Tower Square unveiling tops off developer’s ambitions

Tower Square at MEPC’s Wellington Place development was unveiled last night at an event for more than 100 people.

With the 104,000 sq ft 6 Wellington Place development already fully let just four weeks after completion, MEPC chief executive James Dipple was there with the heads of the £23bn Hermes Investment Management and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board who have funded the project in a joint venture.

The launch kicked off with speeches and fireworks, avoiding the rain as if it was planned that way. A spectacular aerial acrobatics display highlighted the glossy glass interior.

Tower Square is at the heart of the new development, and MEPC intended it to be a focal point, making it the perfect place to launch the area to the Leeds business community.

Tenants of the new offices include law firm Squire Patton Boggs as well as Sky Betting & Gaming at 6 Wellington Place. The latter will employ 750 at its 65,000 sq ft Leeds head offices.

Squire Patton Boggs will move into 32,000 sq ft of office space this weekend, whilst Equifax will relocate to Leeds from its Bradford base.

Richard Flint, chief executive of Sky Betting & Gaming, said: “Thanks to our continued revenue growth and significant increase in headcount we have outgrown our current office space. It is great to be able to expand into a state of the art development so close to our existing headquarters.”

“The Wellington Place developments are a sign of good things to come, with Leeds delegation down in Cannes in MIPIM. Leeds is a great city, has a fantastic offering. Can appear on a global stage and the challenge is to make sure we’re out there

James Dipple, chief executive of MEPC spoke to TheBusinessDesk.com. He said: “A lot of companies these days are also global businesses. They are interested in where the talent pool is.

“They are looking for skilled staff, who in turn want to work somewhere nice and efficient, that fits in with the concept of increasing urbanisation.”

Creating a community rather than a disconnected development is a specialist of MEPC.

The Tower Works and Wellington Place developments have cafes, a bar, five-a-side football pitch, street food restaurant

“Our site in Leeds is the only one big enough for this kind of community development.

“This day and age it’s more than getting a building up. You create a place, with open spaces and other amenities, it’s a masterplan development.”

Mr Dipple said that despite Hermes and the Canada Pensions Fund also teaming up on projects across the UK, Leeds is still an important regional city.

“We want to be investing in places where there are businesses and talent, It’s a package really that investors are looking. Leeds is a great value offering as well as a university city meaning there are qualified people produced locally.

“Our challenge is to provide job opportunities in one of the big six UK cities.

“Maybe Yorkshire has been a bit shy in the past shouting from the rooftops, now developments like this are testament to the offering that Leeds can provide.”