Record office rent in Hudson Quarter, York

RNS Number : 3981C

Palace Capital PLC

10 February 2020

 

10 February 2020

Palace Capital PLC

("Palace Capital" or the "Company")

Palace sets record office rent in York with Hudson Quarter pre-let

Palace Capital (LSE: PCA) the Main Market listed REIT that has a diversified portfolio of UK commercial real estate in selected locations outside London, announces that it has set a record office rent in York City with the completion of a pre-let agreement with solicitors firm Knights LLP ("Knights"), part of Knights plc, at its flagship Hudson Quarter mixed-use development. It marks the first commercial agreement at Hudson Quarter, which is due to complete in the first quarter of 2021 and where 30% of the residential units are already sold or under offer.

Knights is taking 4,588 sq ft of ground floor office space on a 10 year lease at £12.50 per sq ft  for the first two years, after which point the rent will rise to £25.00 per sq ft, marking a record office rent for the City of York, with an upward only rent review at five years. 

Until the completion of Hudson Quarter, Palace is accommodating Knights at its newly refurbished office space at nearby Museum Street where they have taken occupation of 3,100 sq ft and where it has signed a two year lease, also at £25 per sq ft, with a break option after one year. 

Hudson Quarter, which is located within the walls of the City of York, will eventually comprise four separate buildings. A total of 127 apartments will be delivered in three of the blocks, which will be named Victoria, Waverley and Kings, in a nod to York's railway heritage. The offices being let  to Knights comprises all of the commercial space available in the Victoria building.  Waverley and Kings will be entirely residential, while the fourth building, to be known as HQ, will provide a further c.35,000 sq ft of grade A office space.

Commenting on the letting, Neil Sinclair Chief Executive of Palace Capital plc said: "To have completed our first commercial pre-let a full year ahead of Hudson Quarter's completion and at the same time setting a new rental tone for York is very pleasing. Moreover, our ability to secure this lease while accommodating Knights at our other asset in the City of York in the interim is testimony to our asset management skills and ability to manage occupier needs across our portfolio.

This is the first time in more than 10 years that new, grade A speculative office space is being offered into the York market, where supply is very tight alongside growing demand, and we are seeing strong appetite for the remainder of the office space we have on offer."

For further information please contact:

PALACE CAPITAL PLC

Neil Sinclair, Chief Executive

Stephen Silvester, Finance Director

Tel. [phone]

Broker

Numis Securities

Heraclis Economides / George Fry

Tel: [phone]

Broker

Arden Partners plc

Corporate Finance: Paul Shackleton / Ciaran Walsh / Daniel Gee-Summons

Corporate Broking: James Reed-Daunter

Tel: [phone]

Financial PR

FTI Consulting

Claire Turvey / Methuselah Tanyanyiwa

Tel: [phone]

[e-mail]

About Palace Capital plc (www.palacecapitalplc.com)

Palace Capital plc (LSE: PCA) is a UK REIT that has a £275.8 million diversified portfolio of UK regional commercial property. The Company maintains a disciplined investment strategy focused on towns and cities outside of London that are characterised by thriving local economies and strengthening fundamentals. Within those locations the highly experienced management team select assets that provide opportunities to drive both capital value and long-term rental income through tailored active asset management programmes ultimately delivering attractive shareholder returns.

www.palacecapitalplc.com

 

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