£10m redevelopment of flagship Leeds office building

Opus North and Fiera Real Estate (“FRE UK”) are pleased to announce the practical completion of their £10m redevelopment of 12 King Street, the landmark Leeds city centre office building. The property, built in 1989 and spanning seven floors has been transformed by Opus North and FRE UK into a flagship office building, providing 54,000 sq. ft of best-in-class Grade A office space.

The building was acquired by Opus North and FRE UK having identified an acute shortage of premium office space in one of the UK’s major regional markets. The site was purchased through FRE UK’s opportunity fund, which recently completed its final close at £180m.

The radical transformation includes a striking new facade, a complete replacement of the fifth and sixth floors, along with the addition of a sky lounge which offers a unique communal space- for occupants, a state-of-the-art cycle spa and extensive roof terraces. All mechanical and electrical elements of the building have been replaced.

The redevelopment has achieved a 14% reduction in carbon emissions, 29% less energy consumption for heating and cooling, and 42% less water consumption. The scheme has been awarded with a BREEAM Excellent rating, the second most prestigious score available, which will place it in the top 10% of buildings for best practice.

Alongside its market-leading sustainability credentials, the Grade A property boasts cutting-edge ‘smart’ building technology and has just received a Wired Score Platinum rating. Smart sensors will also aid fresh air management, ensuring that occupiers enjoy access to clean air.

To reduce the need for additional lighting, the building features floor-ceiling glazing to allow natural light to flood the spaces, as well as having auto-detection lighting heating and cooling systems throughout the building. Smart parking and EV charging points have been installed in the car park, alongside enhanced cycle storage, to encourage the use of greener modes of transport. Wellbeing sits at the heart of the 12 King Street redesign, and the new fitout ticks every post-Covid box.

Andrew Duncan, managing director of Opus North commented “We have created the post Covid-19 contemporary workspace in the heart of Leeds, where technology, open spaces, roof gardens, fresh air management, combined with an exemplary approach to customer service, ensuring that we are the best-in-class office product in the city.”

“We have challenged our design team of market-leading consultants to innovate and think outside to box to ensure we’re not just ploughing the same old furrow and doing what’s been done before. We have embraced the current climate, rolled with the changes and now we are launching the future of the post-pandemic workplace.”

Chris Button, fund manager at FRE UK commented “12 King Street not only brings much needed sustainable Grade A office space to the Leeds central business district, but it also demonstrates our commitment to delivering properties that are fit for the future, combining high quality finishes with cutting edge technology.”

Eamon Fox, partner with global property consultancy Knight Frank in Leeds, who are marketing 12 King Street, commented: “12 King Street is simply one of the finest buildings to come on to the Leeds office market in the past couple of years and it is the only office building currently available in the heart of Leeds central business district. This is an office truly fit for the demands and aspirations of the 21st century.”