KWB Workplace relocates UK Athletics to new offices in Birmingham
UK Athletics, along with England Athletics, is about to move into its new offices at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium after signing a 10-year lease for 11,000 sq ft of office space in the new grandstand. The transaction, negotiated by office sales and lettings specialists KWB, is seen as a coup for the city, Birmingham City Council and the venue which faced stiff competition from the Olympics 2012 site in London. KWB worked in partnership with Birmingham City Council’s leisure department to overcome any hurdles and secure the prestigious office relocation in Birmingham.
UK Athletics is relocating its national headquarters from Blythe Valley Business Park offices in Solihull to the stadium in Perry Park as it prepares for the most important year in its history. It will move its 80 staff into a new suite of offices forming part of the venue’s £12.8 million grandstand completed by Thomas Vale. England Athletics will be leaving Birmingham International Park to move alongside UK Athletics, moving 20 staff to the site. The new Birmingham offices will become the focal point for the development of athletics in the UK.
UKA’s CEO Niels de Vos said: “We’ve enjoyed working with KWB throughout this process. Relocating the HQ offices of any organisation can be a complicated matter, and this is made all the more challenging as we approach the start of the Olympic year. As the governing body to the nation’s favourite Olympic sport, the expert commercial property advice from KWB has more than matched up to the standards we expect.”
KWB Workplace, operating alongside the KWB office agency team, assisted UKA in their search and evaluation of offices in Birmingham, after meeting the governing body’s representatives more than 12 months ago to discuss their needs. Retained to advise on the office space design and to coordinate the fit-out of UK Athletics’ new Birmingham offices, KWB Workplace conducted an initial feasibility study and cost analysis, reviewing the organisation’s requirements and calculating their office space needs. Following the negotiation of budget costings with Birmingham City Council, KWB Workplace is project managing the complete office relocation, including the fit-out and furniture elements of the scheme.
Adrian Southall, managing director of KWB Workplace, said: “We worked alongside our office agency colleagues to assist UK Athletics in their search and evaluation process for premises. By utilising our office relocation services and purchasing power, combined with our knowledge of specifications, we have helped them make substantial savings on the fit-out of their new Birmingham offices, so they have been able to make the most of the £205,000 capital contribution grant from Birmingham City Council.”
The UKA and England Athletics finance director, Kevan Taylor, consulted KWB throughout the Birmingham office relocation process. He said: “In business and in sport, it’s important to work as a team. We were therefore delighted with the winning combination of support and expert office relocation advice we received from KWB and their personable approach. We are now looking forward to an exciting new era for UK Athletics as we prepare for the 2012 Olympic Games.”
