Member Article

Regeneration of India Buildings creates largest office floor plate in Liverpool

The largest single office floor plate in Liverpool has been officially launched.

Max Steinberg, chairman of Liverpool Vision, addressed agents and business delegates at the newly refurbished 35,000 sq ft fifth floor at India Buildings on Water Street.

Guests of owners Green Property heard Mr Steinberg praise the company for their investment and gave a ‘call to arms’ to the local property industry to bring forward more schemes like India Buildings to help in the battle to attract inward investors. Mr Steinberg also talked about the impact the International Festival for Business (IFB) will have on the Liverpool property industry when it begins in June next year.

Dublin-based Green Property, which bought the landmark building in 2009, has undertaken a series of projects as part of a rolling refurbishment programme, over £2m of which was spent in 2013. Its latest investment, involved the transformation of the fifth floor into Liverpool’s largest grade A office floor plate. The company has also refurbished part of the second floor to create The Hub – its new flexible office offering.

Mike Tapp, director at Green Property, said: “We are returning India Buildings to the most prestigious address in Liverpool and are pleased to officially launch what we believe is the most desirable office accommodation. Nowhere else in the City is there the same mix of modern quality accommodation within such a striking and historic building.”

He added: “We believe we have got the blend of old and new just right. The fifth floor exploits the building’s character whilst providing the contemporary design and technical infrastructure modern businesses want.”

Originally split into a series of separate offices, the fifth floor was opened up by stripping out pillars to turn it into one complete space, which can be divided up into reduced offices as needed. All of the original doors have been retained and refurbished for future use.

India Buildings was built between 1924 and 1932 as the headquarters for Alfred Holt’s Blue Funnel Line and was designed by art deco pioneer Herbert Rowse. It is noted for its elegant central arcade. The building took a direct hit during the blitz and was restored and reopened in 1952.

CBRE and Jones Lang LaSalle are joint letting agents for the building.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .