Bruntwood eyes tech tenants for 150,000 sq ft Alderley Park office

Bruntwood has outlined its plans to attract tech and digital business to its 150,000 sq ft office at Alderley Park, adding to the established life sciences offering at the site.

The £28m scheme includes co-working, serviced, managed, and leased office space on the former oncology research buildings cluster within the campus.

Central to the building is a feature atrium, which has been expanded since work first started on the scheme.

Bruntwood will be looking to attract digital, tech, and start-up companies to the space, rebranded as Glasshouse, to compliment the existing life sciences and bioscience offering elsewhere on the site.

Place North West first revealed the project’s timescales at the MIPIM property conference in March this year.

Alderley Park, acquired by Bruntwood in 2014, is already home to around 60 companies, and also has planning permission for a 20,000 sq ft dining and retail space, including an 8,000 sq ft pub and restaurant in the grade two-listed Tenants Hall.

Dr Chris Doherty, managing director of Alderley Park, said: “The name Glasshouse reflects the essence of our site – a place where ideas can thrive and discovery-based businesses start and scale up.

“It offers generous workspace set in beautiful grounds, surrounded by exceptional facilities and amenities. At the heart of the building is an impressive atrium, incorporating a café and networking areas.

“This will play an essential role in nurturing a collaborative community within the building and we very much hope that connections will happen naturally through physical and digital space.”

Life sciences and other companies are based at the park’s Mereside campus, where insurance giant Royal London will move in to a 100,000 sq ft building.

The company bought the office for an undisclosed fee in October last year, and has now appointed JF Finnegan to carry out a £15m refurbishment and extension, bringing the building’s total size to 150,000 sq ft.