Cooke & Arkwright
News
Major new letting at Eastern Business Park
29/09/04
International construction group Laing O’Rourke has signed up to the Eastern Business Park office scheme in Cardiff. The firm is taking 9,000 sq ft at the Robert Hitchins owned development and former Hyder operation at St Mellons
Chris Haslam of Robert Hitchins said that 80% of the office space at Eastern Business Park was now committed. “We are delighted that this latest major deal has been completed,” he said. “This marks the turning point for our investment at the Park. The calibre of an occupier like Laing O’Rourke adds considerable credibility to an already powerful tenant profile on the Park. We are delighted that the introduction of the tenant services onsite has been recognised by occupiers and are determined to let the remaining 35,000 sq ft of space before Christmas.”
Cooke & Arkwright, joint letting agents for Eastern Business Park with King Sturge and Knight Frank, said that the site had been refurbished to a very high standard. The on-site facilities, which include a restaurant, gym, nursery and conference centres, had been instrumental in attracting key corporations to establish their headquarters there.
Laing O’Rourke is also expanding from Newport where it has a base at South Dock. Its new offices at Eastern Business Park provide accommodation for its team of regional construction staff and staff from the recently acquired Crown House Technologies. The company employs around 9,000 people in the UK and over 310 in Wales and the West. Major projects in Wales have included the Second Severn Crossing, St David’s Hotel and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The current Laing O’Rourke portfolio includes the building of a £76m super hanger at St Athan, known as Project Red Dragon, as well as the construction of the £27m Altolusso residential building in Cardiff city centre. A project to build The First Children’s Hospital for Wales at the Heath hospital in Cardiff is nearing completion and work is due to commence on a new £45m residential development with Redrow in Cardiff Bay.