Posted on June 10, 2011 by John Cronin
The final brick has been laid during a ‘topping out’ ceremony at a new office building in West Bromwich.
The 5-storey block at Providence Place (pictured) is the first new-build office in West Bromwich for more than 3 decades. Offering some 70,000 sq ft of floor space, the building is the first of potentially 5 new office schemes totalling 245,000 sq ft.
The development site was originally known as All Saints but was rebranded earlier this year. Developers behind the multi-million pound scheme are Birmingham-based Stoford.
In a joint public-private sector venture, BT and Sandwell Council are to occupy the new offices. 500 members of staff from Transform Sandwell are to occupy the building along with BT employees. A hot-desk system is being implemented along with flexible working practices to maximise office usage.
Commenting on the new building, Councillor Ian Jones, Sandwell’s cabinet member for jobs and economy, said: “It’s fantastic to see this superb building completed. Providence Place is a vital part of the redevelopment of the town as high quality office space will help attract new investment.”
It is likely that construction of subsequent phases at Providence Place will only commence once pre-let agreements have been secured. That was certainly the view of Jon Andrews of Stoford who, when plans for the development were first submitted in late 2008 said: “We are now in discussion with other potential blue chip occupiers that are interested in pre-letting the remaining [space]”. Mr Andrews also suggested that rental prices of around £20 / sq ft would be approximately 30% less than those for comparable office space in central Birmingham.
The offices are expected to be officially opened in October.
Posted in West Midlands |
Tagged Public Sector, Rental Prices |
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Posted on June 9, 2011 by Nell Frizzell
Lord Sugar is “passionate about new money-spinning ideas,” says the voiceover, as Episode Six thrusts its way on to our screens. Sadly, Lord Suga-ga is still only just waking up to the commercial potential of steam locomotion and indoor plumbing.
But back to the show. The birds are singing, the dawn is cracking, the phone is ringing and there is yet another preposterously big bunch of flowers by the handset. Seriously, it’s like Dawn of the Triffids down there. I fully expect for Glenn to one day rush down the stairs, only to discover a ringing phone, an empty six litre bottle of Baby Bio and Susie’s decomposing legs disappearing down a stamen. Luckily Edna gets away from the Frankenbloom unscathed, telling the apprentices to don their high-vis vests and head to West London.
When was the last time I saw this many brain cells wearing high vis vests? Back stage at a N-Dubz gig? Down a sewer? At a Handy Andy fan club reunion? Who knows. But this time they’re off to a rubbish dump. This is what Ruskin would have called pathetic fallacy and I would call a pathetic collection of phalluses.
“You can make money from just about anything,” says the Baron of Clapton. Old Sugarnuts is actually there in person for a change, rather his usual craggy hologram. Sadly, he slightly ruins the corporeal effect by adding, “This is rubbish.”
So, this week they’re selling waste. Next week: old rope. The week after: a dead horse.
After being briefed, the teams are taken to a carpark lecture on “The business potential of rubbish.” Which must be the MA Course listed just below “The philosophical potential of offal.”
Before any of the real shit-shovelling can begin, both teams must elect a leader. “In terms of experience I’ve got nothing at all…” admits Susan with what is either startling honesty or startling psychopathy. So, instead Zoe gets to be PM. Which stands for project manager, but with a voice like hers – a voice like heavy chains rubbing across broken train tracks – perhaps a future in politics beckons?
“Helen stood out for me because she put her strategy right on the table” says Natasha. Well, we’ve all been to hen dos like that, I suppose.
For Logic, Jim takes the interesting approach of driving around the suburbs threatening homeowners over a tannoy, before trying to steal their barbeques. The women, on the other hand, are sitting in the back seat of a car in full overalls and high vis. Be safe, be seen, be stupid.
“I feel like Melody has just said, here’s a big plate of blame, fancy a bite?” says Natasha, to camera. You know how I eat off a bit plate of blame, Natasha? With a giant spoon of passive aggression and a colossal fork of denial.
For Venture, Zoe is pure positivity: “Listen to me when I say this, I know nothing.” Out of the mouths of babes. Or, in this case, female John Lennon lookalikes.
