6 Wellington Place Construction Begins

MEPC has given Yorkshire’s commercial property market a major boost after commencing construction of the next phase of Wellington Place in Leeds.

6 Wellington Place is the first speculative grade A office development to have been constructed in Leeds for more than six years. The five-storey building will offer 104,000 sq ft of grade A office and retail space.
With a prominent entrance on to Tower Square at the heart of the development, 6 Wellington Place will feature a floor to ceiling atrium, landscaped roof terrace, retail space and flexible office suites ranging from 3,500 sq ft to 19,600 sq ft. MEPC expects to complete construction of 6 Wellington Place by the end of 2015.
James Dipple, chief executive of MEPC, said the decision to begin work on 6 Wellington Place demonstrated the firm’s ongoing commitment to Leeds and the wider region, as well as providing evidence of growing levels of occupier demand and confidence in the market.
Mr Dipple said: “6 Wellington Place will be another game-changer from MEPC for corporate workspace in Leeds following the recent completion of the 35,000 sq ft 10 Wellington Place, occupied by law firm Shulmans and private bank, Brown Shipley.
“We believe in the concept of creating a sense of place and our ambition, which we are quickly realising, is to create an amazing business quarter and community here at Wellington Place. “We are delighted to be developing this important project in an aspirational city such as Leeds.
“Bringing forward such a positive opportunity like 6 Wellington Place is being driven by the growth and confidence we are seeing in Leeds and across the entire market as economic conditions continue to improve.
“With 6 Wellington Place we will not only provide businesses within Leeds with the space they require to grow further but also attract new names to the city and region.
“It will also fulfil a need for new high quality energy efficient office space, reflecting that the city is one of the UK’s key centres for financial and professional services. As demands upon such companies change MEPC is looking to respond to that change by providing floor space where these businesses will be able to operate effectively and recruit and maintain the best staff.”
Commenting on the master plan for delivering the remainder of Wellington Place, located in Leeds’s West End, Mr Dipple said: “We believe the market is strong and like any forward thinking and growing company we would like to capitalise on that.
“As such, our investors are looking to bring forward further phases of Wellington Place and we are well on the way to ultimately creating our vision of creating a market changing place making project offering over 1m sq ft of commercial, retail, leisure and residential space.”
Shepherd Construction is the appointed contractor on the build. The agents for 6 Wellington Place are Jeff Pearey at Jones Lang LaSalle and Adam Cockroft of DTZ.

Shulmans move to 10 Wellington Place, Leeds, sets the pace for the future

Leeds-based corporate solicitors Shulmans this week moved into its new landmark offices at 10 Wellington Place, as it announced impressive growth figures for the fifth year in a row.

Shulmans has seen growth of over 10% in each of the past five years, its turnover as of 31 March this year rising to £8.85M. It has created over 50 new jobs and recently made three senior level appointments, which is, according to managing partner Tim Halstead, “a sign of our ability to attract some of the very best talent in the region. Talent that traditionally might go to bigger firms is instead coming to us.” In 2010 Shulmans announced its intention to grow by 50% in five years, an ambitious aim yet one which it achieved in only three years. According to Tim the focus is now less about the numbers, more about making the most of the platform that has now been built.
“In March of last year, when we signed up for a 15 year lease on 10 Wellington Place, some people said we were ‘brave’, as the economic recovery was barely visible. Now they’re telling us it was a really good move” said Tim. “This is the first new build grade A office development in Leeds for over five years. We committed to it, as we had confidence in our business and in the wider Leeds City Region”
It’s not just top quality recruits that are joining Shulmans either. The firm is attracting new clients of the highest calibre. “We have a client base that might surprise a few people,” said Tim. ““In the last year or so we have worked for the likes of Town Centre Securities, Costcutter the Canal & River Trust, the Chatsworth Estate (Bolton Abbey) and several insurers and Lloyd’s syndicates. We have advised City of York Council on its headquarters relocation and acted for Barratt & David Wilson Homes on its acquisition of a number of new housing sites, including the former Terry’s chocolate factory.”
Shulmans believes firmly that the move to 10 Wellington Place puts down a marker, one that reflects, as Tim says, “who we are. We’re a successful business, competing strongly in the corporate legal sector alongside the very biggest firms.”

Wellington Place Gets More Sociable!

MEPC is delighted to confirm that new café, Sociable Folk, will open at 10 Wellington Place in June.

Taking the coffee shop concept to a new level, Sociable Folk will provide a large range of barista served coffees. Breakfast and lunch are created by an onsite chef serving freshly prepared light, healthy dishes, to eat in or take out.
Located at the corner of 10 Wellington Place the interior design will provide an open, contemporary space for occupiers and can form the backdrop to any part of the day.
Sociable Folk will create an environment that is relaxed and enjoyable, where ideas can be shared, work gets done and people connect.
We look forward to seeing you at the opening and we’re sure you’ll love the new facilities.

Wellington Place Completes on the Perfect 10

MEPC Wellington Place has announced practical completion for its landmark premium office development, 10 Wellington Place, with two thirds of the building now fully let.

The first new build office development in Leeds City centre for more than five years has exceeded expectations in terms of demand, with leading companies such as Brown Shipley and Shulmans LLP set to take their occupied space next month - leaving just 14,000 sq. ft of space available to let over the third and fourth floors.
Located at the heart of Leeds’ business hub, Number 10 Wellington Place provides an unrivalled outlook across the city skyline. Its completion will now provide a springboard for MEPC’s masterplan to provide even more corporate workspace in Leeds.
Andrew Cowell, Commercial Director at MEPC Wellington Place, said: “We are pleased to announce practical completion on 10 Wellington Place, with fit outs for the offices set to be finalised in May.
“We are now pressing ahead with our project and vision of making Wellington Place the exemplary five star urban quarter for the West End in which people will want to live, work and enjoy their time.
“There is a sense of real optimism around Leeds that business confidence and performance is growing, and we feel ideally placed to help propel businesses to the next level by providing them with superior office space.”
Commenting on the new development, Tim Halstead, Managing Partner of Shulmans, said: “The practical completion of 10 Wellington Place brings the move to our new offices ever closer. The fit out is now well underway and we have put a lot of thought into creating a great workplace that underpins the values, culture and personality of Shulmans. We feel that this new building and its innovative interior design will contribute greatly to both our continued growth and performance. Everyone is really looking forward to the move.
”10 Wellington Place will also see the opening of new café, Sociable Folk, on 2nd June 2014, which will be spread over 1,334 sq. ft on the ground floor.
Taking coffee shop concept to a new level, Sociable Folk will provide a large range of barista served coffees. With breakfast and lunch created by an onsite chef serving freshly prepared light, healthy dishes, to eat in or take out.
10 Wellington Place is a BREEAM Excellent-rated building and delivers a clean architectural statement of elegance. It is the third phase of a 14 phase development which will offer 1.5 million sq ft of commercial, retail, leisure and residential space in the heart of Leeds.

Wellington Place to welcome world’s media

Wellington Place is set to welcome the cream of the world’s press after being chosen to host a state-of-the-art media centre for the start of the Tour de France in Yorkshire.

More than 2,000 journalists are set to base themselves at the centre in the run-up to the Tour’s two stage Grand Départ on July 5 and 6.
The first stage of the race will see riders tackle a 190 kilometre (118 mile) route, beginning in Leeds and passing through the stunning scenery of the Yorkshire Dales before finishing in Harrogate. The following day, cyclists will ride 200 kilometres (124 miles) from York to Sheffield.
The media centre at MEPC’s Leeds scheme, will be housed in temporary structures, including up to four giant marquees, will offer journalists the opportunity to conduct and film interviews, take part in press conferences and write articles for their respective news organisations.
Elite competitors taking part in the Tour can also use the centre, alongside their support teams, for formalities such as kitting up and organising other essential equipment.
It will also be used as a base and information centre from which journalists and media crews can travel to the race routes.
Dominique Simcox, Marketing Manager at MEPC, said Wellington Place was privileged to be hosting the media centre.
“The Grand Départ is set to be a fabulous occasion for Yorkshire and we are delighted to be playing our part in helping to showcase this wonderful region to a global audience of around 3.5 billion in 190 countries,” Ms Simcox said.
“Wellington Place is at the heart of Leeds’s business community, and with the Grand Départ set to boost Yorkshire’s economy by at least £100m, the MEPC team is very much looking forward to welcoming the world’s media to the development.”
Peter Dodd, Director of Marketing and Sales at tourism organisation Welcome to Yorkshire, which is leading the event, added: “Our friends from media outlets across the globe will play a massive part in making the Grand Départ a success and we know they’re going to be assured first class facilities and a warm welcome at Wellington Place.”

Final brick in the wall shows Leeds is on the move with first new office build in five years

The first new build premium office development in Leeds city centre for more than five years took another step closer to completion as the final brick has been laid today.

A ‘topping out’ ceremony marked the occasion at Number 10 Wellington Place, a flagship 35,000 sq. ft. development in Leeds’ West End. The final brick to be laid at 10 Wellington Place has been taken from the original Central Railway Station, which was situated at the site for 120 years up until 1967.

Work began on the site back in April 2013 and is due for completion in February 2014. It will benefit from key social amenities including ground floor premium retail space and a bustling new public square.

The BREEAM Excellent-rated building, which has been delivered by Shepherd Construction, has already generated lots of interest. Award-winning commercial law firm, Shulmans, is confirmed as the first occupier to make it its home.

Shulmans will be moving into 15,000 sq ft across two floors of the development, relocating from its current base at 120 Wellington Street. The Shulmans team will be neighbours with existing companies already located at Wellington Place, including BSkyB, Allianz, Towers Watson and PwC.

Detailed planning consent has also been granted for Number 5 and 6 Wellington Place. It is anticipated that construction of these will commence during 2014-2015. Both will be impressive five storey buildings, with 65,000 sq. ft. and 100,000 sq. ft. respectively of grade A office and retail space. 

MEPC Chief Executive, Rick de Blaby, said: “Laying the final brick is an important milestone in any building’s history. We are looking forward to the next stage of fitting Number 10 Wellington Place out with top of the range amenities.

“This building is just the first step in our plans to create a five star destination in the heart of the city centre and contribute to the excitement and buzz around Leeds at the moment. We are looking forward to transforming the rest of Wellington Place and bringing even more premium companies like Shulmans to the area by offering exemplary new workplaces."

Tim Halstead, Managing Partner of Shulmans, said: “We are very much looking forward to moving into Number 10 Wellington Place, which will undoubtedly prove to be a landmark development in the city.  We are exactly where we want to be in our specific and ambitious five-year business growth plan, and our move to 10 Wellington Place represents a significant milestone in that programme."

Outline planning permission was granted for the building in September 2010 as part of a major mixed use development on the largest site under single ownership in Leeds. That permission includes a further 1.3 million sq ft of office, residential and retail space.

The agent that acted on behalf of MEPC in this transaction was Jeff Pearey at Jones Lang LaSalle. DTZ is also a joint letting agent.