IM Properties has completed a pre-let to retail giant John Lewis for a 50,000 sq ft Customer Delivery Hub distribution facility at Solihull Business Park.
The building is the first of John Lewis’ new customer delivery hubs which will focus on efficiently providing a core service of Customer Deliveries.
The distribution centre will be designed to achieve an EPC rating of A, Grade A specification offices and BREEAM Excellent status.
Nigel Harris, Property Manager at John Lewis, said: “The Customer Delivery Hub will provide a dedicated service building to support our exisiting and future stores in the area and enhance our network to support the growth in Online.
“Given the function of the building it was vital that we found an accessible location situated in the heart of the West Midlands region with good access to the motorway network. Solihull Business Park ticked all of the boxes.”
Sitting just off the A34 Stratford Road, Solihull Business Park is located at the heart of the national transport network, with Junction 4 of the M42 just a mile away and Birmingham Airport and railway station both within easy reach.
The site has existing planning permission for approximately 150,000 sq ft of office, industrial and distribution units.
Lewis Payne, Development Manager at IM Properties, said: “We knew that Solihull Business Park was an exciting acquisition for IM Properties and to agree a pre-let to John Lewis within 6 months of acquiring the Park speaks volumes about both the quality of the site and its location within easy reach of the UK’s transport networks. We are delighted to be involved in this important project for John Lewis.
“The lack of available development sites around the region and especially in Solihull means that this land is well placed to attract occupiers, particularly suppliers to the Midlands’ fast-growing automotive sector and internet retail fulfilment companies.”
The deal with John Lewis has prompted IM Properties to submit a reserved matters application for two additional industrial and distribution buildings of 30,000 sq ft and 50,000 sq ft respectively.
Lewis continued: “obtaining planning permission for two further buildings at the Park will enable us to deliver buildings in around six months on a design and build basis putting us in an incredibly strong position, particularly in a market with growing occupier confidence and a lack of available good quality space.”
Pending approval of the reserved matters application, IM will undertake construction of the Customer Delivery Hub, with the building expected to be complete by Autumn 2014, ready for John Lewis to fulfil online orders in the run up to Christmas.
Solihull Business Park is fully serviced with infrastructure, including estate roads and key utilities in place, enabling buildings to be delivered quickly on a design and build basis to suit specific occupation requirements.
IM Properties completed the purchase of the 10.44 acre development site in June from Wilson Bowden Developments as part of its ongoing strategy to acquire key employment sites in the West Midlands.
GVA and Savills act as joint agents for IM Properties on Solihull Business Park. John Lewis was represented by Jones Lang LaSalle.