FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
North West-based property company, FI Real Estate Management (FIREM), has launched a new flagship office development in central London following a £3 million refurbishment programme.
18 King William Street, located next to the new Bank Station entrance and Monument tube, is a prominent, seven-storey building occupying a prime position at the junction of King William Street and Cannon Street.
While representing the Chorley-based company’s launch into the London office market, the building joins FIREM’s existing £1.2 billion worth of assets across the UK. This portfolio comprises more than 10m sq ft of property and land with plans to build a further 6.5m sq ft in the pipeline.
Managing Director, Tim Knowles, who founded FI Real Estate Management (FIREM) in 1982, said: “18 King William Street represents a huge statement of ambition to make our presence known in the capital and expand our UK-wide portfolio. We are driven by a determination to stay ahead of the curve in terms of what businesses need from their space, and our investment strategy ensures that the evolving needs of businesses are met with the highest quality developments. The resoundingly positive response to our newly-refurbished 18 King William Street development is a mark of the many months of master planning and refurbishment work that has created something truly special for the London market.”
An anchor tenant has already been secured, with one of the UK’s leading providers of flexible office space taking occupancy of the whole building. FigFlex London will be the largest FigFlex centre to-date, providing 900 work spaces for freelancers and new start ups to multinational companies across 50,000 sq ft.
Ryan Barber, Asset Manager at FI Real Estate Management, added: “How companies utilise office space has changed significantly in the last 24 months and we are investing in our portfolio to respond to these changes. Our anchor tenant at 18 King William Street has already reached more than 67 per cent occupancy, which is proof of the huge demand for high quality, flexible, coworking space with unrivalled customer service in a prime location.”
With the current economic crisis resulting in higher prices and more of a squeeze on resources, FMs need to ensure that they have robust building and maintenance services in place to control costs and reduce the need for emergency repairs. When it comes to drainage and plumbing there are also the challenges of dealing with extreme weather, from droughts to flooding, the need to meet stringent regulations and to avoid causing environmental damage.
UK drainage specialist, Metro Rod, has launched a survey which explores the main areas of interest for FMs in maintaining drainage and plumbing, including how they currently assess their supply chains to ensure they’re working with partners that meet the highest possible standards and provide value for money.
The results will be published online so that you can see how you compare to others within the sector.
The survey should take just 5-10 minutes of your time, and as a thank you, you will be entered into a prize draw, where one lucky winner will be picked at random to receive a £100 Amazon voucher.
To take part click here.
