Leeds’ 6 Wellington Place development reaches construction landmark

Construction work of 6 Wellington Place, which is being overseen by MEPC in Leeds, has recently made huge developments.

The five-storey building is funded by a joint venture between Hermes Investment Management and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).

With the steel skeleton now erected, construction of 6 Wellington Place, which will offer grade A office and retail space, will continue to take shape in the second half of this year with external glazing complete and internal fit-out work taking place.

As well as featuring a floor to ceiling atrium, the development will include a roof terrace, retail space and flexible office suites ranging from 4,973 sq ft to 19,784 sq ft. It has a prominent entrance, at the centre of the development, on Leeds’ newest public space known as Tower Square.

Once complete, the 22 acre scheme will feature a mixed-use community with around 12,000 people living and working there. It also includes approximately 1.5million sq ft of mixed-use space, including offices, residential, retail and leisure as well as a central square focused around the listed Railway Lifting Tower dating back to the 1850s and wide pedestrianised boulevards and avenues.

Law firm Squire Patton Boggs is set to become first occupier at 6 Wellington Place and will take around 32,000 sq ft over two floors. In addition, there is a number of UK companies currently in negotiations to take further space in the building.

James Dipple, chief executive of MEPC; Neil Clarke, Construction Director at Shepherd Construction, the appointed contractor on the build; Tom Riordan, chief executive at Leeds City Council and John Leake of first occupier, Squire Patton Boggs marked this progress by signing the building’s steel frame of the 106,000 sq ft structure.

Mr Dipple said: “We are all hugely excited about progress at 6 Wellington Place with work also progressing well on 5 Wellington Place, which is a speculative 75,000 sq ft grade A office building, set to be completed by the middle of 2016.

“These buildings continue the regeneration of this large masterplanned site, which will provide the first speculative grade A office development to have been constructed in Leeds for more than six years when 10 Wellington Place was completed last year.

“Bringing forward such a positive opportunity like 6 Wellington Place, and reaching the landmark of today’s traditional steel signing, reflects the ongoing growth and confidence we are seeing in Leeds and across the entire Northern Powerhouse.”

Neil Clarke of Shepherd Construction added: “It’s extremely gratifying to be involved in such a prestigious project and we are proud to be playing our part in bringing another quality building to Leeds here at Wellington Place.”

John Leake of Squire Patton Boggs, concluded: “We are excited about our move to 6 Wellington Place next year. With state-of-the-art facilities and flexible working space, it will provide a prestigious platform for the firm’s long term future in Leeds, with headroom for further growth.”