Thank you for your interest in this story
To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
06
Mar
Landmark Harrogate office block opens doors after major redevelopment
One of Harrogate town centre’s most prominent office blocks will officially open its doors today, following a £7.5 million overhaul.
Copthall Bridge House stood vacant for more than six years and was bought by Leeds-based serviced office firm Workwell two years ago.
It has spent most of the time since then behind hoardings while work was being carried out, led by Harrogate construction firm HACS.
Workwell stripped the building back to the concrete before replacing all the windows with double glazing, insulating it throughout, and adding solar panels on the roof.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret ahead of the opening, Oliver Corrigan, managing director of Workwell, said:
It’s been a challenging project. I just thought it was a fantastic spot to bring some great workspace to Harrogate.
Getting the feel right is hard from a set of plans. So we’ve had to change things along the way, and any delays have been because we’ve been making sure we get everything perfect.
The town centre really lacks grade-A flexible office space. There are some good office spaces, but not many modern, flexible spaces like this one.
The reception area.
The building incorporates office space for between 40 and 60 companies, as well as breakout spaces, meeting rooms, soundproofed booths for private phone conversations, and 'Zoom pods' (for Zoom calls).
On the ground floor, four wellness rooms will provide a Peleton, treadmill, free weights, treatment room, shower facilities and a room set aside for nursing mothers and/or prayer.
Asked what aspect of the new development he was most proud of, Mr Corrigan said:
When people walk in and go ‘wow – I wasn’t expecting this’. We get that across our portfolio.
It’s not just about the building – it's how it makes you feel. It’s a bit like the difference between a house and a home.
The building’s redevelopment flies in the face of a common opinion that the market for such office space has peaked. In the wake of the covid pandemic, working from home has become far more common, and many town centre office buildings have been converted for residential use.
How the new-look building looks from the rear.
Asked if there was still demand for this kind of development, Mr Corrigan said:
The straight answer is ‘yes’. Landlords used to have a monopoly on leased office space, but that often doesn’t represent a good solution for smaller companies.
Covid has made office space align more with what companies actually want. Now that people have working from home as an option, office space has to give them something else and make them more productive than they are at home. It has to provide more value than it did pre-covid.
One of the offices.
So far, the three-floor property has four tenants: Harrogate-based tech company Mobile Tornado, leadership coaching firm Primeast, Danish publishing tech company Chronos Hub, and tipping software company Grateful. A fifth, UK wealth management firm Evelyn Partners, is moving in this week.
Copthall Bridge is one of three office developments owned by Workwell. The other two are Carrwood Park and Brookfield Park, both between Leeds and Garforth.
The Harrogate building's reopening was previously set for November, but was delayed by four months until today (March 6).
Redevelopment of Copthall Bridge House reduced traffic over Station Bridge to a single lane. The bottleneck was initially due to finish by April 2024 but ended up lasting 10 months longer. The road was fully reopened just 10 days ago.
0