Back on the streets of West London, Jim and Tom are creating possibly the most surreal Baywatch parody I’ve ever seen; two black-haired, thyroid-imbalanced mentrepreneurs running up a residential hill in ill-fitting red overalls. Sexy.
“Waste management is an industry full of tricks” says Nick, sagely. No, no Nick. You’re thinking of close-up magic and prostitution.
As her team gradually realise that they have spent a whole day collecting about 80p worth of gravel and chewing gum wrappers, Zoe grabs the bull of opportunity by the horns and sits openly weeping in an ill-lit MFI showroom. She’ll probably write Imagine about this later with her husband Noko Nono.
Luckily, the next day Edna, Zoe and Orblando Bloomers agree to clear an alleyway full of unbagged shite in return for three waist-height copper thermos flasks. That strikes me as a little like agreeing to worm your own dog in return for a packet of used blu-tac, but hey, what do I know? I mean, it’s Edna who’s “the brains and the brawn as”.
Over at team Logic HQ (a rubbish-strewn garden somewhere in South London) a Battersea builder is sneaking extra bags of rubbish into their load. Greyhound Jim tries to complain, but to no avail. Never take on a fat man in a builders’ yard-branded t-shirt behind a privet hedge, Jim. You will always lose.
And so the task draws to a close. Waste is loaded in some sort of flat-bed reverse-birth with shouts of “Push! Push!” metal is weighed and priced using the blinding science of, well, a magnet and prices are negotiated. A quick word of advice: When negotiating a deal always make sure you do a jumping high five and shout “Awesome!” as soon as they suggest a price. It really is the only way to get the best deal.
“It felt so good to see dirt on me and dust in my eyes,” says Melody before going in to the boardroom. Pervert.
As they take their assembled seats, with Susie standing behind the rest of the team pulling a face like a cat’s arse, it’s time for Lord Sugarmort to call in the results.
All in all, Team Venture earned a respectable £706, but Logic finally bucked their losing streak with a mighty £712 profit. Suck on those six big ones, Venture. Six entire pounds. To celebrate, Helen et al are off to a thermal spa. Which is where you have a bath wearing your longjohns, for any tourists taking notes.
Which must mean that it’s time for Crappy-go-Sucky Zoe and the rest of her team to gather in the Café de Despair. Such is the weight of disappointment that I’m sort of expecting one of them to stick a fork through their eye and asphyxiate themselves with a squeezy bottle of HP. Some hope.
Zoe takes Susie and Edna back in to the boardroom with her. Go sisterhood! Each woman takes a different tact to self-defence. Susie puckers her underbite in to something approximating a piranha’s anus, Zoe rolls her eyes like John Lennon having an acid flashback and Edna curls up her silver lips like someone who’s just discovered a dead dog in their pop sock.
“Anybody can make a phonecall.” Lord Sugar admonished Edna. He’s obviously never met a middle aged mother with a new mobile phone.
“You were not good for team morale, Zoe,” lambasts Susie. “You sat in the corner crying.” One day this passage will be reproduced in management textbooks everywhere.
To be honest, all three are presenting about as attractive a business prospect as a biro up the nose, but amazingly Lord Sugarbabes manages to sack just one of them.
Which one you ask? Edna ‘S&M gloves’ Agbarha. Which just goes to show; three degrees isn’t always the best training for shovelling bags of gravel and flogging dog food. Put that in your university prospectus and smoke it.
Posted in Misc |
Tagged Apprentice Blog |
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Posted on June 8, 2011 by John Cronin
Three new tenants have been secured for a multi-suite office development in Glasgow.
Joint marketing agents Knight Frank and Glen & Co have secured tenants for the 28,000 sq ft Elliot Street Mews office scheme in Glasgow.
The development consists of 2 adjoining buildings located approximately 0.5miles from Glasgow city centre. The buildings, originally the Cranstonhill Iron Foundry, were redeveloped in 2002 and offer a combined total floor space of 28,000 sq ft. There have been several office developments in Elliot Street in recent years including the 40,000 sq ft office complex at 144 Elliot Street. Scottish property developer Steven Shear is behind both developments.
Quoted rental prices for suites at 144 Elliot Street at £18.50 / sq ft. Only the 11,450 sq ft 1st floor remains available.
