Refurbished Birmingham office building welcomes new tenant

IT company Softcat has signed a lease for 9,000 sq ft of office space at the newly renovated Billiards Building in Birmingham.

The firm, which offers IT infrastructure solutions to both public and private sectors, will occupy the entire seventh floor under a ten-year lease from landlord Grosvenor.

Softcat is relocating from its current office at Interchange Place on Edmund Street, where it has operated since 2019.

Joint agents CBRE and JLL represented Grosvenor in the deal, while LSH acted on behalf of Softcat.

Theo Holmes, senior director and head of office agency at CBRE in Birmingham, said: “Today’s corporate occupiers want and expect more from their office, whether that’s in the quality of the space, the provision of onsite amenities or the building’s green credentials.

“The refurbishment of the Billiards Building means it now meets all the needs of the modern, discerning office occupier. Furthermore, the flexible floor plates enable the building to react to changing business needs, offering fully fitted and traditional solutions and a range of suite sizes for businesses to scale up.”

Grosvenor acquired the Billiards Building, formerly known as 134 Edmund Street, in 2021.

The 79,000 sq ft Grade A office has undergone upgrades as part of a £35m capital investment initiative to enhance Grosvenor’s 500,000 sq ft regional office portfolio.

The revamped building now includes a new reception area, business lounge, café, gym, yoga studio, and communal roof terrace. It also boasts an upgraded mechanical and electrical system, as well as improvements to energy efficiency, including a shift to a fully electric system in place of the previous gas-powered setup.

The enhancements have helped the building achieve net zero status and an EPC ‘A’ rating.

Fergus Evans, Grosvenor office portfolio director, said: “Securing net zero status demonstrates how existing buildings can be successfully refurbished to create environmentally friendly, energy-efficient Grade A office space.

“We are seeing strong demand for buildings which offer outstanding amenities and industry-leading environmental performance in fantastic locations, which is reflected in the interest we have received
from occupiers at Billiards Building.”

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