Multiple regeneration companies have completed deals on more than 10,000 sq ft of workspace in the North West this month, including a new one with The Warehouse Project and Parklife Festival.

Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Advisor, founded both ventures. As they expand their team ahead of a packed-2022 schedule, the Warehouse Project has signed up for more Urban Splash space in Timber Wharf in Castlefield, adding to its existing offices at neighbouring Burton Place.

Speaking of the news Sacha said:

“The hospitality sector’s been on one hell of a journey in recent years, and I’ve made it my mission to give businesses a voice, ensuring that as and when we could get back to some form of normality, we would be able to do so. For 2022, that means safely returning to live events, giving performers, venues, and associated businesses a platform to help get them back on track.

“To support this, we are growing our team and moving into another Urban Splash building adjacent to our current base. I find we have a lot of synergy with Urban Splash and we are businesses with many shared values; we’re pleased to be welcoming more team members into the commercial community Urban Splash has nurtured in Castlefield.”

Musicians and performers

Urban Splash has long had a history of welcoming musicians and performers into its buildings, with Simply Red, 808 State, Cream and Manchester Jazz Festival among those who’ve operated from the company’s workspaces into its North West properties. Nathan Cornish is a director at the company and added: “Our buildings have been the platform for some great brands. I’m really pleased to be working with Sacha and his colleagues, supporting the next stage of their journey as we watch another of the city’s unique offerings flourish.”

Other deals completed in the past month include in Salford, where Urban Splash has welcomed Beaver Project Management to a 1,252 sq ft office in its refurbished Boat Shed – a riverside building offering new workspaces overlooking landscaped gardens within the commercial neighbourhood of Exchange Quay.

The company has also extended its relationship with Irwell House Artists’ Studios – a collective of 38 contemporary visual artists which has completed a new deal on 2,390 sq ft of space.

Nathan continued: “We’ve hit the ground running this year, already completing deals on 25,000 sq ft of workspace across the country since January.

“We’re definitely seeing people return to commercial buildings, and the added appeal of our portfolio is that we’ve always been flexible and always underpinned with great design. We are at our highest ever occupancy level of 97%, so the idea that that office is dead is simply not our experience.”

The nationwide Urban Splash commercial portfolio offers 1.2 million sq ft of workspace, ranging from offices, retail, leisure, gallery and industrial spaces.

The company offers occupiers monthly licenses to long term leases. It is also investing in refurbishments across its portfolio, including recently completed upgrades at Vanilla Factory and Tea Factory in Liverpool’s Ropewalks and investing in new space at 5 Richmond Street in Manchester’s Gay Village, where three floors of newly refurbished space are now on the market.