Aviva Investors has changed the agency line up at The Blade, its landmark office tower in the centre of Reading. Following an agency pitch last week the agents advising on the 110,000 sq ft 14-storey block are now Knight Frank, which has been retained, alongside Bray Fox Smith and Haslams. Cushman & Wakefield and Parkinson Holt have been replaced.
The building, which Aviva developed with PMB Holdings, launched in 2009. Around 35,000 sq ft is now occupied.
Tenants are: Hays Recruitment and Roc Search, the UK research outsourcing firm, which occupy 11,095 sq ft between them across part sixth and seventh floors; Kaplan Financial, the educational firm which signed for 14,000 sq ft on the ground and first floors in October 2009; Urban Science, which occupies 8,200 sq ft on the 12th floor; and Megabyte.
Recent rents have been at around £29 per sq ft.
The building offers floors of 8,190 sq ft with the capability to sub-divide to suites of 2,350 sq ft.
Julian Cobourne, asset manager at Aviva Investors, said: “There is a lot of interest in the building at present as the market improves and we felt it was time for a new push and a change in the marketing provision.”
Emma Goodford, head of South East offices at Knight Frank, said: “The Blade is a fantastic building that is experiencing increased interest as tenants are becoming increasingly prepared to sign up for the best-in quality.”
Source: P Norman, Costar
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Neil Seager
BSc (Hons) MRICS