The Company acquired Boulton House, which comprises 75,000 sq ft of multi-let offices, in August 2016 for £10.6 million and the passing rents at that time were between £11.50 & £14.00 per sq ft. Palace Capital subsequently embarked on a scheme of refurbishment on the common parts and 18,000 sq ft of vacant offices and this was completed in February of this year.
The Company has now let 5,200 sq ft on the 7th floor to The Broome & Wellington Group on a 10-year lease with a rent review and mutual option to determine at the end of the 5th year. Palace Capital will receive a rental income of £52,333 per annum over the first 18 months, rising to £100,915 per annum thereafter, until the rent review and mutual break at the end of the fifth year. This equates to a headline rent of £17.25 per sq ft per annum.
Neil Sinclair, the Chief Executive of Palace Capital, commented: “We are delighted with this letting to the Broome & Wellington Group. We pressed ahead with the refurbishment as we had confidence in the resilience of the Central Manchester office market. We have received considerable interest in the remainder of the vacant space, comprising 12,800 sq ft, including a number of inspections by prospective tenants.”