Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester City Council, has officially reopened Carlton House in Albert Square to celebrate completion of the £1m-plus refurbishment of the Grade Two-listed building.
Addressing an event at the five-storey property adjacent to Manchester Town Hall in Albert Square, Sir Howard, soon to retire after 45 years at the local authority, told a 60-strong audience of business leaders that the transformation of the building reflected the ongoing regeneration of the City.
The gathering was also addressed by Elliot Feingold, CEO of Carlton House Group Ltd (CHG) who recalled the long and varied history of the building, constructed in 1873 in the Venetian Gothic style of architecture and the Square
The refurbishment of the building by CHG has created Grade A office accommodation with a strong emphasis on sustainability.
The majority of the building has been let on long-term leases with the Manchester offices of real estate advisors Colliers International and CBRE jointly marketing the final available office suite of 3,940 sq ft (366 sq m) to potential occupiers on behalf of CHG.
As Carlton House is VAT exempt, occupation costs are significantly reduced for tenants who cannot reclaim VAT such as those in the insurance, pension and financial sectors.
All other office space in the 21,684 sq ft (2,014 sq m) property is occupied by tenants on long-term leases including State Bank of India, which recently renewed its lease for a further 15 years, Nexus Solicitors and independent external façade specialist Taylor Maxwell.
