NOT quite like the former Twin Towers of Manhattan, or even those that once adorned Wembley Stadium, but Hagley Road, in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, has its own double act. TheBusinessDesk.com takes a tour of No. 54.

No. 54 (below) is an impressive structure. It underwent a major £15m revamp by its previous owners before it was sold in May 2009 to Jersey-based Mercia Real Estate, an affiliate of American private equity firm Westbrook Partners.

Capital and Counties decided to bring the two towers together on the ground floor by building a new foyer and ‘Cafe Kix’, in addition to other works.

It’s a welcoming environment for visitors or potential tenants having a nosey around and perhaps looking for somewhere considerably cheaper than the office blocks in the city centre a mile or so eastwards.

Jonathan Carmalt, partner at King Sturge in Birmingham, which is joint agent on the building with GBR, takes up the story.

“Capital and Counties, who had owned the building for about 10 years, embarked in a major refurbishment programme, completed in 2008.

“The most visible change that occurred is the new central reception which has resulted in economies of scale for operating the building so you’re not duplicating certain staff.

“The offices weren’t derelict but they were of a different era. The building was constructed in the 1970s and various occupiers had done their own fit outs.

“The building has a couple of big selling points, one of which is the quality of the refurbishment, there haven’t been corners cut. People know that if they sign up to a lease here they’re not going to get a nasty surprise a couple of years down the line.”

Mercia bought the building following the refurbishment and current tenants include Yellow Pages, property consultancy Robinson Low Francis and the Government Tribunal Service.

54 Hagley Road sits just a short walk away from Five Ways Island at the east end of Broad Street, within a mile or so from Brindleyplace and the main city centre where rents are considerably more costly – up to £12 per sq ft in some cases.

The two towers, a total of 142,000 sq ft, are eight and 16 storeys respectively with the bulk of the available space available in the latter.

A top floor marketing suite provides an impressive view for tenants looking for something a little bit more interesting for time away from their computer screens.

And as an added kick in a bid to entice in new occupiers, landlord Mercia has launched a new concierge service on a six-month trial basis.

“What we’re trying to do is provide something over and above and different from your standard offering,” Mr Carmalt, left, told TheBusinessDesk.com.

“Obviously, it’s an offer to the existing tenants but the hope is that other potential occupiers will see we’re offering more than other buildings.

“It’s very early days for the service but so far so good. You’ll always get one or two dissenters but the vast majority have been very positive.
“There are so many to let signs about which shows you have got to provide something over and above what your competitors are doing.”