Peel plans refurb at The Victoria

Developer Peel is planning a major refurbishment at The Victoria in Salford Quays to bring 80,000 sq ft of office space back to the market, after two tenants move out of the building later this year.

WSP, which has more than 20,000 sq ft of space, and Bupa are currently the main tenants at the building, which sits alongside the Harbour City Metrolink stop and faces Erie Basin.

However, both companies are due to move in the coming months; Bupa in late summer, and WSP in the summer.

The nine-storey, 23-year-old Victoria Building is expected to undergo a significant overhaul, primarily to its common areas, and a package for the refurbishment works is expected to go out to tender in the coming weeks.

It is expected the works will bring around 80,000 sq ft of space back to the Salford Quays market once they complete.

WSP is expected to move into No.8 First Street, taking 900 staff from three offices into one space.

Staff from the company’s Parsons Brinckerhoff office will relocate to First Street from Oxford Road and staff from Mouchel will move from St James House on Queen Street. Work on the building is ongoing but is due to complete in spring.

Bupa will move into a purpose-built facility, also in Salford Quays, where contractor Morgan Sindall is nearing completion. Bupa has signed a 15-year lease on the 145,000 sq ft building, which will house around 2,000 staff.

Other tenants at The Victoria include staff testing firm Prometric, which signed a five-year lease on around 6,000 sq ft in 2012. Peel’s retained agents on The Victoria are Avison Young and Cushman & Wakefield.

Peel declined to comment.