AXA UK confirmed as occupier of new Centre Square building

Contracts have been signed to deliver the next stage of the multi-million pound regeneration of Middlesbrough as a regional centre for business.

Developer Ashall Projects will build a four-storey 40,000 sq ft Grade A office building on a vacant site near Melrose Street.

6 Centre Square

It has been confirmed that insurance company AXA UK will move more than 450 staff there from its offices in Exchange Square.

The new building – Six Centre Square – is being funded and bought by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority.  Middlesbrough Council is also contributing a £2m grant to the project from of its Towns Fund allocation which was provided by the government as part of the levelling up programme. Construction will start in early 2022 and the building is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2023.

This is the latest phase in the Centre Square project which has already seen major employers, such as Firstsource, XPS and Causeway, bring around 1,000 existing and new staff into the first two buildings which – with further announcements imminent – will soon be nearly fully occupied.

Mark Ashall, director of Ashall Projects, said the go-ahead for Six Centre Square resulted from the strength of the partnership between the public and private sectors and their shared vision for the future of Middlesbrough.

“For many years the centre of Middlesbrough has not had the Grade A office space needed to attract employers offering attractive and well-paid office jobs.   Centre Square has changed that and we will also see local businesses – shops, restaurants, bars and gyms – benefit from this influx of people with real spending power.”

He added: “This is the next stage in the development of Middlesbrough as a professional services hub providing easy access for businesses serving both Teesworks, the nearby Central Government hub as well as the wider area.

“It is another game-changer alongside the launch of direct train services between Middlesbrough and London and the council’s bid for city status.”