Hunter launches revamped Exchange Quay
Hunter Real Estate Investment Managers has completed its £10m refurbishment of the 435,000 sq ft Exchange Quay office development in Salford Quays.
Exchange Quay was acquired by Hunter in November 2013 on behalf of a North American institutional investor, and a £10m investment programme has been undertaken to upgrade the six office buildings to ‘Grade A’ specification, alongside the remodelling of the surrounding public realm and the introduction of a range of occupier facilities.
Exchange Quay’s six office buildings range from 26,151 sq ft to 116,684 sq ft.
Since the start of 2015, Exchange Quay’s office agency team, made up of Canning O’Neill and Savills, has secured 10 deals totalling almost 60,000 sq ft to relocating and existing occupiers.
Hunter has appointed site services partner, Elior, on a five-year contract to introduce and manage the amenity offering at Exchange Quay. The occupier facilities incorporate a restaurant with live cooking theatre, a Costa Coffee outlet and a Londis Retail Shop. As part of its contract, Elior will also provide a hospitality service to Exchange Quay, which will cater for meetings, events and functions. An on-site Post Office will also open this year.
Jeremy Birkett-Jones, investment director at Hunter, said; “Right from the outset we recognised the immense potential in Exchange Quay, which was once regarded as the ‘Canary Wharf of the North’. It was clear to us that such a prestigious scheme in an unrivalled location in the North West would respond to a dedicated investment programme to modernise the office accommodation and create a whole new environment.
“We have engaged with all the relevant local bodies and worked closely with our design, site and agency teams since the acquisition to ensure that the finished product matches the market demand and this has already been confirmed in the initial lettings we have secured prior to completion of the works.”
Planit-IE designed the public realm at Exchange Quay.
Looks like Pyongyang town hall.
By Colt 45
The opening credits to Dallas and another Costa coffee.There is no end to the ambition of Greater Manchester.A Londis is surely worthy of the front page of the MEN.Let us have a shop which is normally seen on a grotty East London high street.
By Elephant
Elephant – what an utterly pointless comment. Exchange Quay is a private estate not public realm therefore the improvements will have been driven solely by commercial considerations and the needs of the tenants.
Placenorthwest is a professional website not an internet forum. There are too many ill informed comments from third parties and bored hobbyists on here now.
By PNW reader
PNW Reader: Elephant’s comment is a bit clunky, but please don’t chase people off. We need all range off opinions. I’ve seen lots of comment discussions on here grind to a halt because some expert bored people senseless.
By Bryan Butterwoth
PNW reader.Do you really think that this venture was driven by the needs of the tenants? Commercial considerations yes.Are the only people able to open a shop in these facilities the usual boring chains.For Godsake.I would rather there was a little old lady making bacon butties than those overpriced soulless grabbers.
By Elephant
Oh and to add to my previous comment.I live in Great Britain not North Korea.I will have an opinion if I feel like it.
By Elephant
Elephant – I repeat, Exchange Quay is a private estate. The shops are aimed squarely at the office tenants and not at the wider community. Your naive rant is really adding no value here.
By PNW reader
I had a butty business there and couldn’t make it work!!!
By Roy Cropper
Roy you should get rid of that Anna Windass,her whine would put anyone off buying your butties.
By Elephant
PNW.Stop being such a Boor.Did they have a poll with the tenants asking them what their preferred choice of shopping and beverage outlets were? Thought not.It was decided for them. Costa fortune and Londis would only be on the to do list of people without either choice,which is likely,or imagination.
By Elephant
I had an office business here and couldn’t make it work.
By Hayley Cropper
Didn’t know we were having a seance?
By Roy Cropper