The Glasgow Chamber of Commerce reports that Monkey Agency has leased 3,200 sq ft of first floor space at Sovereign House. Xero Energy Ltd has agreed to let the 2,123 sq ft 2-storey self contained office building at 60 Elliot Street. The final new tenant is Isa Music, who has let a 769 sq ft suite at 46 Elliot Street Mews. Agreed rental prices have not been disclosed but the quoted headline rental for accommodation at Sovereign House is £13.70 / sq ft.
Stephen Shear of developers Sovereign Properties said: “By offering the suites to the market in walk-in condition, and with us being able to accommodate the flexibility that seems to be demanded by tenants … I am delighted to have added another three tenants to the development.”
Three office suites within the development ranging in size from 1,668 sq ft to 5,654 sq ft remain unoccupied.
Posted in Glasgow |
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Posted on June 6, 2011 by John Cronin
Reduced rental prices for office space at a converted sugar warehouse in Edinburgh have attracted a new tenant.
Property developers Highcross have secured a second tenant for their Sugar Bond development at Leith, Edinburgh. The developers are hoping that the reduced headline rental price of £7.50 / sq ft, a discount to rentals for city centre Edinburgh offices, will attract additional tenants in the near term.
The Sugar Bond (pictured) is one of 2 former bonded warehouses that have been converted in to modern office accommodation. The offices are located in an established business location, approximately 1.5miles from Edinburgh city centre.
There are 2 other mixed-use office and residential buildings in the area and commercial tenants include Toshiba and NHS Scotland.
The Sugar Bond, an 8-storey building, offers 21,756 sq ft of floor space and is smaller than the adjacent Bonnington Bond building, also owned by Highcross, which offers 24,685 sq ft.
The new tenant is online marketing firm Caliber Interactive, who have agreed to take the whole 7th floor which offers 2,594 sq ft of open plan accommodation. A 5-year lease has been agreed with a break year 3. The other tenant at the building is charity L’Arche who signed a 10-year for the whole 1st floor in September last year.
Commenting on the lease, Caliber Interactive’s Commercial Director Francesca Kosina said: “[We] are very pleased with the relocation to our new offices at Sugar Bond. The move reflects a sustained period of growth for the company, and the space is well-suited as we continue to expand our operations team in Edinburgh.”
Marketing agents are Ryden, Montagu Evans and CWPC.
Posted in Edinburgh |
Tagged Renovations, Rental Prices, Speculative Developments |
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Posted on June 3, 2011 by John Cronin
One of the tallest office blocks in Leeds is set to undergo a refurbishment programme just months after ownership of the building changed hands.
West Riding House (pictured) is a 19-storey mixed-use tower block located in Leeds city centre that was constructed in the 1970’s. The current owners are joint-venture partners Moorfield Group, a real estate investment company, and Holbeck Land who are commercial property developers. The partnership purchased the office block in February from the administrative receivers of a Luxembourg private investment company. The purchase price was not disclosed.
The landmark, mixed-use building offers some 65,000 sq ft of retail space, a multi-storey car park and 76,000 sq ft of office space. For nearly 30 years West Riding House was the tallest building in Leeds. It lost this accolade in 2005 when the mixed-use, residential and office tower Bridgewater Place, nicknamed The Dalek, was topped-out.
Market reports indicate that approximately 43,000 sq ft of office accommodation remains unoccupied at West Riding House. Current tenants include Capita Business Services, the Court Service and recruitment consultancy Badenock & Clark. The new owners believe that the large floor plates of 5,100 sq ft within the building would be suited for corporate and professional tenants as well as those from the public sector.
Commenting on the acquisition, Marc Gilbard, CE of Moorfield, said: “A scheme of this size in such a prime location made West Riding House a very interesting investment opportunity. There is the scope to further asset manage this building by attracting new occupiers and exploring the opportunity to extend existing facilities.”
Office suites in the building starting at 1,500 sq ft have previously been marketed by agents King Sturge at a rental price of £13.50 / sq ft. Rental prices are expected to rise once the refurbishment is complete.
Posted in West Yorkshire |
Tagged Renovations, Rental Prices, Transactions |
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Posted on June 2, 2011 by John Cronin
The future of a landmark office block in Maidenhead remains uncertain after an application for listed status was declined.
