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London Offices – An Olympic Year?

West end consent

City refurbishment consent

St James's building to be refurbished

Midtown scheme poised

Midtown start

Bank to take space

City scheme gains impetus

Space let at City scheme

Redevelopment plan for City sites

Third phase planned for west end scheme

Old Bailey deals

Euston office planned

Delay for EC3 scheme

Refurbishment in fringe

Refurbishment mooted in EC4

Gresham Street deal

Refurbishment for EC4 offices

City pre-let

December completion for St James' scheme

City start in EC3

Spec start for City tower

Scheme start in EC2

City scheme underway

Consent for EC4 scheme

Construction start in EC1

Standard Life appoints

Planning consent in EC3

City office refurbishment application

New scheme for EC3

Speculative start for City tower

St James' scheme to start

Start for EC3 scheme

Mace Plus appointed

Consent for St James scheme

City scheme to start in 2007

Clerkenwell scheme underway

Demolition start in Midtown

More offices for EC3

More buildings for Aldgate

Construction start for WC1 refurbishment

New scheme for EC2

Pre-let for St James' scheme

'Helter Skelter' consent

Schedule for WC2 scheme

Revised plans for City tower

City tower to begin in 2007

Letting for EC2 building

Appointment for EC2 new build

Start date for EC2 scheme

Another Mayfair scheme underway

Work starts on SW1 scheme

99 QVC letting rumour

Work underway on another Mayfair scheme

Standard Chartered to acquire space

Another Mayfair office scheme

122 Leadenhall gets permission

Aviation House for sale?

Rent free for three years!

Canary vacancy rate rises

Derwent Valley "subdued"

Saffron House autumn completion

Schemes completing

To arms, to arms...

Refurbishment underway

Refurbished offices near City Road.

Start date for 9-13 Grosvenor Street

More completions

West End space update

First letting at Medius

All go at Juxon House

10 Gresham Street to start

JWT to move next spring

Standard Life starts on Juxon House

Space at Kensington Village

Start on site at 25 Moorgate.

Blackfriars Court nearing completion

West End space for late summer 2001

More office space comes on stream

Facelift for 100-year old Town Hall.

Bovis Lend Lease win Gresham Street

Standard Life raises funds for new developments

Juxon House 'dig' programme submitted

Standard Life in search for head

Towering Ambition

London’s next development cycle is now well underway with some 30 office schemes starting in the last six months, amounting to 510,962 sq m (5.5m sq ft) of new space coming on-stream.

Skyscrapers are topical again, and in this CityOffices newswire we look in detail at the unprecedented ‘clutch’ of new office towers (defined as 20+ storeys) nearing completion, underway and planned.

The last development cycle saw completion of the 37,160 sq m (398,000 sq ft), 34-storey Broadgate tower, EC2, now largely fully let; the 38,740 sq m (417,000 sq ft) 36-storey 125 Old Broad Street, EC2 has only 5,000 sq ft still available; the 55,091 sq m (593,000 sq ft), 36-storey Ropemaker Place, EC2, which is fully let; and the 25-storey, 30,750 sq m (331,000 sq ft) Drapers Gardens scheme in Throgmorton Avenue, EC2, which was pre-let.

All the above towers are in the City of London and interestingly there were no skyscrapers completed in Canary Wharf in the last cycle, or, less unusually, in the West End, Midtown or fringe. The almost-complete 59,921 sq m (645,000 sq ft), 46-storey Heron Tower in Bishopsgate, EC2, will end the tower building activity for the 2006-2011 property cycle.

The next cycle will see completion of the 75,901 sq m (817,000 sq ft), 80-storey, Shard, SE1 in 2012; the 63-storey, 111,482 sq m (1.2m sq ft) Pinnacle, EC2, in 2013; the 37-storey, 79,895 sq m (860,000 sq ft) 20 Fenchurch Street, EC3 (Walkie Talkie) and 47-storey, 67,075 sq m (722,000 sq ft) Leadenhall Building (Cheesegrater) both in 2014.

Schemes which are not yet under construction and may be completed in the next cycle are the 40-storey, 71,534 sq m (770,000 sq ft) 100 Bishopsgate, EC3, where a 2011 start is envisaged; the 22-storey, 27,870 sq m (300,000 sq ft), 60-70 St Mary Axe, EC3 (Can of Spam); and the 21-storey 93,440 sq m (1m sq ft) Aldgate Place, E1.

Elsewhere, a possible 20-storey plus scheme is being designed for Elizabeth House, and a 31-storey scheme for Kings Reach House, both in SE1. At Canary Wharf, the 2m sq ft redevelopment of Heron Quays is planned to include a 33-storey tower and there are still outstanding proposals for a 43-storey part office tower at Crossharbour; a 43-storey tower at Millharbour; and a 63-storey tower at the site formerly known as Columbus Tower in E14. In the West End, plans for the Victoria Interchange include a tower of up to 20-storeys.

