Member Article

Six-up at historic Joseph's Well in Leeds

Six new deals have been concluded at the historic Joseph’s Well, which has undergone a major refurbishment to create high-quality and affordable office space in central Leeds.

The spectacular transformation of the 156,000 sq ft five-storey building in Westgate, which was originally built for Leeds clothing magnate and MP Sir John Barran, was undertaken by Leeds-based construction and property company J Pullan & Sons.

Four new occupiers have relocated to Joseph’s Well, while two existing tenants have increased their space within the building.

The new tenants are: X-Lab Ltd, who have taken 1,517 sq ft, relocating from the nearby Leeds Innovation Centre; Ian Richards & Co, accountants, who have taken 180 sq ft; Michael Dack & Co, accountants, who have taken 500 sq ft; and training recruitment company ESG (Skills) Ltd who have taken 723 sq ft.

Meanwhile Cohen Cramer Solicitors, who moved into 4,378 sq ft of office space last year have expanded into another 1,282 sq ft office suite; while long-standing tenant Bryan G Hall, transport planning consultants, have taken an extra three suites, totalling 2,913 sq ft.

Rents are £15.75 per sq ft, including all service charges, and are fixed for three years.

Simon Baskind, Managing Director of Cohen Cramer Solicitors, who relocated from Great George Street in Leeds, commented: “We moved to Joseph’s Well in May 2014 because its modern office space in an historic building met both the needs of ourselves and our clients. Since moving into two suites, we have settled in very well and being in the building has proved a successful move for us.

“We have now taken on an adjoining suite, as expansion meant we needed more space. This is one of the many advantages of being in a building such as Joseph’s Well – the adaptability of being able to upsize or downsize without the need to relocate and incur all the inherent expenses associated with a full premises relocation”.

“The offices are well-located, providing easy access to Leeds city centre, whilst there is parking for both clients and staff. As an established law firm, the building provides the right mix of contemporary design and space within a period building – reflecting the fact that both companies and buildings need to continually adapt, which echoes our philosophy,” added Mr Baskind.

Meanwhile Martin Crabtree of Bryan G Hall said: “Bryan G Hall Limited has been located in Joseph’s Well since 1989, and our continued success over recent years has allowed us to relocate within the building into larger, more modern and comfortable surroundings.

“The flexibility that Joseph’s Well provides has enabled Bryan G Hall to maintain its address in a convenient location. Joseph’s Well is prominently located adjacent to the Leeds Inner Ring Road, providing immediate access to Leeds City Centre and to the motorway network, whilst within a 10 minute walk of Leeds City Station and located on a number of bus routes,” he added.

Bruce Strachan, Property Director of Pullan’s, commented: “These six new deals underline the continuing popularity of Joseph’s Well and we are especially delighted that two existing tenants are so positive about their offices that they have taken significant extra space in our historic building.

“Following the recent refurbishment, we are seeing an increasing level of interest in Joseph’s Well resulting in new lettings. These are all excellent examples of successful businesses being attracted to a quality business environment and their arrival underlines the versatility and flexibility of space here, which is attracting an exciting breadth of occupiers”.

There is currently a range of available office suites from 180 sq ft to 15,000 sq ft. The suites, which are tailored to occupiers’ needs, are available with no additional extra charge for service charges, building maintenance or insurance.

Joseph’s Well is prominently located within Leeds city centre beside the Inner Ring Road offering easy access to the M1, M62 and M621 motorways and Leeds-Bradford International Airport. It is also within a short walk of Leeds City Railway Station, City Square and all of the main retail and leisure amenities.

Pete Bradbury of property agents Carter Towler, who are marketing Joseph’s Well commented: “We are delighted to welcome three new tenants to Joseph’s Well. These new lettings are testament to the investment made by J Pullan & Sons Limited, delivering a quality office product that suits a range of occupiers which, when combined with the dedicated onsite management team, extensive on-site car parking and competitive rent, makes Josephs Well some of the best value office space in the city.”

Sir John Barran pioneered the Leeds ready-made clothing industry in the 1850s, introducing the band knife for cutting multiple layers of cloth. In 1887 he added Joseph’s Well to his other factory in Park Square. As Mayor of Leeds, he secured the purchase of Roundhay Park for the city. Sir John also served as the Liberal MP for Leeds from 1876 – 1885.

The joint marketing agents with Carter Towler for Joseph’s Well are the Leeds office of WSB.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .