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competitive rentals and ample car parking
give St Mellons a major advantage over
other business park locations."
Huw Thomas of King Sturge, joint
agent for Fountain Court alongside DTZ
and Fletcher Morgan, said the
development epitomised the radical
transformation in the St Mellons Business
Park district in recent years.
"It has benefited from a core of
developers investing quite considerably
in the park, creating a number of new
and refurbished buildings which are the
equal of anything available in south
Wales currently," said Thomas.
John James of Fletcher Morgan,
added, "St Mellons Business Park has
re-emerged as a premier business park,
recapturing the reputation it gained
during its early years as the first purpose
built business park in Cardiff.
Fountain Court is a particularly
attractive option for tenants because
against a backdrop of escalating Grade
A rents in the city centre and elsewhere,
the £14.75 psf we are quoting is very is
competitive.
Equally, a freehold sale remains an
Fairway House, St Mellons Business Park, Cardiff
attractive option for any owner occupier
looking for a quality building."
the £3m new build of Fairway House at It further adds to the vibrancy of the
Rhys James of DTZ, added, "The area
our Paramount Business Park also in St area, which will continue to grow and
from the eastern outskirts of Cardiff
Mellons, the Linea project is a prosper as a result of the major ongoing
towards Newport is now firmly
demonstration of confidence in the city, investment we and others such as
established as arguably the leading out-
putting it in a position to compete Wingwest/Carlyle are making."
of-town office location in south east
successfully for new occupiers." Ian Parfitt of Hyder Consulting,
Wales and has attracted a number of
Fairway House overlooks the 18th a major occupier on the park, also
blue chip office occupiers in recent
fairway of St Mellons Golf and Country believes the region will continue to attract
months.
Club. quality tenants. "Tenants really
Fountain Court is a welcome addition
It extends to 17,891 sq ft, arranged appreciate the park's location. It is just a
to the office stock in the area, offering a
over two floors with two separate short hop from the motorway, just minutes
first-class work environment, excellent
entrances to provide flexibility. from Cardiff and Newport city centres,
access and plentiful car parking
High specification features of the and enjoys first class on-site facilities,"
provision," he said.
open-plan space include contemporary he said.
The offices have been designed by
interior finishes designed by Paramount John Worrall of Vinci, which recently
leading south Wales based architectural
Office Interiors. There is parking acquired Welsh construction group
practice Powell Dobson.
provision for 75 on-site spaces. Stradform, said his company had
St Mellons
It has brought to 65,000 sq ft Nigel's witnessed first hand the development of
property portfolio at Paramount Business the park.
Thanks to major new investment, St
Park, of which only 11,000 sq ft is not yet "We have been long-term occupiers
Mellons Business Park is rapidly
let. and a business closely involved in the
becoming the location of choice for
"The excellent transport links and area, not least by constructing Fountain
professional occupiers.
parking ratios we enjoy in St Mellons Court and refurbishing our existing
And no single development on the
combined with the quality of the buildings Fountain House offices," he said. "To an
site typifies the standard of investment
help provide office occupiers an extent we have therefore had a
at St Mellons Business Park than the
unbeatable product," adds Nigel. grandstand seat to view the park's
Linea scheme - Cardiff's largest single
"This is why we have a range of quality development."
speculative office building.
occupiers unmatched by any other major
The Linea development has
business location in south Wales."
transformed a 46,000 sq ft warehouse
Among major firms that have been
into a 75,000 sq ft two-storey grade A
attracted to St Mellons include WSP,
"St Mellons
building.
which has recently acquired 5,000 sq ft
Lambert Smith Hampton handled the
at £16 psf, Accelerate Technology which Business Park
£3m acquisition of the site by HSBC
now occupies 10,000 sq ft.
Specialist Investment's UK Active
They join the likes of IQE, Balfour
Property Fund (UK Active) and is being
Beatty, David McLean Homes, SHAW,
has again
jointly retained with Knight Frank to
Paramount Office Interiors, Vinci and
market the scheme to potential occupiers.
Quantum Pension Advisers. emerged as
The redevelopment work, to include
"The Linea development in particular
the largest single open plan floor plate in
epitomises what we are trying to achieve
the city, will cost £12m.
in St Mellons," adds Nigel. "It is extremely
a premier
Developer Nigel Roberts, who has
high quality office space, priced
pioneered the scheme, says, "Along with
affordably at £15.75 psf and benefiting
business park"
other speculative investments such as
from unsurpassed transport connections.
16 Property News August 2008
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