The question is how successful are these new towers likely to be? The Gherkin (30 St Mary Axe) in EC3, has rapidly became a London icon, but 10-years ago, post 9/11, it was very slow to let, with over 50% still vacant on completion. Other high-rise buildings such as Centrepoint in the West End and 1 Canada Square at Canary Wharf were slow to let in the early days. Despite these examples developers seem keener than ever to build towers.

In total some 315,868 sq m (3.4m sq ft) of office space is under construction in five office towers, but still available, with a further 260,126 sq m (2.8m sq ft) in towers that could start in 2011 or 2012. These are big numbers, however, to put it in context, the City of London saw lettings of new unoccupied office space of 260,126 sq m (2.8m sq ft) in 2010, so a single year’s take-up could almost fill them. The five towers will be completed over a four-year period, during which they will currently face limited competition from newly completed, large, low-rise schemes in the City.

Experience from completed towers such as Broadgate Tower, 125 Old Broad Street and Ropemaker Place shows that the majority of lettings tend to be signed-up after the development has been completed. In general, only a small proportion of a tower’s floorspace is pre-let before completion. However, the experience of the recent letting of 17,744 sq m (191,000 sq ft) to Aon at the Leadenhall Building may indicate a more active pre-let market than previously for the new London towers.

An analysis of the occupiers of recently completed towers shows that the major share (51%) is taken-up by financial services with professional services (including law), in second place (23%). With the just two sectors accounting for 74% of deals done it is no wonder that these are the main targets for developers and their agents. .

An unusual ‘bulge’ of lease expiry and breaks due in the period 2013-15 has partly contributed to developers enthusiasm in starting new schemes in the last few months; and in-turn this has led to developers with refurbishment schemes to also leap into competitive starts to achieve completion before the towers come on-stream.

The future of the next generation of towers will depend on attitude of the 200 medium to large office occupiers in the City of London now actively looking for space, or with lease expiries due in the next four years. If occupiers show the same enthusiasm for high-rise working as those firms moving in the previous office cycle, then the new towers coming to the London skyline will succeed. it will just take a little time.

Andy King
Director
CityOffices.net

- (20-05-2011)

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Property company gearing up

Helical Bar, the property company, is raising £29m to fund property acquisitions. The group said that the market opportinities it has been waiting for are arriving, as a number of interesting schemes become available. Helical Bar has been standing back from the development market since 2004/5. The development portfolio for this cycle includes 200 Aldersgate, White City and Mitre Square, EC3. - (10-12-2010)

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London Offices – 2011, Looking Up

The central London property market seems to be at a turning point in terms of construction activity. It would seem that we are at the start of the next development cycle, with the prospect of major office projects starting in 2011.

CityOffices constantly reviews London’s office development projects. The latest ‘Skyline Monitor’ shows that a total of 11 schemes started on site during summer 2010. Schemes such as The Pinnacle in the City, 62 Buckingham Gate, SW1, and Park House in Oxford Street, W1, added a further 1.3m sq ft to office space under construction.

The current total office space under construction in London is 4.2m sq ft, comprising 2.4m in the City; 1.1m sq ft in the West End, 600,000 sq ft on the Southbank and 130,000 sq ft in Midtown.

The 4.2m under construction at present is low when compared to the 13m sq ft under construction two years ago, but does compares favourably with the mere five office schemes started this time last year.

This summer nearly 5.8m sq ft of offices were completed in schemes such as Minerva’s St Botolphs building, EC3; Derwent’s Angel Building, EC1; and Standard Life’s 95 Gresham Street, EC2. A number of lettings have been secured in these buildings and currently half of the 5.8m sq ft has been let, in line with the overall sharp reduction in prime office space available in central London.

CityOffices has identified 21 London office projects where demolition is either underway or the site has been cleared. It is anticipated that starts on around half of these before Christmas 2010, which could result in a further 1.5m sq ft of offices under construction by the New Year.

Looking forward to 2011, Cityoffices is currently tracking 110 office schemes in central London totaling over 22m sq ft, which have planning permission, and where the developer is thought to be considering a start in 2011. The short-list of developers lining up schemes to start next year includes British Land, Land Securities, Great Portland Estates, Helical Bar, and Exemplar.