The imposing Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Headquarters building (pictured) is the subject of redevelopment plans.
The CWGC consider the offices are too big for their head count of around 75 staff and are no longer suitable for their needs. CWGC want to relocate to new offices and sell the existing building for redevelopment. Plans have been drawn up to demolish the offices and replace them with an 11-storey apartment block, although a planning application has not yet been submitted.
Established by Royal Charter in 1917, the CWGC pays tribute to the 1,700,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars. The commission manages war graves and cemeteries in 150 countries.
The substantial, 5-storey CWGC offices were designed by architects Fitzroy Robinson & Partners and were recognised in 1974 with a RIBA ‘Excellence of Design” award. A campaign to save the building from redevelopment, often described as “fortress like”, was started by local residents. The building features include a dug out entrance, a pillbox structure and a gatehouse with portcullis.
An application by English Heritage to have the building listed was rejected last week by Heritage Minister John Penrose. Campaigners, who plan to appeal, suggest that Mr Penrose is ignoring the architectural merit of the building. Local campaigner Mr Peter Bell said of the CWGC headquarters: “It is the nearest thing to a castle that we have in Maidenhead”.
The campaign to save the building is backed by The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The council originally agreed to support the application for listed building status in 2010.
Posted in Berkshire |
Tagged Demolitions, Listed Buildings, Public Sector |
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Posted on June 2, 2011 by Nell Frizzell
We’re five episodes in and it is starting to dawn on me that all Apprentice contestants are grown in a cesspit, far below the surface of the earth. Just watch the credits; there’s Gavin, taking the escalator up from some sort of stainless steel hell, here is Susan popping out on the pavement like Mole at the beginning of Wind in the Willows. Until finally they reach the swooping city skylines and kaleidoscope of grey.
Seriously, this is the greyest programme the 21st Century has ever known. It’s like watching television through a slate.
“I’m not looking for bloody sales people. I’m looking for someone who’s got a brain,” yaps the pugman, instantly offending 80% of his audience. Good one Sugarbabe.
On the table, alongside the genitalia of all those contestants who unwisely mixed the old balls on the line/ cards on the table adage, is a “50/50 partnership with the nation’s toughest investor”. No, not George Osborne. Or even Bernie Madoff. They’re talking about the inventor of the self-inflating fax machine, Sr’Alanstrad Sugarpuff.
“This is one life-changing opportunity,” urges the voiceover person. Like hepatitis, then. Or death.
It’s 6am in the house and both Shrek and Ms “I can’t find my knickers” Natasha are sneaking about the corridors in just their towels. The plot, like Karen’s bouffant, thickens.
The apprentices are off to Fitzrovia to meet a creative agency called, rather surprisingly, NWA. Oh, no, sorry, TBWA. Which presumably stands for Trigger Biggers With Attitude.
If I were the lynchpin of an entire BBC series, do you know how I’d conduct my interviews? By projecting a giant 2D cartoon of my head on to a ill-lit blank wall. Like Holly from Red Dwarf, but with more fulsome jowls. In your face 3-dimensions. So, the floating Sugavatar tells his assembled interns that they are going to spend the next few days elbows-deep in meaty chunks and gravy.
They’re making pet food. Which means, according to my rules, that the first person to make a ‘dog’s breakfast’ joke gets spayed.
Vincent is chosen to “head up” Logic. Which is a bit like asking Fabio to head up Rationale. Glenn, meanwhile, is to be in charge of Venture. A task he’ll be more than qualified for after that whole venture he went on with Donkey and Puss in Boots.
“My confidence and charisma can overwhelm some people,” smarms Vincent. At least, I think that’s what he says. It’s hard to hear him over the pneumatic pounding of my heaving bosom every time he comes on screen.
Both teams are sent off, in to their groups, to have the inevitable brainstorm. Vincent suggests Pal, which would be brilliant if it wasn’t already the second bestselling pet food in Britain. Never mind. With Pal already taken they could always go for, oh I don’t know, Chum?
