Developers behind a new office and industrial park on the outskirts of Aberdeen have kicked off the New Year in style by securing their first major tenant.
Niche oilfield services company, ALS Oil & Gas, have signed a 15 year lease for a 13,735 sq ft office and laboratory facility at Westpark, located next to the Kinellar Roundabout on the A96 at Blackburn.
Australian Stock Exchange-listed ALS employs 13,000 staff across 55 countries and is a market leader in analytical and technical services to the energy industry, including rock sampling and evaluation, specialist well services and premium downhole drilling.
ALS expect to take possession of the two storey office and workshop facility by April and will bring together under the one roof its Omega Well Monitoring and Wellvention divisions, relocating current operations from their respective Dyce and Kinellar locations.
Site owners Westpark Property Investments Ltd have already received a number of notes of interest in a second identical building which includes 4735 sq ft of office space, a 9000 sq ft workshop and 1558 sq ft yard.
The four acre Westpark site, which at one time was earmarked as a potential headquarters for the former Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, also has planning consent for one large office building of circa 20,000 sq ft or three separate office units of approximately 7000 sq ft each.
On completion around 200 people could be based at Westpark, which represents a £10 million capital investment by the developers, and the site benefits from easy access to the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route which is currently under construction.
Westpark Property Investments director Neal Still said the site would appeal to potential tenants because of its midpoint location between Inverurie and other expanding north east market towns and Aberdeen city centre. Prospective tenants will also benefit from excellent transport links to existing businesses in Dyce, Bridge of Don and nearby Westhill.
Mr Still said: “ALS Oil & Gas are a global concern and their decision to relocate two of their prominent Aberdeen businesses is a significant pointer to the desirability of Westpark as the ideal location for successful enterprises.
“The second office/industrial unit has already attracted a good bit of interest and once a deal is secured we would hope to have it constructed and the new tenants in-situ within a six month timeframe. The site will be completed with the construction of three two-storey office blocks but we have the option of a single 20,000 sq ft facility if there proves to be market interest.
“While there is undoubtedly concern in the oil and gas industry over the oil price situation, forward thinking businesses have to plan five to ten years ahead and we don’t see the current crisis impacting heavily on the completion of what is our first major office-industrial project.”
Westpark is being marketed by Aberdeen and Glasgow commercial property experts FG Burnett.
