How the £8m refurbishment of 1 City Square is bringing jobs and investment to Leeds

An £8m refurbishment has transformed 1 City Square as it helps to attract fast growing businesses to the heart of Leeds.

A new on-site cafe is opening next month, while a new fully-fitted office on the ground floor will be available from October.

At the same time, the business lounge with bookable meeting rooms has been upgraded to provide space for the occupiers of 1 City Square.

Specialist Real Estate Asset Manager, Catella APAM bought 1 City Square, which is located opposite Leeds Station, in 2018 for £32.3m on behalf of Britannia Invest A/S.

The tenants include accountancy firm Deloitte, architects TP Bennett, asset managers Schroders and law firm Mills & Reeve. The law firm Brabners is currently fitting its offices out, ready for occupation in late autumn.

A spokesman said: "The transformation of 1 City Square comes as work continues on the redesign of the City Square which will include an enhanced network of pedestrian and cycle friendly routes and the construction of City Square House, the new home for law firm DLA Piper.

Elizabeth Ridler, office agency partner with global property consultancy Knight Frank in Leeds, commented: “The latest upgrades to 1 City Square complement the recent refurbishment perfectly. 1 City Square is now one of the very finest office buildings in Leeds, a fabulous example of creating a best-in-class working environment.

“This iconic building is now providing Leeds with superb office space for the 21 st century, which will attract different companies and talent from across the UK.”

There is currently 2,236 sq ft of office space available on the ground floor, with 4,334 sq ft available on the first floor and 10, 491 sq ft on the fourth floor, which can be sub-divided into smaller suites.

Robert White, CEO at Brabners, commented: “Our launch into Leeds marked a significant milestone for our firm and follows five years of consecutive growth. Our investment in One City Square has a significant role to play in our future in Yorkshire and is consistent with our objective to build our presence in the market and play our part as an integral member of the Yorkshire business community.

“It is also in keeping with our recent investments in Manchester and Lancashire, and will provide an agile, collaborative and best-in-class environment to support clients, colleagues and the broader business community from across the region.”

The joint marketing agents with Knight Frank on 1 City Square are CBRE in Leeds.