Far from seeing new tenants as just another income, they regard occupiers as valuable customers and their treatment of the building has been more akin to that of an upmarket apartment block or hotel than a conventional office building.

A concierge service is the latest addition to the Grade A offices which has been one of the most actively let in the area and as Jonathan Hardie advisor to Mercia Real Estate Limited says, “We have always been concerned that we as landlords be more than just a faceless investor and make sure we meet on a one-to-one basis with tenants regularly.

“The concierge is an extension of our customer service and will enhance the offering at 54 Hagley Road considerably, providing an added perk to all employees within the building.”

39 year old, Donna Burrows, will be the face of the new service which covers anything from providing weather and travel updates to organising car valeting or booking a celebration dinner with friends. Already adding to the executive channels positioned at the lifts providing the latest weather, transport, travel and what’s on information.

Tenant, Mark Bevan from Francis Graves, who moved into 54 Hagley Road just over 12 months ago, is delighted with the arrival of the new concierge. Already a big supporter of the building be believes the new service will not only provide added value for occupiers but visitors to the offices as well.

”We often have colleagues from our other national offices staying over in Birmingham who may need local help or advice with hotels, taxis, dry cleaning and restaurants and other services. It is a resource that we can tap into as required, without impacting on our day- to-day business.”

Indeed the traditional concept of a concierge, was one that could offer support on administrative duties and at 54 Hagley Road companies within the building can utilize the skills and professionalism of Donna Burrows to help their companies run more smoothly.

Mark adds, “I think as and when our various members of staff fully understand the features and associated benefits of using a concierge they will most definitely feel it to be a benefit. For myself as a tenant, it is refreshing to see a positive and forward thinking landlord who continues to invest in a quality workspace. We already enjoy high standards and excellent support and service from the Building Management Team.

The concierge follows on from a premium office, coffee shop operator, Caffé Kix, who partnered with 54 Hagley Road to deliver a café and deli bar facility in the upmarket grade A offices in Edgbaston.

“It’s all part of providing a quality working environment,” adds Jonathan Hardie. “If we are to stand out in the current market, we can only do so by exceeding expectations.”

Westbrook is constantly monitoring and assessing potential acquisitions on an international scale; not just throughout the UK, but right across the US, continental Europe and Japan.

As the country’s second city, Birmingham has been on the Westbrook radar for a long time, but it was never going to do its first deal here, simply for the sake of establishing a presence in the UK.

We found No 54 appealing at the fundamental level, because it is a very decent piece of real estate. It was refurbished to Grade A standard by the previous owners, Capital & Counties, who spent £15 million on it, so it was as high a specification as we could wish for.

We were also impressed that two previous occupiers had been very sizeable corporates; IBM and HSBC Bank.

If global corporations with such powerful brands had been prepared to take space on Hagley Road, it clearly said a lot for the area and the location of No 54 – even before the refurb, so we decided to take a closer look at Edgbaston, and the wider office market in Birmingham.

On our first visit, it was obvious that it had excellent road, rail and bus connections, and transport considerations can be very important, especially if you are dealing with a prospective tenant from the public sector.

When we looked closely at Edgbaston, it was equally appealing. We knew of Calthorpe’s historical presence, of course, and their evident willingness to take the long view was a major attraction – we see Calthorpe Estates as the equivalent of The Grosvenor Estate in London, and we knew the area was in very safe hands.

We were equally impressed by their latest office scheme, Calthorpe House. It is a fantastic building, which will attract a serious tenant, and we knew it was due to be launched in the autumn of 2009. Their space coming on stream will obviously increase interest in the area’s office market, so we thought the timing was good for us.

We also liked the feel of Edgbaston as a location; the rows of beautifully-preserved Georgian houses and the tree-lined streets will always attract high-calibre professionals, and give the area an upmarket feel.

We believe that Edgbaston is Birmingham’s Belgravia, in terms of prime residential space, and as a desirable place to live, and to raise families.

Looking at the Birmingham office sector in the widest sense, we thought that the city was a strong investment opportunity for Westbrook.

Virgin Trains offers a great service on the West Coast main-line, with London less than 80 minutes away, and we are optimistic that Birmingham is a prime beneficiary of Lyons Review relocations.

We were impressed by King Sturge’s team when they brought in the Tribunals Service at 54, and I’d known GBR’s Simon Robinson from when we both worked in New York, so we decided to appoint joint agents, to make things nice and competitive.

They’ve already filled 12,000 sq ft of space, talks are advanced for two further significant lettings, and I’m confident that the remaining 80,000 sq ft of the 142,000 available will be filled by the autumn of 2010.

