1 St Paul’s Square in Liverpool city centre is to undergo a major upgrade including the refurbishment of 50,000 sq ft of office space. Tony McDonough reports
An office building in the heart of Liverpool’s central business district is to undergo a major revamp.
1 St Paul’s Square, which comprises 131,247 sq ft across eight storeys, was completed in 2011. It was part of the wider £150m English Cities Fund St Paul’s Square development which totalled 400,000 sq ft.
St Paul’s Square is the newest office development in the central business district. No new grade A office space has been created in the area since due to low headline rents making speculative development unviable.
Now CBRE has been appointed as sole agent on 1 St Paul’s Square, acting for development manager Valeo Capital. In what it calls a “major repositioning” of the space a refurbishment of ground floor communal space as well as 50,000 sq ft of office space on three upper floors will begin in November.
The remaining four floors are occupied by law firm Hill Dickinson and are not part of the refurbishment programme.
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Of the 50,000 sq ft of office space being refurbished, 16,964 sq ft is currently under offer. Suites from around 6,000 sq ft upwards are available. These will be made open plan with raised floor, suspended ceilings and LED lighting.
There will be a full refurbishment of the main entrance hall with new reception, seating area and booths for social or informal meetings. It will feature oak finishes and living walls.
A new cycle storage facility will be created with cycle racks and lockers and drying lockers and can be accessed via Old Hall Street. New toilets and shower room facilities will also be delivered at ground floor level.
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CBRE says there is also accommodation available on the ground floor for leisure businesses or bars and restaurants. Suites range in size from 2,000 to 8,321 sq ft.
Neil Kirkham, senior director at CBRE Liverpool, said: “1 St Paul’s Square was one of the first and most prominent buildings within the St Paul’s Square development. It offers very high-quality office accommodation.
“The works that Brickhill Properties are undertaking within the common areas and office space aim to meet the needs of occupiers in a post-COVID world. They will promote ESG and wellness and provide a highly attractive working environment to support return to work strategies for employers.”