Member Article

Irvine Sellar says 'Brexit does not mean exit' as The Shard nears full capacity

London landmark The Shard has secured three more leasings as its developer, Irvine Sellar, strikes a defiant tone in the wake of June’s EU Referendum.

Global firms Tukcorp and Duff & Phelps have both agreed new leases with REM, the owners of the iconic skyscraper, which Sellar believes attests to the continued attraction of the capital for businesses from all over the globe despite the ongoing Brexit uncertainty.

Australian-headquartered Tukcorp, who are owned by gaming operator Tabcorp Holdings, have taken over 7,000 sq ft of floor space on the thirteenth floor of the London Bridge building, while New York-based finance advisor Dugg & Phelps have tkane a new lease of 4,539 sq ft on the same floor.

The FTSE-100 finance firm’s new deal sees them adding to the 28,670 sq ft it currently occupies on level 14, making the Shard base its biggest European office.

Meanwhile, an as-yet-unnamed FTSE-100 company has also agreed to lease 8,847 sq ft also on level 13 of the building dubbed the vertical city.

Commenting on the new leases, Sellar was confident that the city would be unaffected by the headwinds of economic uncertainty borne by June’s EU Referendum.

He said: “The new lettings to Tukcorp and Duff & Phelps reflect the companies’ business success globally, especially as The Shard will now be Duff & Phelps largest European base.

“Brexit does not mean exit and we are confident that we will see further businesses benefit from the so called Shard Effect. The Shard’s leasing programme continues apace despite any perceived market slowdown.”

Today’s deals mean the building now only has 10% lettable space remaining, and Sellar revealed that REM is in advanced negotiations with more potential occupiers to fill up that space too.