Focus to deliver smaller suites brings occupational boost to Great Charles Street

Lettings totalling 14,207 sq ft have been secured at two buildings on the Great Charles Street estate in central Birmingham, by landlord Dunedin.

Fronting Great Charles Street Queensway the majority of lettings have been completed at the recently refurbished Lombard House, where suites on the ground and third floors have been taken by Powershift Media and MODE Transport respectively, while the full 3,145 sq ft fourth floor has been secured to Travelers and the 5,575 sq ft sixth floor let to Pulse Healthcare Limited.

A further three suites totalling 5,935 sq ft are also under offer, leaving just 10,877 sq ft available at Lombard House across four suites.

An additional suite of 1,750 sq ft has been let on the second floor of Charles House – which has recently received a full refurbishment – to property surveyors and valuers Fleurets, with further interest in three suites totalling 7,400 sq ft within the building.

Lombard House and Charles House are two of seven buildings acquired in 2015 from Aviva by AG Dunedin Birmingham Estate Venture LP, a joint venture between Angelo Gordon and Dunedin Property Asset Management, for £20 million.

Lombard House was the first to receive a comprehensive programme of refurbishment and improvement works designed to create desirable high quality commercial accommodation aimed at occupiers with requirements for smaller spaces.

Gordon Kellie, Dunedin Asset Management, said: “Our strategy for this site is to deliver something unique to the market, creating office suites that don’t leave occupiers having to compromise or wait for leftover space from larger requirements.

“As demonstrated by the breadth of companies who have completed these lettings, Birmingham has an incredibly diverse business landscape with a growing requirement from across a host of sectors for well situated office accommodation. The strength of demand that we’ve seen since bringing these spaces back to the market is a clear demonstration of the current supply gap in this market.

“We have worked with top interior designers to ensure that each of the buildings on the estate offers something different, bringing out their best period features and seamlessly integrating them into a desirable contemporary working environment.”

Following the successful renovation of Lombard House, work is due to complete shortly on the refurbishment of Charles House. A more comprehensive refurbishment of The Crossway – formerly known as Civic House – on the corner of Great Charles Street and Summer Row to include new cladding, full refurbishment of all interior spaces to Cat A and proposed delivery of two new restaurants is also underway, with work due to be completed and the building ready for occupation by October 2016.

Great Charles Street Estate is a collection of seven buildings situated on an island site in Birmingham city centre framed by Newhall Street, Lionel Street, Summer Row and fronting Great Charles Street Queensway, a main arterial route connecting the site to the A38 and national motorway network.

The estate also benefits significantly from its proximity to New Street and Snow Hill railway stations and situation adjacent to the Paradise development which will open new pedestrian routes to the city centre.

Joint letting agents for Great Charles Street Estate are Bilfinger GVA and LSH.