In a sign of continuing life in Aberdeen’s new-build office market in challenging times for the oil and gas industry, work is about to start on new speculative space at a business park in Cove.
Muir Group said the 14,000sq ft of office accommodation and warehousing at its Aberdeen Gateway development was likely to be finished by spring.
It is the latest addition to Aberdeen Gateway, where 30 acres have already been developed in the first phase of a project which kicked off with a land purchase nine years ago.
Construction work on the business park got under way in 2007, leading to 11 new buildings, with a total of about 500,000sq ft of office and industrial space, with a combined end value of £87million.
Fife-based Muir is currently advertising a two-storey 20,000sq ft office building as available for immediate entry and “offering significant cost savings to the occupant”, thanks to relatively low rates. It is being marketed at £20 per sq ft.
Plans for a second phase of the park have already seen another 40 acres of adjoining land purchased in advance, with at least a further 40 to follow.
Muir’s current housing projects across Scotland include its Blairs “village” development at Blairs Estate on Royal Deeside and The Grange at Laurencekirk.
Group chairman John Muir said: “The Muir story continues in Aberdeen, where we are in the midst of a number of longer term ventures which are in many ways leading quality on housing at Blairs and employment lifestyle at the Gateway.
“The Gateway is no ordinary business park for us. It has taken several years to get to the point we are at now.
“We are taking a slow and painstaking approach to everything to ensure that our new buildings fit and match their surroundings, with solid service connections being made.”
Mr Muir said the full benefits of the firm’s north-east projects to the local economy would “not be apparent for a few years”.
But he added: “We remain confident that urban planners will see that our developments are clear leads in quality housing and employment provision.”
The challenge currently facing Aberdeen Gateway – home to firms including Total, Cameron, Hydrasun, National Oilwell Varco, Oil States and Ensco – was to keep the market moving by highlighting its flexibility to suit firms of all sizes, he said.
