LGIM Real Assets (Legal General) – the developer behind the historic property in conjunction with Ediston Real Estate, has today issued the Practical Completion Certificate to national contractor Willmott Dixon after a 57 week programme of works designed by award winning architects EPR.
Originally home to the city’s Lewis’s department store and subsequently an office address, the historic building has been extensively refurbished to deliver circa 113,000 sq ft of contemporary Grade A office space across seven floors – including a new 12,400 sq ft top floor extension offering feature full-height glazing.
In prime position and offering excellent connectivity, the Bull Street Metro stop is situated adjacent to the building entrance, whilst Birmingham Snow Hill and New Street mainline rail stations are located within a five and ten minute walk respectively.
Tom Williams, Senior Asset Manager, LGIM Real Assets, said: “This is the ultimate milestone in our plans to bring this magnificent building back to life. Once unloved and in need of renovation, the transformation has respected the historic legacy of the building, restoring it back to its former glory as a new flagship office building at the very heart of Birmingham’s business district. 
The building now offers some of the largest floorplates in the city, as well as a stunning 7th floor providing triple aspect panoramic views. With added sustainability amenities including ground floor cycle parking for up to 60 bikes, shower and changing facilities and 74 parking spaces together with a ground floor retail/café opportunity fronting Bull Street, we are confident we will meet the needs of potential occupiers.
We are currently in active conversations with a number of prospective tenants, and look forward to making further announcements in the forthcoming weeks.”
Set behind a classic Portland Stone façade, the interior of the building was stripped back to shell as part of the extensive refurbishment works undertaken by the contractor’s Midlands regional team. The complete remodelling of the existing space including new mechanical and electrical systems, has created floorplates of up to 17,000 sq ft – some of the largest in the city’s business district – offering high quality finishes throughout.
Presenting high-specification finishes throughout, the ground floor double-height reception features full-height glazing that floods the new double-height Manhattan-style lobby with light. The space also provides a number of informal collaborative workspaces broken up by exposed columns and flexible furnishings, including a library, and lounge/exhibition space.
CBRE and GVA are the appointed leasing agents, with the building set to be launched to the market on 21st September 2017.