Glenn, meanwhile, describes himself as “a catalyst” as he proposes some sort of Valley of the Dolls-style cat spa. Cat-alyst? Excuse me while I push my ribs back in to place. “No guts, no glory,” he continues, revealing probably more about his list of ingredients than the manufacturer had hoped.
Back in their brainstorm, Vincent announces that, “Small dogs, big dogs, we’re trying to hit everything.” Well, that’s encouraging. Especially as they’re off to have a focus group with a vet. Maybe they’ll appreciate the extra business.
The Airedale sitting in on the meeting obviously heard about Vincent’s demolition dog derby as it makes a noise at him like the antichrist. The rest of the room looks like a forgotten passage from the Bible: “The kitten also shall dwell with the dog, and the cat shall lie down with the puppy; and a little child shall lead them.” Well, he’s got the business acumen of a four year old, anyway.
With team names like Venture and Logic, choosing a pet food name was always going to be a painful process. Lucky Fish is seriously suggested as a name for chicken you feed to cats, before the teams settle on Catsize and Everydog. Ah yes, Ev’rydog: the unlikely hero of Elizabethan drama. As for Catsize; if you want to sell slimming food for felines just call it Special K-at and stick up a picture of a kitten in a skimpy red swimming costume.
Catsize is then followed up with the intriguing tag line, “See their light.” See their light? I had a cat who used to lick his light all the time. It looked like he was playing the cello.
Equipped with a stinkload of bad names, some meaty chunks and the kind of gravy that always made me doubt that dogs really do have a sense of smell four times stronger than a human, it’s time for the teams to concentrate on marketing.
Adverts are made (with one rather awkward audition by a malicious rat posing as a cat), pitches are prepared and rallying cries are given by members of the team. Well, except by Leon. Which is understandable. I mean, it must be hard to pitch a feline diet food to a room full of advertising executives and business people while feverishly avoiding the term ‘fat cats’.
Once everyone is called back to the boardroom, Lord Sugaga weighs up their efforts. Who came up with the name, he asks Vincent? “We threw a lot of ideas in to the bowl.”And then flushed, presumably. Glenn’s efforts for Venture are deemed well thought through, but not very well executed. Which is about as perfect a business oxymoron as you’ll ever find. Logic’s branding, on the other hand, is deemed “insulting to pet owners”. Imagine insulting your market? Like, oh I don’t know, calling sales people brainless.
To celebrate their victory, Glenn and his adventurous buddies are off to play tennis with Pat Cash. Which seems odd, until you realise that Lord Sugar probably believes Pat Cash is named after his ability to shit money.
Which means that Tom, Natasha, Ellie and Vincent are back in front of the Finger of Doom once more. “Never mind Logic. You should be branded Tragic”. This man is a bloody poet.
Amazingly, Jedi Jim manages to wriggle out of the final three once more. Probably because Vincent believes him to be “strong in certain areas”. Which is giving me images of an Irish Greyhound doing unspeakable things to a King Charles Spaniel, behind a set of Biffa bins.
Talking of which, Lord Sugar announces, rather out of nowhere, that “I like people who focus on the task, not on their arse.” Glad we got this sorted out. Although it makes me wonder why he picked a bunch of arseholes for his recruitment drive.
Vincent takes Ellie and Natasha back in for the final three. It’s dog eat dog. So, who’s the, ummm, hungrier dog? “I do not for the life of me understand why Natasha is in this room,” says Lord Sugarpuff. I’m starting to see why he gave Eagle-nosed Nick such a tricky time PR-wise. The man’s memory is even worse than his puns.
Ellie is, unsurprisingly, fired for being boring telly. But what’s this? The Finger of Doom is not sated? It seeks new blood? Surely not. It’s coming to rest on… Please God no! Not Vincent! Think of the other Musketeers!
I am, brave readers, rendered speechless by grief.
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Tagged Apprentice Blog |
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Posted on June 1, 2011 by John Cronin
A first tenant has been secured for new offices in Oxford Street, London.
Property investors and developers Salmon Harvester and their partners NFU Mutual have signed the first office tenant at 175 Oxford Street (pictured – website).
The speculative redevelopment, offering 11,925 sq ft of floor space, is to be part-occupied by Korean oil company SK Energy. The firm has agreed to a 10-year lease for the 3,195 sq ft 3rd floor at a rental price of £47.50/ sq ft.
