Investec has had an office space presence in the north of England for some time but several dozen of the company’s staff are now set to make the short move from King Street in central Manchester to grade A office space at 3 Hardman Street in Spinningfields.
Hardman Street and Spinningfields as a whole are fast becoming a recognised centre of financial sector activity in the north-west and Investec now has 7,500 square feet of office space ear-marked for its purposes at the site.
Allied London has been responsible for much of the development work at Spinningfields and its chief executive Michael Ingall told Property Week: “The successful letting to Investec is yet another example of the ongoing appeal of 3 Hardman Street to Manchester’s professional services sector.”
Meanwhile, Paul Stevens, from Investec’s specialist private bank, said: “Investec is very pleased to be relocating its private bank and wealth and investment business units to this first-class office building in Manchester’s new business district.”
Investec is reportedly renting its new Manchester office space at a rate of £28 per square foot and its staff are expected to have completed their move before the end of this year.
Back in August, CB Richard Ellis rated Manchester’s office space market as having seen the strongest recovery in the UK outside of London. In the same report, Aerium’s £180 million acquisition of 3 Hardman Street was seen as the “most significant” property deal completed in the city’s recent history.
Editor’s notes: As of May 2023, Investec remains in occupation at 3 Hardman Street where it rents office space on the 2nd Floor.
In 2022, prime office rents in Manchester were around the £40 per square foot mark and it was expected that these would rise to £45 per square foot in new developments by 2024.