BDP, one of the leading architecture and design practices in the UK, has taken 8,178 sq ft of quality office space at 3 St Paul’s Place in Sheffield city centre.
3 St Paul’s Place, developed by CTP and U+I and built by Bowmer & Kirkland, is the final part of the pioneering £130m Heart of the City project. It is the first speculative office building in Sheffield to be developed since the recession.
BDP is taking the whole of the sixth floor at 3 St Paul’s Place on a 10-year-lease. The rent is £23.50 per sq ft, a record high for Sheffield.
David Topham, director of Manchester-based developers CTP, commented: “BDP’s decision to relocate to 3 St Paul’s Place is a pleasing endorsement of our development. It is also extremely encouraging that a company with BDP’s reputation for quality, innovation and excellence has chosen our building as their base in Sheffield.
“They join global civil engineers Arup and leading Swedish bank Handelsbanken at 3 St Paul’s Place, two other companies with superb reputations. We are very proud of our occupiers.
“Our decision to develop a speculative Grade A office building in Sheffield in the midst of the recession has been vindicated and we are very proud of the quality of the office space we have created. There is now strong interest in the remainder of the building and we look forward to announcing new tenants shortly.
“These are exciting times for St Paul’s Place, which is now an established high-quality, low-occupation cost office location in the heart of Sheffield. It is the greenest, most energy-efficient and most modern office building in the city, with a BREEAM excellent rating, and it marks the revival of confidence in Sheffield city centre,” said Mr Topham.
BDP has relocated its 70-strong team from 1 North Bank in the city, where it has been based for the past 10 years.
Head of BDP’s Sheffield studio, Andrew Smith, commented: “It was an easy decision for us to make the move to 3 St Paul’s Place as it’s a great space with well proportioned, column-free floor plates providing very good daylight and views.
“It’s also in a brilliant location in the very heart of the city, benefitting from the full range of Sheffield’s amenities and the city council’s investment in high quality public realm, particularly the area around the Peace Gardens, as well as the important route from the train station via Howard Street.”
He added: “The new studio will incorporate onsite cycle storage and shower facilities to accommodate the high percentage of staff who cycle to work and exemplifying the practice’s commitment to sustainability.”
Simon Hesketh of co-developers U+I said: “We are delighted to have been involved in delivering 3 St. Paul’s Place, a first class office development for Sheffield. The letting to BDP underlines the quality of the building and will help to further establish it as a significant new commercial centre for the city.”
Councillor Mazher Iqbal, cabinet member for business and investment at Sheffield City Council, said: “This is another important milestone for 3 St Paul’s Place which now has a number of fantastic international businesses operating in the heart of our city.
“This building and others close by are setting new standards for office accommodation which has appeal to inward investors and indigenous businesses alike.
“Sheffield is a place that is of huge appeal to the business community and we look forward to welcoming others to the city in the months ahead.”
The construction of 3 St Paul’s Place went ahead following a landmark agreement between CTP and U+I the specialist regeneration developer and investor,with Sheffield City Council and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
The 10-storey 3 St Paul’s Place comprises 76,000 sq ft of prime Grade A office space with each 8,000 sq ft floor offering offices suites from 2,000 sq ft. It is rated BREAM Excellent.
CTP and U+I are being supported by Sheffield City Council, regeneration agency Creative Sheffield, SCR JESSICA, which was set up to support infrastructure and real estate investment opportunities across the region, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
St Paul’s Place is a high-quality mixed-use scheme which features the 161-bed St Paul’s Mercure 4* hotel; No1 and No 2 office developments occupied by lawyers DLA Piper, RBS, Barclays, accountants PwC, Coutts and the Department of Children, Schools and Families; a 330-apartment residential tower block; the famous “Cheesegrater” car park, operated by Q-Park; a casino; and restaurants and cafes including Pizza Express, Piccolinos, Café Nero, Bill’s Restaurant and Café Rouge.
The marketing agents for 3 St Paul’s Place are the Sheffield office of Knight Frank, together with the Leeds offices of BNP Paribas and DTZ.
Peter Whiteley of Knight Frank commented: “3 St Pauls Place delivers much-needed prime Grade A office space within Sheffield’s city centre core. We are very proud to be part of the team on this successful development which has helped regenerate this area within the heart of the city. The news that BDP are moving in is very significant and sets the seal on what has been achieved thus far.”
