A historic Leeds building is undergoing a £3.5m makeover to create some of the best office space in the city.
The Grade II star listed St Paul’s House in central Leeds, which overlooks Park Square, is being revamped by its owners, global property investors Epic Ƶ, to create substantial upgrades and new facilities.
Current tenants include law firm DAC Beachcroft, real estate agency Cushman and Wakefield and accountants Sedulo, and there is 10,500 sqft of prime office space to let, as well as two 2,500 sqft suites.
Refurbishment work will be completed by June this year, apart from the second floor’s new fitted offices which will be ready in September.
Leigh Perl of Epic Ƶ said: “At the heart of the refurbishment and, indeed everything we do at St Paul’s House, is about the integrity of the building. It is one of the most distinctive, light, airy and iconic buildings in Leeds and we must honour that.
“At the same time it is important that we create some of the most hi-tech and sustainable Grade A office space in the city, underpinned by a commitment to ESG, and that is what we are doing with substantial upgrades to the reception, first and second floors, to end-of journey facilities, such as club class showers, drying rooms, lockers and cycle facilities, and to the exterior of the building, which has been thoroughly cleaned.
“In particular, we have embarked on a partnership with the Leeds PIPES network, which provides homes, businesses, and public buildings with heat and hot water that is affordable, reliable and low carbon.”
Elizabeth Ridler, office agency partner at the Leeds office of Knight Frank, said: “St Paul’s House, built in the Venetian style, is a much-loved Leeds landmark. Once the refurbishment is complete, it will be a tremendous mixture of the old and the new.
“This significant investment will create high-quality Grade A office specification internally which, when combined with the stunning exterior façade and its unrivalled location with gorgeous views over the green space of Park Square, will offer one of the most attractive working environments in Leeds."
The professional team working on the refurbishment of St Paul’s House is project manager Mike Robinson of In4M, designer Incognito and M&E Smith Consultancy. St Paul’s House, which was built in 1878, was originally constructed as a warehouse and cloth-cutting works for Sir John Barran, the founder of the mass-production, ready-made clothing industry in Leeds. The architect was Thomas Ambler.
