Bruntwood buys Pall Mall Court
The 83,800 sq ft Manchester office block will become the company’s latest Pioneer building.
Ardstone Regional Office Fund, a joint venture between Ardstone Capital and CBRE IM, sold the King Street site to Bruntwood Group in a multi-million-pound deal.
As part of the £100m Pioneer programme, Bruntwood’s workspace, retail and leisure arm Bruntwood Works will refurbish the grade two-listed Pall Mall to be a modern office with a design focused on biophilia, art, wellness, amenity, sustainability and technology. Other Pioneer buildings in Manchester include Bloc, Blackfriars House and 111 Piccadilly.
The refurbishment will include transforming the grand floor into a hospitality area with space for a food and beverage vendor and outside seating on the piazza outside. Bruntwood Group said that Pall Mall will also offer a variety of workspaces, including pay-as-you-go areas, memberships, serviced offices and leased and managed workspaces. There will also be retail, wellbeing and amenity facilities.
“Manchester’s city centre is back and with it the increased demand for spaces that allow innovation and enterprise to flourish,” said Andrew Butterworth, commercial director for Bruntwood Works. “Pall Mall is one of the city’s most recognisable buildings and we’re excited to not only bring it into our portfolio but to invest in an exciting transformation.
“Work patterns have changed since the pandemic but this has made the functionality of the office even more critical,” he continued. “They not only need to be places that people want to go to, but spaces that enable teams to come together and do their best work.”
Bruntwood Group said that Pall Mall customers would be able to benefit from shared facilities and services from its nearby buildings Manchester Club, York House and Bloc.
Ciara Keeling, chief executive officer of Bruntwood Works, said that Pall Mall is only the start of the group’s plans for Manchester.
“We’ve only just begun,” Keeling said. “Our ambition continues to be to bring innovation to the forefront of Manchester’s office market, providing unparalleled workspaces that offer inspiration and flexibility while also championing wellbeing, hospitality and sustainability.
“This latest acquisition marks an exciting milestone in the growth and development of our Manchester portfolio, bolstered by its position within a cluster of our existing properties,” she continued. “We always see huge potential in the city and we are excited to continue to grow our Pioneer programme over the coming years.”
CBRE and Addleshaw Goddard LLP advised Bruntwood Works on the sale, while Avison Yong and Pinsent Masons advised Ardstone Capital.