One of Belfast’s oldest buildings on the banks of the River Lagan is set for a new lease of life as the finest office space in the city.
Custom House, situated in Custom House Square and dating back to the 1850s, was acquired by family owned Northern Ireland investor Straidorn Properties in November 2020 for an undisclosed sum from Mapeley.
That brought it back into the hands of local ownership through Co. Down businessman Neil McKibbin.
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The Grade B+ listed building was designed by one of Belfast’s leading architects Sir Charles Lanyon and built between 1854 and 1857 by D&J Fulton.
BE Offices, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of flexible space, has signed a joint venture partnership with Straidorn to create and manage the new 58,000 sq ft flexible workspace offering.
Following an investment of over £6 million, to include a full refurbishment of the building, Custom House is being restored to its former glory.
Over recent months, Straidorn has been refurbishing and modernising the office accommodation.
Great importance has been placed on preserving and enhancing the building’s heritage during renovations while ensuring its place as a 21st century, leading-edge destination.
The building retains a number of eye-catching features, including the original staircase and decorative carvings, three figures symbolising Neptune, Mercury and Britannia and others representing Manufacture, Peace, Commerce and Industry.
Mr McKibbin said: “Since acquiring the building we have been focused on creating and delivering a product that fits the evolving demands of occupiers and create spaces for people to engage with and use offices for work, social interaction, collaboration, and creative ideas.
“To fully deliver this we required 'best in class”' levels of service provision and we are therefore delighted to enter into partnership with BE to create a workspace ecosystem with flexibility at its heart, set within a jewel of Belfast’s build heritage.”
He added: “We have totally refurbished the building in a sympathetic manner that futureproofs it for the next 30 years and enables anyone to come and use this fabulous facility – from a single co-worker to 150-person office.
“We see this as an anchor scheme for the regeneration of a key area of Belfast city centre where vibrant cultural activities in Custom House Square can complement creative workspace alongside one another.”
The building will offer wellness pods, a complimentary gym, shower and changing facilities, bike storage, coffee lounge and a podcast room, as well as an extensive suite of indoor and outdoor event spaces and conference and meeting room facilities.
A dedicated BE hospitality team will be on hand to deliver its award-winning customer service and support.
Jonathan Weinbrenn, Managing Director of BE Offices’ managed workspace division, BE.Spoke, leading the project, added: “The impacts of Covid on the office world have only exacerbated demand for better, healthier workspaces – human-centric environments underpinned by hospitality, rich in amenities and embedded with technology.”
He added: “Custom House provides the perfect template to deliver a post pandemic remedy. In conjunction with Straidorn, we are creating a hugely desirable working environment which will set a new standard in the Belfast market.
“We seized the opportunity to partner with Neil, whose entrepreneurial flair and laser focused vision for re-igniting Custom House to its glory days, perfectly matched our ambition.”
BE Offices already has a presence in Belfast through its BE.Spoke brand, having secured 23,000 sq ft at Adelaide Exchange in October 2018 on behalf of one of the big four international professional services firms.
Opening in summer 2022, BE Offices’ new serviced offices offering at Custom House will now significantly enhance its flexible workspace offering in the city.
Previous projects by Straidorn include the transformation of Flax House on Adelaide Street in the city, a former linen mill, into a fully let, grade-A office space.
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