We chose to sponsor the young students as we felt that they had been entrepreneurial in their approach to obtain sponsorship in difficult times and their garden design ‘Urban Sanctury’ really reflected the type of garden we would have at our office development in Edgbaston.

Urban Sanctury was based on an English woodland including materials native to the British Isles. Their aim was to create a woodland retreat with a modern twist. Urban Sanctury was designed to create a space for people to escape the hustle and bustle of urban life where they could relax, chill and admire the tranquil feel of an English woodland. It provided an environment for nature to thrive within – a Sanctuary offering tranquility only disturbed by the sound of the ancient stone water feature cascading into the still waters of the pool.

Quite clearly the judges agreed with the boys as they walked away with an RHS Silver Award.
Well done!

Pictures:

Enjoying a fresh start to the new year, the construction consultants are joining a new raft of property professionals heading back to the green pastures of Edgbaston, following a migration to the city centre in the 80’s and 90’s.

Mark Bevan, who heads up Francis Graves believes that Edgbaston is being once again recognised as an attractive proposition for occupiers with the influx of investment into the area from landlords.

£15 million was invested in 54 Hagley Road during its refurbishment and as Mark Bevan says , “It’s clear the Landlords, Merica Real Estate Limited, are continuing to invest in the building.”

Caffe Kix, a new upmarket coffee shop has recently opened in the statement glass atrium and is attracting a wide audience from tenants to nearby office workers.

“The coffee shop provides a great place to meet with clients for more informal meetings,” says Mark “The whole effect as you walk in the entrance at 54 is very impressive, from the layout to the refreshingly helpful attitude of the management team.”

Francis Graves is one of a number of tenants who have recently been attracted to the competitive rent and flexible approach to business that 54’s landlord’s offer.

“Moving to Edgbaston and new offices has provided us with the opportunity to go forward with new vigour, reflecting on what made Francis Graves great in the first place – the core values set out by its founder of professional integrity and open, honest and friendly client relationships

“Everything has felt right about the move. From the dealings with agents, King Sturge and GBR to the landlords and the management team. They have all been really friendly, efficient and supportive. The offices are light and airy with a fine view over the Hagley Road and their fit out are more conducive to modern working practices, so we have been able to upgrade our IT structure, to make us cleaner, quicker and sharper.”

For Francis Graves, 54 also ticks a lot of green credentials with intelligent lighting and comfort cooling. It also allows them to lower their own carbon footprint. “It only takes 10 minutes to walk into the city centre for meetings.” Adds Mark. “But if we have to travel further afield we are very well connected on one of the main arterial roads into Birmingham and the A38 and out to the M5.”

With a launch party planned for April in the marketing suite on the 16th floor of 54, Francis Graves is keen to show that the grass really is greener in Edgbaston, with fantastic views over one of the UK’s largest urban conservation areas.

US backed, Westbrook Partners are the new owners of 54 Hagley Road and working with joint agents, Simon Robinson from GBR and Jonathan Carmalt from King Sturge, they are urging potential occupiers to take a fresh look at the offices.

Having recently achieved a ‘very good’ BREEAM rating, following a £15 million refurbishment, the 140,000 sq ft of high quality Grade A office space, offers one of the greenest options in the area for refurbished office schemes.

Aware of tenants’ needs for additional meeting space, Westbrook are also creating new conference rooms on the ground floor and a coffee shop will be opening as part of the large ground floor reception area in the Summer.

“Westbrook are definitely a landlord of action,” says Simon Robinson “They are very hands on, react quickly to requests and appreciate they are operating in tough economic times and are willing to work with occupiers to create a deal that works for all parties.

“Already we are in negotiations with a number of potential new tenants about creating individual packages that are tailored to their needs.”

The scheme

The scheme offers a bright and vibrant new central reception area, air conditioning, six new lifts and suspended ceilings with LG7-compatible lighting systems, as well as open floor plans and with carpeted raised floors, new toilets and showers and improved disabled facilities.

The car parking ratio of one space per 438 sq ft surpasses the car parking provision in many other Edgbaston office properties.

All this is complemented by views across a surprising amount of greenery in Edgbaston – as one of Europe’s largest Urban Conservation areas – a wealth of amenities are also available with first class transport links including Five Ways train station, quality schools, Michelin star restaurants, historic beauty spots, first class sporting and leisure facilities.

“Edgbaston is seen as an important part of the central Birmingham office market with other high profile refurbishments and developments adding to its profile, the area provides a prestigious new address for occupiers.” Added Jonathan Carmalt.

