Standard Life invests in additional Leeds offices

Evans Property Group is continuing the lettings success at its flagship Minerva office building in Leeds City Centre by securing a lease to discretionary investment manager, Standard Life Wealth.

Standard Life is expanding from Whitehall Road into a 2,700 sq ft suite on the second floor within the transformed Minerva office building. JLL and CBRE are joint agents on Minerva and Standard Life was represented by JLL.

Launched in 2008, Standard Life Wealth manages around £6bn of assets for private clients, charities and pension schemes. The organisation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Life Investments (Holdings) Limited, whose parent company is Standard Life plc.

Standard Life plc has been in business for over 180 years and has assets under administration of over £290bn. Standard Life plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and has approximately 1.3 million individual shareholders in over 50 countries.

Standard Life Wealth join the host of occupiers who have signed up to Minerva since Evans unveiled the 30,568 sq ft of Grade A, BREEAM Excellent offices last summer.

Law firm Gateley leased 7,500 sq ft of offices on the 8th and 9th floors, property firm BNP Paribas relocated from the neighbouring Capitol office building into a 1,600 sq ft, 1st floor suite and UBS agreed a lease for 2,500 sq ft on the 8th floor. Additionally, existing tenant CDI AndersElite expanded into a larger suite to facilitate the firm’s growth plans.

Evans’ investment into Minerva and its neighbouring office building, Capitol, forms part of an overall ongoing £20m programme of works which is transforming the whole Bond Court area of Leeds City Centre and will include new retail space below Minerva, a new 95 bed 5* hotel and extensive public realm works.

Alan Syers, portfolio director at Evans Property Group, said: “We always wanted to create something really special at Minerva and have delivered an unrivalled quality of office accommodation for those occupiers seeking the wow factor in the heart of Leeds City Centre. We are delighted to be welcoming yet another prestigious organisation to our tenant line-up and look forward to the continued success of the building.”

Jeff Pearey, lead director at JLL, added: “Standard Life viewed a broad range of options in Leeds City Centre before ultimately electing to proceed with quality new office space within Minerva.”

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