Birmingham’s Eastside expansion bears dividends on existing commercial stock

Family owned property company Bruntwood has let over 11,000 sq ft of prime commercial stock at its landmark Mclaren building on the boundary of Birmingham’s Eastside district.

Bruntwood has recently undertaken a comprehensive refurbishment of the building to bring it back in line with Grade A stock in the city and this renovation, combined with the steady public and private investment in the broader area, is credited with triggering the trio of lettings.

Sigma Financial Group, a business process outsourcing provider, has taken 9,139 sq ft. Select Energy Group has taken 320 sq ft and tenant RFEA, the forces employment charity, has increased the amount of space it occupies in the building by 1,100 sq ft.

Rob Valentine, head of Bruntwood’s Birmingham office, said, “Eastside, as the home of the new HS2 station, is the focus of increasing investment from both public and private sector sources and we are expecting the recent announcement of the expansion of the Curzon Street enterprise zone to trigger more property speculation still.

“As we enter 2016, when high occupier demand is expected to coincide with a lack of available brand new space, we are providing a viable alternative by recycling existing space and maximising its potential. The Mclaren building is now 94% let with superb spaces still available on the upper floors that benefit from superb, panoramic views across the city.”

Originally built in the 1970s as the headquarters of HSBC, Bruntwood has invested £7.5 million in the building since it was acquired in 2008 to deliver high specification, flexible office suites with individual floorplates of 5,750 sq ft.

Bruntwood owns and manages more than 140 properties in four UK cities. Elsewhere in Birmingham, it owns the revamped Grade II listed Cornwall Buildings on Newhall Street and Centre City next to New Street Station.

Work has begun on Bruntwood’s 14 million transformation of Two Cornwall Street. The property company’s most ambitious project to-date, the redevelopment will proved 110,000 sq ft of Grade A office space at the heart of the Colmore Business District in 2016.