Huckletree has fully pre-let 11,500 sq ft of flexible office space at the Grade II listed Express Building in Manchester.
The workspace operator has secured deals with the likes of global business transformation company Valtech and social media disruptor Chatloop. Huckletree already operates 30,000 sq ft of co-working space at the building and only took three months to let the additional space.
Chris Daplyn, managing director at Valtech, said: “Our working practices have changed dramatically since Covid. The flexible office is now what suits our ways of working best. We’ve been located in this vibrant and historic Ancoats district of Manchester for seven years now, and wanted to stay close to the area. Huckletree’s Ancoats hub was the perfect fit for us. The location, amenities, flexibility and welcoming environment were exactly what we were hoping for in our new space.”
Gabriela Hersham, CEO and co-founder at Huckletree, said: “What we’re seeing is a strong vote of confidence in what we offer, backed by the speed with which our extended offering at Huckletree Ancoats reached 100% pre-let and the household names we have attracted. Manchester’s fundamentals have always attracted us, and we look forward to continuing to be a member of its community, and investing further in the future.”
Patrick Kennedy, UK flexible workplace specialist at Colliers, added: “Since coming out of the pandemic, we’ve witnessed a significant uplift of occupiers across all sizes and sectors seeking space in flex, co-working and hybrid offices. This is in addition to the sustained demand for conventional office space, for which take-up in Manchester has continued to increase, particularly within those buildings deemed ‘best-in-class’. Manchester in particular is fast becoming a tech and digital hub.
“Flexible operators, particularly industry leaders like Huckletree, are now viewed as a way of creating the right mix of tenant amenity in an asset. There is strong demand from co-working operators to acquire new locations as they are aware that during the current times, companies and potential occupiers are concerned about the macro-economic conditions and future uncertainty, as demonstrated by Huckletree’s expansion and success.”
