Member Article

Downtown moves into cycle-friendly Cotton Quarter

Business networking and lobbying group Downtown in Business has relocated its headquarters to Liverpool’s Cotton Exchange.

Downtown in Business also has offices in Leeds, Manchester, and Lancashire and the new 2,100 sq ft premises will serve as the group’s head office as it plans for future growth across each of its core city regions.

It will share the fully refurbished third floor space with human resources firm High Performance Consultancy.

Cotton Exchange is part of Bruntwood’s Cotton Quarter development, which has undergone a major investment and refurbishment programme in recent years and is now home to a mix of creative and professional services businesses, including Meet and Potato, Ahoy and Morecrofts Solicitors.

Downtown founder and CEO Frank McKenna said: “It’s an incredible space in a landmark building that offers us a real platform for growth on all fronts. Bruntwood continues to do a fantastic job with the entire Cotton Quarter development and it has attracted some really exciting businesses as a result.”

Colin Forshaw, head of property at Bruntwood, said: “We have made significant investments to refurbish and upgrade the Cotton Quarter in order to create a series of contemporary workspaces that appeal to successful and high profile businesses. Downtown and HPC certainly fit that bill.”

As part of its upgrade, Bruntwood has also created dedicated cyclist facilities at the Cotton Quarter.

The family-owned firm has spent more than £100,000 to develop the ground floor space in response to customer demand and as part of its commitment to encourage healthy working practices among its people and customers.

The newly developed area features secure bike storage areas and adjacent shower and changing rooms to accommodate customers in Cotton Exchange and Cotton House.

Candice Flanagan, chartered building surveyor at Bruntwood, said: “Cycling to work is an increasingly popular choice for hundreds of Liverpool commuters, including several members of the Bruntwood team, so it’s essential that our buildings offer modern facilities for cyclists wherever possible.

“Not only is it a healthier choice in terms of exercise, but it also reduces the carbon footprint of getting to work, so it’s a great choice all round and one that we as a business wholeheartedly support.

“The new facilities at Cotton Quarter increase our overall capacity significantly and will make it much easier for people working in the building to cycle in, store their bike safely and still arrive at their desks feeling refreshed for the day ahead.”

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