Charles Toogood, Senior Director at leading property advisor Bilfinger GVA, has been appointed Chair of the Birmingham Office Market Forum (BOMF).
Formed in 2007, BOMF’s membership includes the city’s leading office agents who work together to provide coordinated data on Birmingham’s city centre office market to investors, developers and occupiers.
BOMF provides a platform for members to share insights and provide agreed comprehensive statistical data of annual transactional activity and the total stock of office accommodation and percentage of availability within the city at any one time. BOMF also acts as a voice to the marketplace, including city groups, investors, developers and occupiers.
Charles Toogood said: “This is without a doubt the most exciting time in the organisation’s history to be Chair of BOMF, as we are in a resurgent period of quite significant and hopefully sustainable growth.
“All of the investment in infrastructure that we see currently taking place across Birmingham, supported by the coordinated approach of the City Council, is starting to deliver real opportunities. This has already been demonstrated through deals such as the relocation of Deutsche Bank to Brindleyplace and HSBC’s selection of the city for the headquarters of its ringfenced bank.
“There is also a significant pipeline, with projects such as Paradise, Arena Central and 103 Colmore Row set to deliver truly class-leading Grade A offices to the city market within the next few years. This is all creating a sense of confidence within the city that we haven’t seen for almost a decade.”
While there are a number of developments taking place across the city, buildings are also falling out of the supply pipeline as they are transferred to alternative use, thus further driving confidence in the city market.
Charles Toogood continued: “My goals will be to strengthen and grow our relationships with city groups and Business Birmingham, ensuring a continual understanding of the evolving inward investment appetite, demonstrating a strong requirement to work closely for the promotion of the city as a strong investment and development opportunity.
“This will build on the number of current high profile inward investors actively considering the city, most notably from the professional and financial services sectors, many of whom are looking to either broaden their regional base, or relocate their back office functions from the south east to the more cost-effective and well skilled regional cities, such as Birmingham.
“The next six to nine months will be hugely significant, with the completion of the refurbishment of New Street station, the opening of the first phase of the Metro extension and the ongoing infrastructure works around Paradise forming the groundwork on which we will deliver the next phase in Birmingham’s evolution.”
Charles has taken on the position from outgoing Chair, John Griffiths of GBR Phoenix Beard.
