Developer and asset manager MEPC, has this week celebrated the topping out of Buildings 7 & 8 with a steel signing event – marking a major milestone in the build of one of the city’s most anticipated new commercial properties.
Once finished, the modern, fit-for-purpose office space will accommodate HM Revenue and Customs and NHS Digital. The two organisations will share the space as part of the Government Hubs Programme to transform the Civil Service into a modern employer.
Attended by representatives from HMRC and NHS Digital in addition to contractor, Wates Construction, and the team at MEPC Wellington Place, the celebration marks not only the completion of the steel frame construction, but also the start of the next phase of the build with the installation of the façade, helping to visually cement its position in the Leeds city skyline.
Once built, 7 & 8 Wellington Place will become home to the brand new 378,000 sq. ft. Government Hub, which holds the record as the largest ever office pre-let in Leeds. The move is part of the Government’s plans for building a strong Civil Service base across the UK, with the Leeds hub accommodating multi-departmental workforces.
Paul Pavia, Head of Development at MEPC, said: “The steel signing is always a significant milestone in a building’s development, as it is at this point we can truly see the scale of what’s to come. We’re incredibly excited to be welcoming the new regional government hub, and this celebration marks the next phase in its completion. Not only is it fantastic news for Wellington Place, but also the wider city, with the move expected to welcome 6,000 civil servants to the development.”
Dorothy Brown, HMRC’s Senior Sponsor for the Leeds development, continued: “This is a significant milestone in the creation of HMRC’s Leeds Regional Centre. In the space of one year, we have gone from a hole in the ground to a seven storey building and can now start to visualise how the space will work for our people. The modern and bright environment will mean they can work collaboratively with other teams, to increase our effectiveness in collecting taxes. In addition, they will also benefit from a great range of facilities and additional activities, which are available to members of the Wellington Place community. I am confident this will become a great place to work.”
Carl Vincent, Chief Financial Officer at NHS Digital, added: “We are hugely excited about our move to the new hub in a couple of years’ time and this is a significant milestone towards that. As one of Leeds’ major digital employers, having the opportunity to consolidate our estate and have our people working collaboratively together under one roof that is designed for modern technology delivery, will provide big opportunities to make us an even more effective and efficient organisation, delivering transformational digital change for health and care.
“We’re proud to be part of this significant investment which underlines our long-term commitment to Leeds.”
Meanwhile, work continues across the development, with 4 Wellington Place now on site. 4 Wellington Place is due to complete in November 2020 and will offer a further 156,000 sq. ft. of prime commercial office space to the city. 4 Wellington Place will finalise the eastern part of the wider Wellington Place masterplan, as the ninth building on the development.
