THE Student Loans Company (SLC) has agreed a 20-year lease for a new 75,000-square-foot headquarter office for up to 1100 staff at the Buchanan Wharf development in Glasgow.
SLC’s new HQ will be in the final building at the massive Tradeston site which is being developed by Drum Property Group. Detailed planning permission for the building was given earlier this year.
It is also home to the Barclays state-of-the-art Northern Europe Campus, which is nearing completion, and an 18-storey, 324-apartment residential complex for Legal & General, due to be finished next year.
Buchanan Wharf is one of Scotland’s biggest ever development projects — when complete it will encompass more than a million square feet of prime Grade A office space, residential accommodation, local amenities and landscaped public spaces.
SLC will work with the Government Property Agency to facilitate the co-location of up to 600 civil servants as part of the UK Government Hubs Programme.
The UK Government’s presence in Glasgow is also expected to significantly increase with hundreds of Civil Service jobs relocating over the next few years as part of the Places for Growth initiative.
Graeme Bone, group managing director of Drum Property Group, said: “This deal represents the final piece of the Buchanan Wharf jigsaw, and we are delighted to have secured a tenant of the stature of the Student Loans Company in such a challenging market.
“The office complex will complete one of Scotland’s largest and most important commercial and residential development projects. With prime office space plus an exciting mix of homes, local amenities and open public spaces, Buchanan Wharf will be a stimulating and attractive environment in which to work, live and to visit.
“It has transformed this neglected part of the waterfront, once again placing the River Clyde at the heart of the city’s economic and cultural regeneration.”
Paula Sussex, chief executive of the Student Loans Company, added: “This is a fantastic and timely opportunity for SLC as we continue to transform the company to become a modern, responsive and sustainable organisation.
“This purpose-built office at Buchanan Wharf allows the Student Loans Company to shape a new office experience that optimises opportunities for collaboration and supports future ways of working, enabling us to deliver an outstanding experience to all our customers across the UK.”
