Public realm in Reading’s Station Hill scheme will be focussed on artisan and independent operators and could include a high-end gym.
Tom Fletcher, director of Hatch Real Estate which is marketing One Station Hill, described the scheme to delegates at UK Property Forums Reading round table event on July 12.
He told the meeting: “There is a very strong strategy to create a condensed hub of artisan, independent retail, leisure and food & beverage within Station Hill.
“We are not looking to compete with The Oracle, we are looking to create something special and new for Reading, which I think will help attract inward investment from companies and people in London who want this sort of new style of leisure – maybe new style gyms.
“We have an abundance of budget gyms in Reading. We could do with something a bit higher end and we could do with some different kinds of restaurants.”
He said the 275,000 sq ft One Station Hill office scheme will be best-in-class space designed to be flexible. Floors will have ‘soft spots’ where stairs can be installed for tenants who have more than one floor.
Hatch is talking to corporate occupiers who are already in Reading but Mr Fletcher said many occupiers are seeking flexibility so the first and second floors will be for flexible space, let to a serviced office provider.
“That is key because we are speaking to many occupiers who want to move to a core and flex model, whereby the want to take less space because they are not using as much office space,” he said.
“But they want the ability to flex, to ebb and flow over time, depending on how things change in the environment so they want to be able to lean on that flex space provider. That will probably be our first letting and that will probably be a partner letting because they will be a key part of the offer at Station Hill.”
M&E in the ceilings will not be provided. Instead a contribution will be made to occupiers to do their own, rather than install equipment which might be removed by occupiers.
Hatch has provided us some 3D views around Station Hill. Click below to view.
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