The smallest 5th floor, offering 2,367 sq ft at a headline rental of £49.50 / sq ft is also under offer. If this lease is secured 6,363 sq ft of floor space would remain unoccupied.
The original mixed-use building was badly damaged in a fire in April 2007 and has since been redeveloped. Planning consent was granted in 2008 for the demolition of the existing structure and for the construction of a new building.
The new building is used as a fully-let retail unit on the first 3 floors with 4 floors of office space above. There is 8,500 sq ft of retail accommodation over basement, ground and first floors. The office floors can be sub-divided and the largest floor plate is 3,195 sq ft. The building has been re-fitted with various energy-saving measures such as a brown roof, complete with bat and bird boxes, and has achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’.
Architects for the redesigned building which actually occupies 175 – 179 Oxford Street were 3DReid. The scheme was completed slightly ahead of schedule in January 2010 and has an estimated value of £40m.
Joint marketing agents are Knight Frank and H2SO.
Posted in London |
Tagged Demolitions, Renovations, Rental Prices, Speculative Developments |
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Posted on May 31, 2011 by John Cronin
A commercial property developer has opened additional serviced office accommodation in a listed building in Manchester.
Anvic Developments has now released new serviced office accommodation at their Piccadilly House building in Manchester city centre. Anvic have refurbished the 6th floor of the Grade II Listed building that offers 30,000 sq ft of serviced office space.
Anvic has spent approximately £3m converting the 6-floor building in to “boutique style” serviced offices and meeting room facilities. Flexible office suites are available from single up to 40 workstations. Breakout facilities are available on each floor. The majority of the floor space within the building is now dedicated to serviced office clients.
Anvic report that Piccadilly House is popular with professional services companies. Paul Dawson, Managing Director said: “It’s a listed building and we’ve stylishly refurbished it to the highest possible specification. We have already had plenty of inquiries from businesses in media, recruitment and professional services who want to reap the benefits of such a prestigious city centre presence.”
Recent tenants at Piccadilly House include PR ageny Refresh and Beattie Group who recently relocated from the ING Real Estate, mixed-use Royal Mills development in Ancoats.
Anvic also manages other serviced office centres in Manchester and the Northwest. Suites at the nearby City View House building range in size from 100 sq ft for single workstation use up to self-contained units of around 2,000 sq ft. Along with 3 offices in Burnley, Anvic manages a total of 150,000 sq ft of floor space.
Posted in Manchester |
Tagged Listed Buildings, Renovations, Serviced Offices |
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Posted on May 27, 2011 by John Cronin
Internet retailing giant Amazon has agreed to take additional office space at a landmark building in the centre of Edinburgh.
Amazon has signed a 10-year lease for 58,000 sq ft of floor space at the Waverley Gate building in Edinburgh city centre (pictured). Amazon needs the space as it plans to recruit several hundred staff for a new customer service centre. Rental prices have not been disclosed.
Amazon has received a grant of £1.8m from Scottish Enterprise which is being used to fund both staff training and an office fit-out. Amazon is expected to occupy the offices in August.
Owners Highcross have previously let 10,000 sq ft of space at Waverley Gate to the internet retailer. Highcross purchased the 207,000 sq ft building in May 2010 from the administrative receivers of Castlemore (Edinburgh) Ltd and have since undertaken a major, interior refurbishment programme.
Commenting on the new lease, Mark Evans, head of Highcross’ Scotland office said: “This latest significant letting to Amazon means that more than 150,000 sq ft is now occupied at the building, compared with 12,000 sq ft at the beginning of 2010.”
Other significant tenants at Waverley Gate include Microsoft, NHS and Creative Scotland with the latter signing 15-year lease last autumn for just over 13,000 sq ft of 1st floor space. Waverley Gate has been the source of much of the letting activity in the Edinburgh offices market over the last 12 months. Allan Matthews of CBRE, Scotland has described the landmark building as being “one of Edinburgh’s biggest letting successes”.
Montagu Evans and CBRE are joint letting agents. Amazon was represented by Cushman & Wakefield.
Posted in Edinburgh |
Tagged Renovations, Transactions |
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