Bruntwood SciTech completes £3m refurbishment of Alderley Park’s Mereside Atrium

Bruntwood SciTech has finished a £3 million revamp of the Mereside Atrium on the Alderley Park campus.

The company describes itself as the UK's biggest property platform focused on growth in tech, innovation and the sciences.

The project is part of its continuing work to adapt Alderley Park to what today's science, technology and innovation companies need. The main element is four new premium office suites in the Mereside building, all with a private terrace looking out over Radnor Mere, alongside upgraded common areas across the building and an improved food and drink offer.

The atrium works have also delivered new collaboration spaces designed around the way modern businesses operate. Refurbishing the atrium and the public realm around it has improved the campus's capacity to host events and support collaboration between customers.

The revamped atrium gives visitors a better arrival experience and gives the Mereside community a new focal point. The flexible space will host events across the campus and to encourage interaction between businesses, and customers can also book it for private events.

New lettings

Bruntwood SciTech said the investment in workspace and amenities is already feeding through into lettings. New arrivals and expansions across Mereside and nearby campus buildings total nearly 19,000 sq ft, covering both incoming companies and existing occupiers taking more space.

Clinical-stage biotechnology company Redx Pharma has taken 4,000 sq ft on the campus ahead of its planned merger with Skye Bioscience, which is US-based and listed on Nasdaq. The deal is expected to create Fibrx Therapeutics, backed by approximately $125 million of committed financing to develop its pipeline of treatments for fibrotic diseases.

Although the move gives Redx a smaller footprint, the combined business intends to keep its headquarters at Alderley Park.

Other new names joining the park include biostatistical clinical research organisation Plus Projects, which will take 1,500 sq ft, and Word on the Street Group, a specialist property finance broker, which has taken 1,000 sq ft.

Technology solutions provider Chess ICT has taken more than 4,000 sq ft, while Childsey, a marketing growth agency, has taken 620 sq ft. The agency supports businesses with strategy, digital marketing, web development and creative work.

Alderley Park houses more than 250 businesses in sectors including life sciences, biotech, gaming, beauty tech and professional services, spread across 1 million sq ft of high specification offices and labs.

Mark Julian, associate director at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “The North West has built one of the UK’s most compelling business ecosystems, with world-class research, scientific expertise, a deep pool of talent and ambitious businesses from a wide range of sectors all within close reach.”

He added that Alderley Park plays an important part in that by giving companies the settings they need to grow while keeping them linked to investors, innovators, universities and hospitals across the region.

“But what increasingly matters to scaling businesses is that they’re not put in a position where they have to choose between specialist facilities and being part of a thriving community,” Julian said. “The investment in Mereside delivers on a philosophy that is all about offering and strengthening both.

“We’re creating better spaces for people to meet, collaborate and build relationships, alongside the high-quality workspace needed to attract the best talent and enable businesses to thrive. Seeing new companies choose Alderley Park while existing customers expand here is a strong indication that this combination is resonating.”