Rider Levett Bucknall has been awarded a 'hat-trick' of projects
by Opus Land reflecting the trend of green shoots activity in the
private sector marketplace, despite ongoing concerns regarding
availability of funding.
The property and construction consultancy has been appointed
project manager, quantity surveyors, employers agent, CDM
Co-ordinator and party wall surveyors to the ten acre Opus owned
site at Omega Park, previously home to engineering giant GKN.
Fronting onto Chester Road, close to Junction 6 of the M6, this
brownfield site will be redeveloped into a complimentary mix of
uses. Planning is due to be submitted this month (May) with
an anticipated start date in October 2010.
The second scheme is a 40,000 sq ft headquarters office pre-let
to Veolia Environmental Services at Kingswood Lakeside in Cannock,
Appointed as employer's agent and quantity surveyor, Rider Levett
Bucknall confirms that the building will be BREEAM Excellent and
start on site will begin in July with programmed completed for
April 2011.
Rider Levett Bucknall's role on its third appointment at Opus 40
as project manager, employer's agent, quantity surveyor and
planning supervisor during feasibility, design and construction
phases. Opus is redeveloping the park which comprises of 80,000 sq
ft refurbishment of existing office, 300,000 sq ft of new build
BREEAM excellent Grade A offices, set in 35 acres of mature
landscaping.
Mark Weaver, managing partner for Rider Levett Bucknall in
Birmingham said "There remains a lot of uncertainty about the pace
of activity levels in the marketplace during 2010 but I believe
that these appointments are a good indicator of the start of a slow
recovery.
"Much of course will be dependent on the new governments' policy
to reduce the budget deficit but we are most definitely seeing that
projects are currently being re-vitalised in an attempt to benefit
from current low tender prices."
Rider Levett Bucknall has been working with Opus Land for three
years at its Opus 40 site. Roles include assisting OPUS in securing
Telent as a tenant for a 8000m2 refurbished building, securing
Whitbread as a purchaser for a new Premier Travel Inn facility and
pursuing a planning permission for 25,400m2 of new offices.