Landmark deal at £125m Leeds scheme

Today, it’s also home to businesses ranging from spas to bars.

The re-development of Leeds has reached another landmark with the announcement that a firm of project managers and building surveyors has moved to Brewery Wharf.

Projex Building Solutions has established an office at Unit 3, One Brewery Wharf. As a result, all the office space at One Brewery Wharf is now taken.

The deal was managed by King Sturge’s office agency team, who were acting for the owners, Rushbond, the Leeds-based property development and investment company.

Phil Tomalin, Projex Building Solutions’ managing partner, said: “We’re very pleased to have moved to bigger offices at Brewery Wharf which provide an ideal platform as we continue to expand, despite the challenging economic climate.

“We were attracted by the quality of space and the nice environment, and it’s also close to the M1. We’ve got 11 staff and are looking to take on another two over the next couple of months.”

Mr Tomalin said the construction market was still tough, and firms were relying on long-term relationships to maintain work flow.

He said the company, which has a projected turnover of £1.2m, hoped to benefit from being close to companies such as DLG Architects and DS Emotion, a design and marketing specialist which has strong links with the property sector.

“You’ve got to hope that by being next to each other, you can win some work,” said Mr Tomalin.

Projex Building Solutions has moved from 700 sq ft rented offices at Great George Street, in Leeds.

It has taken the Brewery Wharf offices for £20 a sq ft on a 10-year lease.

Projex Building Solutions recently merged with Birmingham-based construction cost consultant Keane Consult.

The company is involved in building projects worth more than £60m on sites across the UK.

The Brewery Wharf scheme, which is on the south bank of the River Aire, has become the base for a wide range of businesses and leisure operators, including Aedas, NHS Confederation, construction economists Franklin + Andrews; Café Guru, Waterfall Spa, the Oracle bar and restaurant and a Jury’s Inn hotel.

The £125m development has been created on part of the waterfront formerly occupied by Tetley’s Brewery.

The brewery has been linked with Leeds since Joshua Tetley opened in 1822.

The Brewery Wharf development is based on the former Tetley’s Visitor Centre, a crescent-shaped building which is now home to shops, restaurants and offices.

It has been built to a masterplan designed by DLA Architecture. The final phase, One Brewery Wharf, was completed in 2008, and provides a mix of offices and apartments.

Altogether, Brewery Wharf has 80,000 sq ft of office space, four restaurants and bars and around 700 apartments.

Simon Dove, a Leeds-based surveyor in the King Sturge Office Agency Team, said Projex Building Solutions’ decision to move to Brewery Wharf was a sign of confidence.

He added: “The strengths of the scheme have been its proximity to the city centre amenities and transport links.

“It offers excellent ground-floor space for tenants wishing to showcase their brand and working environment.

“It is still very challenging times, both in and out of town, but Rushbond has spotted a shortage in the supply of small and flexible Grade A office suites, which reflects demand in the current market.”

Richard Baker, development surveyor at Rushbond, said: “We remain heavily involved in Brewery Wharf as landlord and work hard to maintain the general ambience of the area.”

Mr Baker said one of the area’s attractions was its good mix of leisure units and residential space.

Rushbond is involved in a number of high-profile schemes involving historic Yorkshire buildings.

The company is refurbishing the Grade II Listed Belle Vue Mills, in Broughton Road, near Skipton, which will create 80,000 sq ft of office and leisure space.

When finished, the complex will create more than 150,000 sq ft of commercial, leisure and residential space surrounding a new landscaped square with public art.

It’s hoped that around 1,000 people could live or work there.

A total of 40,000 sq ft has been pre-let at the building – which is to be named Craven House – with 30,000 sq ft taken by Craven District Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

Medical healthcare staffing company Medacs Healthcare will open its first Yorkshire base in the building after taking 10,000 sq ft.

The east wing ground floor has been set aside for three leisure units, shops or a cafe, with the potential to expand.

Rushbond also plans to renovate the former Majestyk nightclub, in Leeds city centre, and turn it into a leisure complex.

The building, which opened in the 1920s as a 2,400-seat cinema, has been empty for five years. Rushbond bought the building last year and has held talks with a number of high-profile potential operators about re-opening it as a music venue with bars and a restaurant.

WHAT’S BREWING AT BREWERY WHARF

Apart from creating jobs and providing places to live in the city centre, Brewery Wharf, in Leeds, has led to the creation of new public spaces, which have been decorated with specially-commissioned works of art.

In recent years, Brewery Wharf has received a number of prestigious regional and national awards.

These include the Civic Trust National Award for Public Art, the Leeds Architecture Award and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Pro Yorkshire Award.

According to Rushbond, the company behind the scheme, the project has set a precedent for other mixed-use brownfield regeneration development schemes in Leeds.

It has also led to improved links between the city centre and the nearby Royal Armouries Museum and Clarence Dock.