First tenant for Cardiff Bay’s green flagship office scheme
23 November 2009
FLAGSHIP Cardiff Bay office development 3 Assembly Square has secured its first tenant, it was announced yesterday.
M&A Solicitors is moving into the Grade A Aviva Investor- owned 66,215 sq ft office building at Britannia Quay.
The specialist legal firm is taking 8,000 sq ft on a 10-year lease for a rent of £21 per sq ft and will move from its current location in the centre of Cardiff just before Christmas.
M&A Solicitors has been involved in many high-profile projects in
Recent years, including advising Cardiff City Football Club on its new
Stadium development and acting for rugby union’s regions on its player sharing arrangements with the Welsh Rugby Union.
As well as providing specialist transaction services, M&A Solicitors has strong public sector, construction, commercial and litigation practices.
M&A Solicitors is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the move to 3 Assembly Square. It has grown in a decade to 11 partners and a staff of more than 40.
The firm will be joined in its move by Midas People Management, a director-level human resources company, which is associated with the firm.
Stephen Berry, managing partner at M&A Solicitors, said: “The move to 3 Assembly Square follows our success in the commercial legal market and sets us up for the next phase of our development.
“We have a top-quality portfolio of clients who are all very loyal to M&A Solicitors and are located throughout the United Kingdom. We are excited by the move to Cardiff Bay and see this as a good opportunity to build on our relationships with the Wales Assembly Government and other public sector bodies in Wales.”
Knight Frank and Cooke and Arkwright are joint agents for Cardiff Waterside.
Rhydian Morris of Knight Frank said: “It is a very strong statement for Cardiff Waterside to secure one of Wales’ leading solicitor firms as the first tenant at 3 Assembly Square.
“The high-quality Breeam Excellent building, waterfront location and close-by amenities including an on-site multi-storey car park were instrumental in M&A Solicitors relocating to the bay.”
The building was completed in July and designed by architects Scott Brownrigg and sustainability consultants Arup, with an emphasis on environmental sustainability.
Eco-features, including a biomass boiler, chilled beams and rainwater harvesting, have seen the building achieve the prestigious environmental stamp of Breeam Excellent.
The green technologies and systems will also reduce energy, water, maintenance and replacement running costs by up to 50% against a comparable building.
The offices also boast a highly-innovative design, with timber louvers, feature exterior glazing and a full-height atrium with staircase and lifts, designed to provide tenants with panoramic views over the city.
Ben Bolton of Cooke and Arkwright said: “Despite the current economic conditions, there remains a flight to quality buildings among tenants.
“With its waterfront location, easy accessibility and great amenities, 3 Assembly Square offers the best Grade A space available in the capital at the moment, and we’re confident it’ll continue to attract businesses and organisations looking to make a statement.”
Cardiff Waterside comprises over 500,000 sq ft of contemporary office space encompassed in a selection of eight flexible offices at the cutting edge of design. Planning consent has been granted for another 500,000 sq ft.
Oct 16 2009 by Aled Blake, Western Mail