Town Centre Securities has confirmed the appointment of built environmental specialist Shepherd to carry out pre-construction services at Merrion House in Leeds city centre.
Shepherd was awarded the contract after a highly competitive bidding process, and is expected to commence work imminently, prior to the complete refurbishment and extension of the office building.
Construction director at Shepherd, Neil Clarke, believes that the firm’s extensive experience in the commercial property sector will prove useful during the project.
He says; “The Merrion House project is one of several key developments our multidisciplinary teams are successfully delivering across the city, including MEPC’s Wellington Place and Leeds University library and multi-storey car park. We are delighted to be a major contributor to the evolving skyline of Leeds.”
Chairman and chief executive officer of Town Centre Securities, Edward Ziff, expressed his delight at Shepherd’s appointment to the project.
He said; “Even in the pre-construction phase of this development, the live nature of Merrion House required a technical understanding of the challenges it posed.
“Shepherd was able to provide an insightful and deliverable pre-construction bid and we are looking forward to working collaboratively in order to move the project into the next phase of development.”
Once completed, the refurbished Merrion House will become a key building for Leeds City Council as it will house the vast majority of services offered by the local authority.
Although the council will continue to retain three smaller office buildings in the medium term for administrative purposes, Merrion House will become its central base. This will enable the council to save in excess of £15 million per year through the release of all remaining properties, excluding key buildings such as the Civic Hall and Town Hall.
In total, the council will occupy around 170,000 sq ft of new and refurbished space under a 25 year lease. The deal has been described as Leeds’ largest office pre-let deal in two decades, and the council intends to utilise modern business initiatives such as flexible working methods and adaptable environments in order to make the most of the space.
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