54 Hagley Road has 75,000 sq ft of office space currently available from 2,000 sq ft upwards. For further information contact office agents GBR or King Sturge.

Due to open early January 2010, 54 Hagley Road is the second site to be opened by Caffé Kix in Birmingham with further planned for the region. The new operation will be housed in 54’s statement entrance and reception area, targeting both existing tenants and neighbouring office workers.

For 54 Hagley Road, Caffé Kix’s arrival delivers the landlord’s desire to create a quality working environment for occupiers

Caffé Kix designs, creates and operates cafes and deli bars inside top quality offices and business parks throughout the UK. Working closely with landlords and tenants, it creates a facility to reflect the design and aspirations of the building.

Joint office agents, Jonathan Carmalt from King Sturge and Mark Robinson from GBR believe the new café further strengthens the offer at 54 and provides yet another tick in the box for tenants and prospective occupiers who have been drawn to the building in recent months, “The landlord has been holding out to deliver the right profile of coffee shop operator for 54 and we believe Caffé Kix reflects the high standard of specification and contemporary feel of the building.

“Positioned in the light, airy modern entrance area, the new café not only provides a great place for lunch but also provides an extension to tenants’ offices, providing an ideal setting for more informal meetings.”

New landlords/

New landlords Mercia Real Estate’s flexible approach to occupiers and commitment to the success of the offices, has seen construction and property consultants, Robinson Low Francis (RLF) and global nonprofit membership organization, OCLC, take up leases in the last couple of months.

Having undergone a £15m refurbishment in recent times, 54 Hagley Road has created a stylish working and lifestyle environment that will satisfy the needs of companies that are anxious to recruit and retain quality staff.

All this is complemented by views across a surprising amount of green space in Edgbaston which is one of Europe’s largest Urban Conservation areas. A wealth of amenities are also available with first class transport links including Five Ways train station, quality schools, Michelin star restaurants, historic beauty spots and first class sporting and leisure facilities.

OCLC, previously based in Tricorn House, has signed up for just over 5000sq ft on a 10 year lease, to continue its 20 year presence in the city as it offers an excellent central location for its training and conferencing requirements.

The global nonprofit membership organisation works with libraries to enable greater accessibility to the world’s library materials through provision of software services and systems.

In Europe, OCLC also has regional offices in the Netherlands, Germany and France as well as in the UK. John Fletcher at Altus Edwin Hill acted on behalf of OCLC to secure the letting.

Indy Singh general manager of OCLC (UK) Limited says, “We currently provide software services that support and streamline workflow for the majority of public and academic libraries in the UK. This creates a regular requirement to meet with customers and deliver training and Birmingham is an easy destination to reach.
The fact that we are now also able to offer them a location equipped with the best conferencing and training facilities in a modern and vibrant setting is an ideal scenario for us and for them.”

The OCLC letting is the second in the past two months at 54, with offices also being taken by construction and property consultants, Robinson Low Francis (RLF) in August.

As Jonathan Carmalt, joint letting agent with Mark Robinson at GBR says, “We understand OCLC was looking for more modern, efficient offices to provide a fresh feel to the business and a welcome new setting for its workforce. 54 Hagley Road fitted the bill without causing too much disruption to its team.

“The landlords, Mercia Real Estate Limited are also offering tenant friendly packages to prospective occupiers and are willing to be flexible to achieve lettings, which in the current climate is absolutely the right strategy.”

Mercia Real Estate Limited is an affiliate of US-based private equity firm, Westbrook Partners.

The £15m refurbishment at 54 Hagley Road has created a stylish working and lifestyle environment that will satisfy the needs of companies that are anxious to recruit and retain quality staff.

54 Hagley Road is currently creating new meeting rooms, a coffee shop and offers a bright vibrant new central reception area, air conditioning, six new lifts and suspended ceilings with LG7-compatible lighting, as well as open floor plates with carpeted raised floors, new toilets and showers, and improved disabled facilities.

The car parking ratio of 1:438 sq ft of office accommodation in surface, undercroft and multi-storey levels is also much better than available in other areas of Birmingham.

All this is complemented by views across a surprising amount of green space in Edgbaston which is one of Europe’s largest Urban Conservation areas. A wealth of amenities are also available with first class transport links including Five Ways train station, quality schools, Michelin star restaurants, historic beauty spots and first class sporting and leisure facilities.

Joint office agents Jonathan Carmalt from King Sturge and Mark Robinson from GBR have brokered the deal and as Mark Robinson says, “RLF’s move is a classic case in the current climate of a business using its savvy to upgrade the quality of its offices significantly, to a more prominent address with better facilities at a very price competitive rental level.”

