£2.5m refurbishment of Yorkshire House now complete

The comprehensive £2.5 million refurbishment of the iconic Yorkshire House and Hub in the heart of Leeds has now been completed.

In addition to a major internal renovation, finished recently, the building has just undergone an external refurbishment of the York stone cladding, bringing the modernisation to an end.

In addition to the smartened cladding, the overall programme included a new entrance and reception in East Parade for the Yorkshire Hub; refurbished entrance on Greek Street; a new external lighting scheme; refurbished toilets; and a dedicated cycle storage room and new showers.

This modernisation programme, undertaken by leading UK developers FORE Partnership, has created some of the most innovative office space in the city.

The imposing 83,000 sq ft, seven-storey building, which dominates Greek Street and East Parade in the heart of the professional and financial core of the city, is available for occupiers to lease now.

Office suites range from 2,500 sq ft to 18,000 sq ft with rents in the region of £24.50 per sq ft. The building features a south-facing terrace, open to all tenants, with stunning panoramic views across the Leeds skyline.

A “Platinum” Wired Score accreditation, the first awarded in Leeds city centre, means that the building has some of the finest digital connectivity in the city.

The pioneering Yorkshire Hub, an integral part of Yorkshire House, features design-led, low-carbon, modern office space with suites from 2,500 sq ft to 4,000 sq ft. It is ideal for start-up and expanding tech companies but equally suitable for corporates who want to think differentlyabout their office space.

The refurbishment coincides with the decision of Our Space, the innovative co-working office company, to take more than 13,000 sq ft of prime office space in the flagship building. Our Space offers hot desks, permanent desks and private office spaces within a relaxed and informal working environment.

Basil Demeroutis, Managing Partner of FORE, explained “Our multi-year, comprehensive refurbishment programme has created modern office space that fosters creativity and innovation. We want successful businesses to thrive at Yorkshire House.”

“We have recently become the first office building in Leeds city centre to receive the top Wired Score award for its digital connectivity, which will help us to help businesses located here grow.

“Digital connectivity is one of the key drivers for occupiers, particularly for Leeds’ growing tech sector where high speed connectivity is crucial. It gives a clear signal to the market that Yorkshire House is not only one of the most digitally connected buildings in the city but that its digital infrastructure is future proofed.”

Elizabeth Ridler, office agency partner with Knight Frank in Leeds, who are jointly marketing the building with Cushman and Wakefield, commented: “The stunning refurbishment and total transformation of Yorkshire House and Hub, has brought the building up to an excellent standard and will capitalise on the ever-reducing levels of high quality stock in the city.

She added: “An exceptional number of amenities are available in the immediate vicinity of the newly-pedestrianised Greek Street, of which our clients were instrumental, including All Bar One, Dakota, Neighbourhood, The Alchemist and San Carlo.

Apart from Our Space the main tenants of Yorkshire House and Hub are leading Leeds law firm Lupton Fawcett and IT consultancy Alscient.

Ms Ridler explained: “The digital connectivity of Yorkshire House and Hub is second to none. The coveted Wired Score accreditation has set a very high standard and the building has three fibre providers who are present and available to service tenants.

“This is especially attractive for new and expanding technology companies, who regard Leeds, with its superb location, excellent facilities and modern, state-of-the-art offices, as the perfect place to be based,” she added.