The site has been called Botanic House and was built on behalf of Pace Investments Ltd. The law firm Mills and Reeve signed up to occupy a portion of the available offices. Morgan Sindall describes the seven-storey tower as Cambridge’s first speculatively developed office building in almost two decades.
“To remain competitive, Cambridge needs to continue updating its commercial infrastructure, and while new business parks have been developed around the region, Botanic House sets a new standard for the city centre office core,” said Bob Ensch, director of Morgan Sindall at its Cambridge office base.
“It’s a mark of Pace’s vision and confidence in Cambridge that they chose to press ahead with this scheme in what remains a challenging market,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of Pace Investments, its director, Johnny Vincent, asserted that Cambridge “attracts all the major players” but needs new high-quality office space available for rent. He added that the development of Botanic House marks only the start of a broader mixed-use scheme focused on the same site.
Cambridge is, of course, home to what is regularly rated and widely regarded as one of the very best universities anywhere in the UK or the world. It is also less than an hour by train to central London from Cambridge, which has helped it establish itself as a hub of technological innovation and start-up business development.
Editor’s notes: As of July 2024, 7,110 square feet of office space, which would accommodate approximately 66 desks, was available to rent at Botanic House at 100 Hills Road.
Mills and Reeve was still in occupation, as was the global professional services firm KPMG.
An up-to-date view of the Cambridge office space market can be found here.