RLF is moving from older offices on Hagley Road to the extensively refurbished 54 Hagley Road, for which they acted as cost consultants on the £15 million upgrade. The offices are soon to have a new café and meeting room facilities too.

With seven offices in the UK and one in Malta, RLF provides construction and property related consultancy services to public and private sector clients and is currently involved in projects with a total value well in excess of £1 billion.

David Harris managing partner for RLF in Birmingham said he never considered the possibility that they would aspire to be working in the high quality offices they helped refurbish as he explains:

“Birmingham is a key office for RLF and a significant market for us. Our existing lease was coming up for renewal and we were presented with an opportunity to occupy a 6,400 sq ft floor at 54 Hagley Road which was too good to turn down.

“From initial contact to completion of the overall deal only took a few weeks and Mercia have been very accommodating and flexible in meeting our requirements. It’s a sound strategic move for RLF, raising our profile in the city and significantly improving our working environment in first class space in a landmark building on the Hagley Road.”
New owners of 54 Hagley Road, Mercia Real Estate Limited, is offering attractive terms to prospective occupiers and is demonstrating the benefits of being a flexible landlord, looking to maximise its assets and secure tenants in difficult trading conditions.

Mercia Real Estate Limited is an affiliate of US-based private equity firm, Westbrook Partners.

The refurbishment has created a stylish working and lifestyle environment that will satisfy the needs of companies that are anxious to recruit and retain quality staff.

54 Hagley Road now offers a bright vibrant new central reception area, air conditioning, six new lifts and suspended ceilings with LG7-compatible lighting, as well as open floor plates with carpeted raised floors, new toilets and showers, and improved disabled facilities.

The car parking ratio of 1:438 sq ft of office accommodation in surface, undercroft and multi-storey levels is also much better than available in other areas of Birmingham.

All this is complemented by views across a surprising amount of green space in Edgbaston which is one of Europe’s largest Urban Conservation areas. A wealth of amenities are also available with first class transport links including Five Ways train station, quality schools, Michelin star restaurants, historic beauty spots and first class sporting and leisure facilities.

Situated in the heart of Edgbaston’s commercial district bounded by Hagley, Harborne and Calthorpe Roads, the upgraded 54 Hagley Road will launch 100,000 sqft of Grade A office space onto the market.

The upgrade will double the current car parking ratio to one car space per 527 sqft of office accommodation in surface, underground and multi-storey car parks, four times the normal level in the City Centre. With vehicular and pedestrian access from both Hagley and Harborne Roads, and excellent local transport links 54 Hagley Road offers significant communication advantages to prospective tenants and their staff. The proposed Metro extension from Snow Hill would stop outside of the building.

The comprehensive refurbishment includes the installation of new air conditioning, six new lifts, new suspended ceilings and LG7 compatible lighting systems. The works will also provide clean open plan floor plates with carpeted raised floors, upgraded toilets and showers and improved disabled facilities.

One of the most striking new features will be a new double height fully glazed entrance, providing a central reception facility with WiFi enabled waiting area and coffee shop. Meeting rooms for hire by tenants will also be available.

A highly distinctive entrance canopy will provide a focal point for the building maximising visibility from Hagley Road. The mature landscaped setting of the building will be retained and enhanced.

An eye catching advertising campaign will emphasise how the building is evolving to meet modern occupier needs and will stand out from the crowd in an area starved of high quality office accommodation.

Jonathan Carmalt, the partner heading the Office Agency Team at King Sturge in Birmingham who is marketing the accommodation, says that the building can accommodate both single occupiers and multi-tenanted requirements. To the West of the reception 55,000 sqft can be occupied as a self contained prestigious headquarters by a single occupier. To the East, separate floors from 5,350 sqft will also be available in the part of the building already occupied by Yell and HSBC.

“At a quoting rent of £18.50 psf compared to prime City Centre rents of £30.00 psf, 54 Hagley Road represents excellent value to occupiers”, continued Carmalt. “With the recent arrival of the Big Lottery Fund in Edgbaston, major projects such as the planned redevelopment of Edgbaston Shopping Centre and the already first class sporting and leisure facilities on the doorstep, including Birmingham’s two Michelin starred restaurants, the area is being rediscovered as a prime office location”.

Ian Mashen of Capital & Counties added: “Capital & Counties is focused on meeting occupiers’ requirements. When 54 Hagley Road comes on stream next year the refurbished offices will provide Edgbaston’s best available office accommodation and we look forward to welcoming new occupiers to the building”.

54 Hagley Road’s show suite will be available for viewing from December.