Audit giant Grant Thornton is to move its 400-strong Birmingham workforce into the UK’s tallest new office building outside London.
The company has leased the 17th floor at 103 Colmore Row, occupying 12,000 sq ft at the building developed by JV partners Sterling Property Ventures and Tristan Capital Partners.
The building has already garnered a flurry of interest in recent months, with professional services firm Tilney Smith & Williamson having taken a 12,000 sq ft lease.
Paul Pritchard, director at Tristan Capital Partners, said: “Importantly, 103 Colmore Row is tackling a chronic undersupply of high-quality office space in Birmingham, enabling companies looking to expand outside of London and beyond to access previously untapped talent pools in the region.”
Grant Thornton was drawn in part by the building’s environmental credentials, which practice leader Dave Hillan described as “a huge attraction”.
When it completes this year, 103 Colmore Row will become the first commercial office building in Birmingham’s central business district to link up with the city’s District Energy Scheme, and it is rated BREEAM Excellent.
Hillan also said the volume of available flexible workspace in the building made it a good proposition, after flexible workspace operator X+Why signed a management agreement to operate 31,500 sq ft across three floors at the site earlier this year.
“As people start to return to the office, it is important that they have a great working environment to return to and 103 certainly ticks that particular box,” Hillan added.
James Howarth, managing director at Sterling Property Ventures, said: “Post-pandemic, employees are demanding more from the offices they want to work in, with a focus on health and wellbeing, as well as location and commute time for work-life balance.”
Office space at 103 Colmore Row is being marketed by Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers and Knight Frank.
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