CBRE’s Liverpool Office Agency team has been instructed by West Nile Developments Ltd (WND) to market Liverpool’s iconic Watson Building, which is undergoing a £16.5m investment programme to create 74,153 sq ft of flexible office accommodation. CBRE is joint agent with Mason Owen & Partners.
In Summer 2014, WND’s plans were approved to extend and refurbish Liverpool’s historic Watson Building, which fell out of use many years ago, into a striking, modern office facility. The scheme is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and has received a £5.6m loan from Merseyside’s Chrysalis Fund which was created to support economic regeneration in Liverpool.
The Watson Building redevelopment is a major new focus within the city and comprises part of the wider Central Village development. Central Village includes a 455 space multi-storey car park, an Adagio aparthotel – both of which are completed, 75,000 sq ft of offices within the adjacent department building and leisure accommodation which is part pre-let to occupiers including Prezzo, Cosmo, Harvester and Pure Gym.
Located in Liverpool’s cosmopolitan heart, the Watson Building benefits from excellent transport links sitting directly above Central train station and with Lime Street station just a 3 minute walk away. The surrounding area is rapidly transforming into a bustling hub within the city with a diverse mix of independent leisure and retail operators within a couple of minutes’ walk and major neighbouring schemes such now underway.
Neil Kirkham, Associate Director at CBRE, said; “We are thrilled to market this prominent and impressive listed building with office accommodation available for more than 700 new jobs. The Watson Building is being brought back to life, linking in with the broader Central Village and Ropewalks area, which is fast becoming the city’s most popular quarter. Its location is unrivalled, as from an employer’s perspective, it’s hard to surpass the amenity offering on the doorstep. We expect high interest from occupiers who are keen to attract and retain staff through occupying one of the most strategically positioned buildings within the city centre.”
Contractors Bowmer & Kirkland were the successful bidders for the construction work which is due for completion by late 2015.