Grade A office space development projects like that set to house dozens of KPMG staff in years to come have been few in number in recent years, and fewer still are actually in the pipeline. But plans for a trio of good-sized office buildings are well advanced, with KPMG boosting the project by agreeing pre-let terms on the first of the three.
Local regeneration expert Muse Developments is collaborating with the Sovereign Leeds company on the scheme, which has earmarked an area of green public space land on Sovereign Street as its location.
“We look forward to working closely with our partners to deliver one of the few pre-let, Grade A, office buildings to be proposed in the city over the next few years,” commented David Wells, development director at Muse Developments.
“Our already good relationship with the council and experience elsewhere in Yorkshire will help to deliver Sovereign Square as a significant new space within the city.”
Mike Heydecke from Sovereign Leeds explained that the commitment from KPMG, a major employer in the north of England and the rest of the UK, bodes well for a project still in the design development phase: “This deal with Muse provides the company with sufficient financial resources and a development platform to embark upon this major office development, which is a significant landmark for the city of Leeds and the regeneration of this area of the city,” he said.
Detailed plans for what looks set to be the largest Grade A office space built in Leeds over the next few years will be submitted to the relevant authorities in August.
Editor’s notes: In November 2015, KPMG opened its doors at its new Leeds office building, where it agreed to rent 61,000 square feet of office space.
With workspace for 800 employees, the new office was situated at 1 Sovereign Square on Sovereign Street.