A NEW £8 million Belfast city centre office block is set to become the best connected in the city after being awarded a leading industry certification.
Chichester House is the first office space in Northern Ireland to receive a Platinum rating by WiredScore, the internationally recognised commercial real estate rating scheme for digital connectivity.
The news comes after the eight-storey development became the first in the north to adopt Wired Certification in early 2018.
The project by Causeway Asset Management represents an overall investment of £8m and work on the refurbishment and development of the scheme is on target to be completed in late 2019.
Chichester House will bring 46,000 sq ft of Grade A office space and 5,000 sq ft of modern retail space to Belfast’s central business district following a full redevelopment of the building’s existing six storeys, an extension to the rear and the addition of two new floors.
Wired Certification enables agents and tenants to find accurate and detailed information about a building’s digital infrastructure and gives landlords an independent means of improving and promoting their buildings’ capabilities in a transparent way.
Damian Mitchell, director at Causeway Asset Management said the WiredScore certification is a way to help attract FDI to Northern Ireland.
“We have worked tirelessly with WiredScore throughout the development of Chichester House to ensure that we are offering the best connectivity possible to put Belfast office space on a par with other international tech and financial hubs," he said.
“Our ‘Future-Fit Space’ concept puts digital connectivity and technological building advancements at the forefront of building design and partnering first with Wiredscore in Belfast has been a significant part of our drive to lead the market in terms of innovation and implementation of new and emerging technologies into our buildings."
“It is the type of information WiredScore provides that foreign direct investors require when considering whether to invest in Northern Ireland as opposed other worldwide competing cities. Until now it hasn’t been easy for letting agents and tenants to find accurate and detailed information about a building’s digital infrastructure.
However, Wired Certification empowers us to understand, improve and benchmark whilst ensuring greater transparency both in the Belfast office market and when comparing our offer to all other Wired Certified buildings in the world," Mr Mitchell added.
William Newton, president and EMEA managing director at WiredScore believes digital connectivity is now a crucial factor for businesses looking to move into new office space
"With the increasing popularity of Belfast as an office location which is attracting both local and international companies, we’re pleased to work with forward-thinking landlords like Causeway Asset Management," he said.
"They’ve demonstrated their commitment to providing superior connectivity and a robust digital infrastructure at Chichester House, by being the first in Belfast to engage with WiredScore, and have ensured it meets the increasing demands of today’s occupiers now and in the future.”
There are more than 1,700 Wired certified buildings globally; totaling 500 million square feet of office space in over 158 cities, including New York, London, Toronto, Paris, and Berlin.
