Willis Bond Celebrates Post-Covid Success With Bull Gully Building Official Opening

Leading New Zealand property developer Willis Bond, today celebrated the completion of its latest Wellington project, the Bell Gully Building, located on the waterfront site previously known as Site 9.

Officially opened by MP for Wellington Grant Robertson this morning, the Athfield Architect-designed building is the new home of major New Zealand law firm Bell Gully, international co-working provider Servcorp, real estate firm JLL, and The Eye Institute.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic hitting right in the middle of the project, the 3,800sqm base-isolated building was finished within weeks of its original completion date and was fully leased ahead of opening.

“Delivering a brand new, fully leased building post-pandemic is a testament to the strong demand for the right workspace in the right place,” says David McGuinness, Willis Bond’s Managing Director for Development.

“It’s also a major success story for the project team, contractor LT McGuinness and subcontractors, who moved mountains to keep the project on track despite the impacts of COVID-19,” says McGuinness.

McGuinness says that it’s evident that workspace needs are evolving, with businesses strongly focused on resilient, flexible spaces that attract talent.

“Safety features like base isolation continue to be a priority, but people also want spaces that are collaborative and worth leaving the comfort of home for,” he says.

As part of its offering, the Bell Gully building also boasts end-of-trip facilities and three retail spaces on its ground floor, with jeweller Polished Diamonds now trading, and the remaining restaurant and retail tenants due to move in between now and April 2023.

This new waterfront landmark forms part of the Willis Bond’s $200 million commitment to delivering future-fit workspace for the region, alongside its Blue Mountains Campus project in Upper Hutt and 110 Jervois Quay development in the central city.

Willis Bond’s commitment to future-fit office space continues in the CBD and the wider region

Located on the former Michael Fowler Centre car park, 110 Jervois Quay comprises 14,000sqm of leading-edge office space on a prime section of Jervois Quay with easy access to the CBD and waterfront.

The flexible building will be both a cultural hub for the new National Music Centre, and one of Wellington’s most connected and desirable new city office projects.

“110 Jervois Quay is located on one of the most strategically important sites in the city and we are committed to delivering a building that reflects this,” continues McGuinness.

Set in a unique park-like setting in Upper Hutt, Blue Mountains Campus is a resilient, sustainable, and amenity-rich 32,000sqm office campus set to be Government Property Group’s first regional hub, with both KiwiRail and MBIE confirmed as tenants.

Both Blue Mountains Campus and 110 Jervois Quay deliver very large, light, adaptable spaces, generous end-of-trip facilities for cyclists and runners, on-site café amenities for breaks and casual meetings and Green Star and NABERSNZ-rated premises.

Construction is now underway by LT McGuinness on Blue Mountains Campus with the first tenants set to move in mid-2023. Construction is set to commence on 110 Jervois Quay in early 2024, with completion due late 2026. Both spaces have commercial office and retail spaces available for lease.

“We wholeheartedly support Wellington and believe that this $200 million investment in future-fit workspaces will help contribute to the ongoing economic growth of the region,” concludes McGuinness.

About Willis Bond

Willis Bond has built its reputation as a trusted property development and investment company over the past 34 years. Our team is responsible for delivering high quality mixed-use developments across New Zealand, as well as managing several high value funds. In addition to capital invested for the long term in high quality property assets, Willis Bond has raised over $500 million in development capital in the past twelve years. Of this, $361 million has been committed to 26 development projects with an end value of $2.3 billion.

In partnership with our industry-leading consultants and contractors, we have led a number of award-winning projects including Chews Lane and Clyde Quay Wharf, both of which have won the Property Council, Property Industry Supreme Award, and the PwC Centre, which won the Supreme Award at the NZ Commercial Project Awards in 2019. In Auckland, our Wynyard Central development in Wynyard Quarter won the Sir Ian Athfield Award for Housing at the 2019 New Zealand Architecture Awards along with an Excellence Award at the Property Council, Property Industry Awards.

willisbond.co.nz

© Scoop Media