Investment and development company Glenbrook has reached practical completion at STOK, the speculatively developed 62,000 sq ft office scheme in the heart of Stockport town centre, which is now ready for occupation.
Interior design consultancy Incognito and contractor City Build have designed and delivered the remodelling of the former retail premises on Princes’ Street, which has achieved an EPC ‘A’ Rating. The transformed building offers suites from 4,779 sq ft through to the full 62,051 sq ft across four floors which includes a lower ground floor space. STOK boasts large open-plan office suites designed with flexibility in mind and the ability to subdivide into smaller suites if required. The space can be configured to accommodate businesses of all sizes.
The heart of the building is designed around a large central glazed atrium which maximises the available light and STOK is fully accessible with two 9-person lifts as well as secure cycle storage, showers and drying facilities to encourage active travel. On the second floor a large outdoor terrace has been delivered to provide room for people to interact and socialise, a space which also offers views across the historic heart of Stockport town centre. The building also has a 5,000 sq. ft retail unit in a prime location within the Merseyway Shopping Centre and is on the doorstep of the Underbanks Conservation Area in Stockport’s historic heart.
STOK was one of seven projects in Greater Manchester to be selected for a £3.5million grant from the Government’s Get Building Fund, which aims to expedite the delivery of key projects across the Greater Manchester area.
Commenting on the completion of the building Chris Lloyd, Investment Director for Glenbrook said: “We pledged that STOK would be a gamer-changer for Stockport and now that it is completed we believe that we have really delivered on that promise. The ultra-modern building provides much needed, well-designed and flexible modern office space, right in the heart of Stockport, a town which is undergoing rapid regeneration following significant levels of investment. We’ve already had significant interest from businesses, especially locally, and those across South Manchester and Cheshire, which are looking to expand or to have a base which is readily accessible to Manchester City Centre.”
“With the pandemic accelerating changes in office use, our highly experienced project delivery and design teams have made a number of improvements to maximise air flow and to adapt the atrium design to ensure the building meets the needs of future occupiers. The Government funding allocated by the GMCA has helped us to deliver an office scheme of exceptional quality here at STOK and we are proud to be contributing to the ongoing regeneration of Stockport town centre and providing a new lease of life for this superb building.”
Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Stockport Council, Cllr Colin MacAlister added: “STOK is a superb asset to our town centre and is a vitally important element in the regeneration of Merseyway Shopping Centre. As businesses continue to return to the office, we are pleased to see flexible and sustainable workspaces such as STOK come forward. Glenbrook’s investment and vision has provided a bright new future for this fabulous old building which now proudly sits alongside Stockport Exchange, Redrock and the Produce Hall as some of our finest examples of ground-breaking regeneration.”
Andrew Timms from Edwards & Co., joint letting agents for the scheme with CBRE, continued: “The transformation of this former retail store into a modern, dynamic office space is spectacular and has to be seen first-hand to appreciate the revitalisation of the building, so we are planning a number of events to show local business and commercial property agents the space. There is nothing like this in Stockport and it is indeed a real game changer for the town centre.”
The project team also included: Linberg Design Associates, Architect; Ridge, MEP; BB7, Fire Engineering and Abacus, Employers Agent/Quantity Surveyor. Metis Real Estate are agents for leisure and retail opportunities.
Quoting rental available upon application.
