A CITY centre office building that was earmarked for a development of 103 one bed flats has been taken on by an international workplace provider.
1 Godwin Street, the headquarters for Vanquis, was recently vacated when the company moved to smaller office space in a neighbouring building.
There had been plans to convert the huge, Grade A office building into flats – and the property was put on the market last year.
It is now owned by Nice Leisure, and this week it was revealed that International Workplace Group has taken on space in the building.
The company will be opening flexible office space there later this month under its Regus brand. Regus will take 20,000sqft of the eight-storey building, including the top floor. Five further floors, each of 17,000sqft, will be offered to growing tenants.
The company said: “This new location is part of a drive by International Workplace Group to meet the sharply rising demand for top class flexible working space in the area.
“Set to open in January, the eight-storey building will provide space for established firms and start-ups across a range of industries, while International Workplace Group’s Design Your Own Office service allows companies to tailor their space entirely to their requirements.
“The new Regus location will include facilities including private offices, meeting rooms, co-working and creative spaces.”
Regus currently has space in Saltaire.
Mark Dixon, CEO & Founder of International Workplace Group PLC, said: “We are establishing a stronger and much-needed footprint in West Yorkshire with this latest opening.
“As an important business hub, Bradford is a fantastic place for us to boost our expansion plans. We are very pleased to work in partnership with Nice Leisure to develop the Regus brand under a management agreement that will add a cutting-edge workspace to their building.”
Nick Payne of Nice Leisure said: “Our purchase of 1 Godwin Street was a very strategic investment into a city with huge growth potential and a vast number of hi-tech and growing businesses.
“To secure a partnership with Regus is part of that strategy and will allow us to offer the very best office space, with parking, in the city.
“Our focus is to offer revival space to that seen in other cities at an attractive price point.
“The aim is to attract local and regional growing companies of any size who want to reflect who they are by the quality of their office space.”
When the plans to convert the building into flats were first revealed in 2024, there were concerns that the loss of such a huge office building could harm the city centre.
After hearing the building will remain with an office use, Si Cunningham, Chair of Bradford Civic Society, said: “It’s encouraging to see that this prominent office space will retain a commercial function, and having a national operator signed up is a real vote of confidence in Bradford.
“There’s a lot of big regeneration projects getting off the ground nearby this year, not least the demolition of Kirkgate, so it’s really important that momentum is continuing elsewhere.
“Hopefully this will lead to more interest from the commercial office sector.”
