THE BUSINESS DESK

Property           

4 March 2020
                     
By Miran Rahman

WSB and JLL, as retained agents for the landlord, have let office space at the Leeds Old School building to management information system provider Arbor Education. 

Prominently located next to Millennium Square, on the corner of Calverley Street and Great George Street, Old School is the former home of the Leeds School Board. It has undergone a sympathetic refurbishment to provide contemporary workspace retaining many of the building’s original features.

Arbor will occupy the second floor of the Grade II listed building, joining existing occupiers Shift Commerce and Assembly Underground. The first floor is still available in the newly refurbished 15,000 sq ft property.

The Commercial Property team at Blacks Solicitors advised and supported Arbor on taking the five-year lease for office space after it was recommended by WSB.

Alasdair McInnes, asset manager for the landlord, said: “We are delighted to welcome Arbor to Old School. Arbor is a leading education technology company, and is a perfect fit for the building given its historical use.”

Maggie Wright, finance director at Arbor Education, added: “As a mission-driven education technology company, we’re excited to be moving into the Old School – it feels like a very fitting space to be our new home in Leeds.”

The London-based business has had offices in Leeds since 2017, and continues to grow its team there. Arbor works with 1,000 schools across England, including primary schools, secondary schools and Multi-Academy Trusts.

Duncan Senior at letting agents WSB said: “The building has been re-designed to deliver a creative workspace for inventive thinkers. We believe Old School offers one of the most exciting environments within the city for creative businesses.”

Nick Dyson, head of commercial property at Blacks, said: “It has been a real pleasure supporting Arbor Education and helping it expand into a new space right in the heart of the city. 

“Old School is a stunningly refurbished and listed building, and its prominent position opposite the Town Hall is a perfect place to continue the expansion into the education and technology sectors of Leeds.”