CBRE and Worthington Owen join forces to take remaining space at premier Liverpool business address to potential new occupiers with a major upgrade now in the pipeline

Liverpool-based property agents Worthington Owen have been announced as joint agents for 4 St Paul’s Square and will work alongside CBRE to promote its vacant units, whilst Jones Lang le Salle will look after management of the building.

Earlier this year, Aberdeen Asset Management completed its £18.7m purchase of the 107,000 sq ft complex.

Representatives from Worthington Owen and CBRE say they have ambitions to transform areas of the building in a move to attract new occupiers.

Premier address

 4 St Paul’s Square offers grade A office space in what is fast becoming the epicentre of Liverpool’s business district.

As Liverpool’s business district has migrated in recent years, St Paul’s Square has become somewhat of a central hub and as more and more new businesses move in, a hotbed for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Current tenants at 4 St Paul’s Square include banking giant Santander, gas safety technology firm Gas Tag and fast-growing law firm MSB Solicitors. Other tenants include global insurance broker and risk management consultant Mercer and commercial property consultancies CBRE and GVA.

The building is also home to the Santander Business Incubator, home to 16 of Liverpool’s most innovative early-stage businesses and offers access to state-of-the-art systems on a rent-free basis for 12 months.

On the ground floor is Ziferblat, a pay-as-you-go concept where all food, drink and wi-fi is provided for free and customers pay for the time they spend in there. Ziferblat has become a key meeting place for many of the firms in the building and neighbouring buildings in the square.

Collaboration is key

4 St Paul’s is still around 50% vacant and joint agents CBRE and Worthington Owen are keen to attract more tenants who are willing to buy into a community and collaboration concept.

Neil Kirkham, director at CBRE in Liverpool, explained: “Collaboration between like-minded businesses is a concept that is growing globally and it is something we are keen to promote at 4 St Paul’s Square.

“What we offer here is a quality of accommodation that is limited in Liverpool.

“Occupiers are now looking for much more than just desk space. Companies are keen to create a sense of place for their people – a place that inspires.

“4 St Paul’s Square is already a hub of innovation and activity and people look forward to coming to work here each day.”

“We have a vision to refresh the space at 4 St Paul’s so that it meets the changing expectations of modern occupiers. There are a number of exciting projects in the planning that we think will appeal to a broad mix of new tenants.”

Community spirit

 Further, CBRE and Worthington Owen are currently working on putting together a roster of events and strategic communications to promote the benefits of businesses working together.

Andrew Owen says: “Our relationship with CBRE is just one example of the power of partnership working.

“There’s always been a strong sense of community in Liverpool, and that extends to the business community too.

“By working together, we are able to transfer knowledge and expertise, offer support and advice, share opportunities, learn and grow. We want to capitalise on the concept of collaboration at 4 St Paul’s.

“We plan to invest in the people working here by providing accessible wellness programmes, networking opportunities, seminars, workshops and social events. This is more than just about adding value and setting ourselves apart from our competitors, it is about creating a dynamic working environment where our occupiers can thrive and grow.”

Redress to impress

 Plans for 4 St Paul’s Square include a redesign of the entranceway as well splitting some floors to provide more flexible workspaces in order to attract smaller, start-up firms.

Neil Kirkham continued: “The plans we have for 4 St Paul’s are about making quality office space accessible to everyone.

“We realise we have to redress our offer to suit the modern occupier. We want to tailor an offer for those fast-growth digital businesses that may previously have been put off by the prospect of paying a premium for the best office space.”

Andrew Own added: “We believe that by creating smaller suites – from as little as 1,000 sq ft –  and including additional, less traditional benefits to tenants, we can open the building up to a new type of occupier. We want to appeal to emerging sectors, such as digital and tech, that are currently not particularly well catered for.”

4 St Paul’s is some of the only remaining Grade A office space in Liverpool city centre and incorporates LG2 lighting anf 4 pipe fan coil air conditioning throughout, as well as metal-tiled suspended ceilings and full access raised floors.

4 St Paul’s also offers the largest column-free floorplate in the city.

For information on currently available space at 4 St Paul’s, contact Neil Kirkham or Andrew Owen by email neil.kirkham@cbre.com or andrew@worthingtonowen.com