Key appointments as latest building finished
Two North East commercial property specialists have been confirmed as joint agents for the latest phase of Middlesbrough’s prestigious office development.
Construction work on Six Centre Square is now finished and fit-out work is about to start in preparation for its first tenant, the insurance giant AXA UK.
AXA is taking up more than half the space in the four-storey 40,000 sq ft building for its 450 Teesside staff, but the 10,000 sq ft top floor and a 5,000 sq ft ground floor suite are still available for other occupiers.
The initial stage of the multi-million Centre Square project – which provided much-needed Grade A office space in Middlesbrough town centre – has proved a huge success. Over the last two years seven businesses, including GB Bank, Firstsource and the XPS Pension Group, have moved into One and Two Centre Square. Together they employ around 750 people.
Six Centre Square was built by developer Ashall Projects on behalf of the Tees Valley Mayor and Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA). Middlesbrough Council also contributed a £2m grant.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Teesside is becoming a real magnet for professional services firms looking to grow or break new ground due to the fantastic facilities we’ve got to offer.
“Given all our success in bringing major Government departments to Darlington, with more than 2,000 civil service jobs available, this investment in Six Centre Square is a no-brainer and offers even more evidence that young people can stay local and go far.”
Teesside-based Dodds Brown and APP Jackson & Partners from North Yorkshire have been commissioned by TVCA to find tenants for the remaining space.
“Centre Square is a game changer,” said Stephen Brown, Senior Partner with Dodds Brown. “It’s put Tees Valley in a position to compete when big employers look to re-locate – whether they’re already in the North East or from further afield. It means we’re both safeguarding jobs and bringing in new ones which is obviously great news for our local economy.
“For too long the Tees Valley missed out because there was a dearth of this quality space. Thankfully it now exists and, due also to the support of the Combined Authority and Middlesbrough Council, the tide is turning at last. But it is vital to ensure we don’t lose this momentum as we build a foundation for the future.”
David Jackson of Jackson Partners is confident that the same factors which have already attracted occupiers to the development will apply to 6 Centre Square. “It provides staff with the high quality working environment they expect, particularly following the pandemic,” he said. “There is loads of natural light and we have already seen elsewhere in Centre Square how businesses have been able to use the space to create the type of office you would normally associate with the head office of a blue chip company in London.
“For employers, the building offers numerous sustainable and energy-efficient features and for their staff there are also the benefits of being based in the centre of the town near all the shops and amenities and transport links.”
Plans are already well advanced for the next phase of the Centre Square development. Middlesbrough Council gave outline planning consent in 2021.
For further information about Centre Square opportunities contact Dodds Brown on 01642 244130 or e-mail Stephen Brown at s.brown@doddsbrown.co.uk
David Jackson is available on 01642 791390, 0759797 4607 or via david@jackson-partners.co.uk