Citygate fully let as Laing O’Rourke moves in

Laing O’Rourke has relocated its North of England headquarters to Citygate in Sale, with the contractor moving 100 staff to the site.

The contractor will take up 12,335 sq ft of space on the ground and first floors of Orbit Developments’ Citygate building on Cross Street, moving from its former headquarters at Birley Fields in Hulme.

The Citygate development is now fully let as a result.

Laing O’Rourke was formerly based at its 40,000 sq ft site in Birley Fields, but this was acquired by server firm UKFast in October 2016. At the time of the sale, Laing O’Rourke said it would remain at the office “for the next 12 months”.

UKFast had also previously bought space from Laing O’Rourke in 2013 with the purchase of No1 Archway for £3.2m.

Around 100 staff will relocate to Laing O’Rourke’s new headquarters, which will also serve as a corporate hub for projects including its Manchester Airport Transformation.

Other major projects the contractor is working on in Manchester include The Factory, the city’s new £110m arts and events centre for clients Allied London and Manchester City Council, as well as the Trafford Park Metrolink line in a joint venture with Thales and VolkerRail.

Laing O’Rourke’s Tom Higgins said: “We have a strong order book, with an outstanding pipeline of future projects.

“Our new office provides us with a strong base to support hundreds of people in the field every day, delivering certainty for our clients.”

Dean Richards, leasing director for Orbit Developments commented on the deal: “When we initially started talking to the team at Laing O’Rourke, the requirement was fairly fluid in terms of location in Greater Manchester, but it was clear that accessibility to transport links and a high ratio of car parking spaces were key factors.”

“After strategic review by Laing O’Rourke, it was clear Citygate in Sale fitted the bill perfectly due to the immediate access to the M60 motorway combined with excellent parking facilities.

“Manchester city centre can be accessed within 15 minutes by car and the town benefits from Metrolink services and ample amenities for employees and visitors alike.

“We’re pleased to welcome a highly regarded company such as Laing O’Rourke to our portfolio and wish them all the best for the future.”

Canning O’Neill acted for Orbit Developments. Laing O’Rourke represented itself.