoming visitors from across the city and beyond.
“Supporting artists is at the heart of everything we do, so we’re really excited to be able to bring more of their work to the public in an accessible and friendly environment.
“By showcasing unique but affordable pieces, I hope we can encourage the next generation of art collectors as well as helping existing art lovers access new work on their doorstep.”
Colin Forshaw, head of property at Bruntwood, said: “We are starting to see a real hustle and bustle around Queen Avenue and the new gallery will only add to that vibrant independent mix. dot-art has become a byword for arts innovation in Liverpool and we are looking forward to working with Lucy and her team during this first exhibition and beyond.”
The Dear Liverpool exhibition is designed to be a love letter to the cultural capital of the North, and perfectly summarises Liverpool’s energy and vibrancy.
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PIZZA Hut Restaurants has unveiled a £284,000 restaurant makeover at its Cheshire Oaks, at the Coliseum Shopping and Leisure Park, creating six new jobs.
The re-opening is part of a multi-million pound nationwide redesign programme by the casual dining company.
Restaurant Manager Rachel Fitzmaurice said: ‘We are excited to show off our fantastic new look Hut and hope guests enjoy the vibrant and modern feel to the restaurant as much as we do.
“We are confident our new menu, including delicious new sides and desserts such as sweet potato fries and milkshakes, will be a huge draw for customers visiting the Coliseum Shopping Park and adjacent Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet.”
The redesigned restaurant provides a more open and inviting dining space for customers along with improved lighting schemes, showcasing the fresh food and vibrant atmosphere in the Hut.
The investment in Cheshire Oaks is part of a broader £60m refurbishment and restructuring programme for the business, secured through private equity investment from Rutland Partners in late 2012.
