Naylors appointed to market Vaux scheme
November 2016
Naylors’ office agency team has been appointed as joint agent on the forthcoming mixed-use Vaux scheme, by developers Siglion.
The 5.5 hectare Sunderland city centre site is being developed to provide office, retail, residential and leisure space in 19 separate buildings to create a flagship development.
Simon Taylor, director and head of office agency at Naylors said: “This is a fantastic appointment and one we are delighted to have won. There is very little new Grade A office development in the region and especially in city centre locations. Siglion plan to create something that Sunderland has never seen before which makes this a very exciting project for the city and everyone involved.”
In April Sunderland City Council granted outline planning permission for Siglion’s masterplan for the Vaux site, which provides an ambitious vision for active streets, shops, cafes and restaurants with public spaces providing superb views of the River Wear and Sunderland’s bridges.
Siglion chief executive, John Seager, said: “We are now in a position where we can begin works to breathe new life into the Vaux site, which has been empty for almost 17 years since the brewery closed. We have brought Naylors on board as joint agent alongside Knight Frank to work closely with us on the marketing of the scheme and to secure occupiers for the office buildings. There are already a number of companies on our radar and we anticipate this exciting development will attract many new companies to the city centre”.
A main component of the VAUX scheme will be the development of a number of high specification Grade A office buildings. Simon Taylor added: ‘The lack of Grade A office space in Sunderland has meant that for many years, companies have chosen other locations and not been able to consider Sunderland as a potential home. Office design has progressed significantly over the past 10 years alone, so we feel that office occupiers will see huge benefits on offer in the buildings that are being developing at VAUX in terms of energy efficiency, inspirational design and new ways of working.’
Architects Feilden Clegg Bradley have designed phase one of Vaux incorporating a new 60,000 sq ft office which will be completed in early 2018. Regionally-based architects Faulkner Brown have designed the 2nd and 3rd buildings which will follow shortly after.