Rising to the Crossrail Challenge, Instant Offices Delivers Turn-key Flexible Office Space for 500 people in Central London
The Instant Offices Managed team was pleased to receive a brief in April 2007 from Cross London Rail Links (Crossrail), a 50/50 joint venture company formed by Transport for London (TfL) and the Department for Transport (DfT) to promote and develop a new railway route through London. At the time split across two locations in central London, this major transport body needed to consolidate its 300-strong staff under one roof. The solution had to allow for expansion of up to 500 workstations, offer highly flexible terms, and maintain low ongoing costs, while also ensuring that the project received Royal Assent.
The solution offered by Instant Offices Managed met all the client’s main drivers – location, consolidation, potential for expansion, budget and flexibility. Our team even assisted the client in back-filling its existing accommodation with another client, thereby driving costs down even further, and allowing the client out of its existing lease early. The consolidated space, which allowed for the requested further expansion space, was delivered in two tranches, on budget and on programme, allowing Crossrail to focus on its core objective of getting the bill through parliament.
Feedback from the client on the package delivered by the Instant Offices Group was immensely positive; highlighted as particular sources of satisfaction were the low ongoing costs of occupation and the flexibility of the deal.
Tina Bailey, Human Resources Director, said, "We had a highly challenging occupational brief, where we wished to find a property solution that gave us the flexibility of a two-years-term, while Crossrail focused on securing the necessary Parliamentary and Funding approvals required for this huge, landmark project to go ahead.
"Having been previously split across two sites in Victoria, with little or no room for further growth, our desire was to accommodate the existing 300 staff within a single location, while allowing for further rapid expansion of up to 500 staff in total. We also wished to keep tight budgetary control of all our costs and mitigate existing property liabilities. All this needed to be delivered within exacting timescales and a tight property market.
"The team at Instant Offices worked hard to ensure they understood our unique needs and came up with a turn-key, fully managed solution at Portland House in Victoria, which met all our key criteria. During our occupation in the building, they delivered a highly professional service."
Commenting on the deal, Paul Nellist, American Express Global Real Estate (Instant Offices’ landlord), said, "We leased 44,000 sq ft of office space to IOM within Portland House, Victoria and would willingly do further business with them. They are a very professional, able and proactive organisation which operates a very successful and efficient business model. Furthermore, they have an ‘A Class’ client list they can rely on as proof of the job they do. We have found them to be extremely efficient and timely from a fiscal perspective and have honoured all the obligations under the lease agreement they entered into with American Express. I have no hesitation in recommending them either as a client or tenant."
Landlord: American Express
Size: 44,000 sq. ft.
Term: 2 years