The developer behind a new office and industrial park on the outskirts of Aberdeen has kicked off the new year by securing its first major tenant.
Niche oilfield service company ALS Oil and Gas, signed a 15-year lease for a 13,735 square feet office and laboratory facility at Westpark, which is next to the Kinellar roundabout on the A96 Aberdeen-Inverness road at Blackburn.
Employing 13,000 people in 55 countries, Australian stock exchange-listed ALS provides analytical and technical services to the global energy industry.
Its expertise covers rock sampling and evaluation, specialist well services and downhole drilling.
ALS expect to take possession of the two-storey office and workshop facility by April and will bring together under the one roof its Omega Well Monitoring and Wellvention divisions, relocating current operations from their respective Dyce and Kinellar locations.
Site owner Westpark Property Investments (WPI) has already received a number of expressions of interest in a second, identical building with 4,735sq ft of office space, a 9,000sq ft workshop and 1,558sq ft yard.
The four-acre Westpark site, which at one time was earmarked as a potential headquarters for the former Grampian fire and rescue service, also has planning consent for a large office building of about 20,000sq ft or three separate office units of approximately 7,000sq ft each.
On completion, around 200 people could be based at Westpark.
The site is expected to benefit from easy access to the new Aberdeen bypass road and represents a £10million capital investment by the developer.
WPI director Neal Still said it was also attractive to potential tenants because of its mid-point location between Inverurie or other expanding north-east market towns and Aberdeen.
In addition, prospective tenants will have good transport links to Dyce, Bridge of Don and nearby Westhill.
Mr Still said: “ALS Oil and Gas is a global concern and its decision to relocate two of their prominent Aberdeen businesses is a significant pointer to the desirability of Westpark as the ideal location for successful enterprises.
“The second office/industrial unit has already attracted a good bit of interest and once a deal is secured we would hope to have it constructed and the new tenants in-situ within a six month timeframe.
“The site will be completed with the construction of three two-storey office blocks but we have the option of a single 20,000sq ft facility if there proves to be market interest.”
He added: “While there is undoubtedly concern in the oil and gas industry over the oil price situation, forward thinking businesses have to plan five to 10 years ahead.
“We don’t see the current crisis impacting heavily on the completion of what is our first major office-industrial project.”
Westpark is being marketed by Aberdeen and Glasgow commercial property firm FG Burnett.