The reason behind the increasing activity in central London is that Grade A office space availability is expected to hit a low point in late 2014 and rents are already rising to reflect shortages of prime space. Developers are keen to catch the next property ‘wave’ before it peaks and are trying to push ahead with developments. In reality not all these schemes will start but Cityoffices is tracking them all to identify the ‘winning’ development teams. - (19-11-2010)

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Glasnost - Online Project, Contact & Image Management

Start on Old Jewry

Standard Life Assurance has started work on the redevelopment of 1 Old Jewry, London EC2. The £20m scheme and will complete during the final quarter of 2007. The nine-storey 7,154 sq m (77,000 sq ft) scheme includes 5,964 sq m (64,200 sq ft) of offices, a wine bar and 684 sq m (7,360 sq ft) of retail. - (04-07-2006)

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Standard Life plans speculative EC2 start

Standard Life Assurance has announced that it intends to start construction of its £65m speculative office scheme at 36-39 Poultry and 1-6 Old Jewry in London, EC2 this summer. The 7,154 sq m (77,000 sq ft) scheme includes 5,760 sq m (62,000 sq ft) of offices, a wine bar and 684 sq m (7,360 sq ft) of retail. Standard Life recently bought the site for £20m. - (23-03-2005)

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Hammerson sale falls through

Hammerson has issued a statement on the London Stock Exchange to the effect that its deal to sell three office buildings to Fordgate, a private company, has fallen through. Fordate was to have paid around £122m for 21 Moorfields, London EC2, and Grant Thornton House and 40, Melton Street, Euston Square, NW1. Hammerson has said that it has "fulfilled the outstanding conditions" and that "the proposed purchaser has failed to complete the transaction in accordance with the contract". Hammerson has therefore terminated the contract and appears to be intending to retain Fordgate's deposit and seek redress. Fordgate has responded to Hammerson's statement saying it was "factually incorrect and libellous... No subsidiary of Fordgate Limited asn contracted to acquire the properties mentioned". - (26-11-2003)

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'Gherkin' shortlisted for award

The Swiss Re building, otherwise known as the ‘Gherkin’, in the City of London, has been shortlisted for the first London Planning Awards. The awards, run jointly by London mayor Ken Livingstone, London First, and the Royal Town Planning Institute, aim to highlight outstanding planning achievements in London. The Swiss Re building was designed by Foster & Partners and submitted for the award by Montagu Evans. Paddington Waterside Partnership is on the shortlist for the best community or partnership initiative category. - (31-10-2003)

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Cannon Bridge sold for £167m

The headquarters of the London International Financial Futures & Options Exchange (LIFFE) has been sold in a £167m deal, a yield of about 7.9%. The 250-year lease on the 26,477 sq m (285,000 sq ft) building at Dowgate Hill, off Cannon Street EC4, has been acquired by Fordgate, a secretive private property group run by the Gertner brothers. The deal, one off the biggest this year, shows a profit for Pillar Properties, which paid Railtrack and General Electric £64m for the building in 1995. Pillar sold a 75% stake in the building to the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association, the US pension fund, in 2000 for about £140m. Liffe occupies about half of the Canon Bridge building and has a 'rolling' tenant break. The rest of the space is occupied by Standard Chartered Bank and Winterflood Securities. In July 78 Cannon Street, adjoining Cannon Bridge, was sold by Marylebone Warwick Balfour (MWB) to Hines, the US property developer, for £53.3m. In the 1980's developer Speyhawk was considering linking the two buildings and there must still be potential for longer term redevelopment. Pillar and Teachers were advised by FPD Savills. - (06-10-2002)

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Bishops Square plans revised

The plans for Bishops Square at Spitalfields market, by the Spitalfields Development Group, have been re-worked following public consultation. The new plans, by Foster and Partners, take into account the needs of law firm Allen & Overy, which has pre-let the building. The scheme includes 69,675 sq m (749,981 sq ft) of offices and 3,995 sq m (43,002 sq ft) of retail space. The revised plans replace the 'ski-slope' design with a more standard 'stepped' building. - (18-03-2002)

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Juxon House designs unveiled

Standard Life Investments has unveiled the final designs for the redeveloped Juxon House, part of the Paternoster Square scheme in London EC4. The seven-storey building has been designed by Sidell Gibson Partnership and will provide about 11,891 sq m (128,000 sq ft) of office space with 1,858 sq m (20,000 sq ft) of retail space on the ground floor. The overall masterplan for the Paternoster Square area is by Whitfield Partners. The building, which has a curved classical façade in contrast to the previous 1960's 'box' design, will be completed in summer 2003. - (13-01-2002)

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Quangos go "head to head"

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has announced that it is to appear at the public inquiry into the proposed Heron Tower at 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2. CABE will appear in support of the scheme when the inquiry starts at the end of October. CABE's views are contrary to those of English Heritage, which is objecting to the scheme. CABE's chief executive Jon Rouse has been quoted as saying that it is willing to go "head to head" with English Heritage over a scheme it believes is suitable. "It's a bit like David against Goliath, but we have to stand up and be counted," he is reported as saying. - (17-08-2001)

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Company Details for Standard Life Investments