The OBI Difference concludes with the sale of Canada House – one of Manchester’s most iconic multi-let office buildings
01 May 2021
OBI is delighted to have advised on the recent investment sale of Canada House.
Having advised Kinrise on their purchase for £10.5 million in 2016, the sale of Canada House to Grosvenor is testament to the success of the OBI Difference.
The OBI Difference is our collaborative approach – bringing together the skills of our OBI team to include Interior Design, Building Consultancy, and Project Management, together with Office Agency and Capital Markets, to deliver exceptional results and service for our clients. Canada House now offers the best character workspace in the city and is a highly activated building with a community of likeminded occupiers.
It has been an incredible journey for OBI, using our in-house expertise to secure Listed Building Consent and sympathetically return Canada House to its former glory; restoring the building to be one of the most iconic, multi-let office buildings in the city. OBI’s unique approach to the restoration and transformation of this Art Nouveau-style office building has truly repositioned one of Manchester’s forgotten gems.
Joe Weilding says: “The OBI Difference is our unique approach which combines all of our skillsets. Within Canada House our workplace team have designed inspiring workspace that was sympathetic to the character of the building, and our building consultants applied their expertise, rising to the challenge of restoring one of Manchester’s most important Grade II Listed Buildings. The result is inspiring, and the building is now a place for modern industry to thrive. Occupancy levels now run above 95%, whilst rents have grown from £12.00 psf in 2016 to an established rental tone in excess of £28.00 psf”.
Scott Gemmell says: “It has been a privilege to represent Kinrise on the sale of this fantastic building. The strong association between landlord and tenants has made for a very smooth transaction. Whilst this represents the end of an era with Canada House for Kinrise, we are all incredibly proud of what we have collectively accomplished. Canada House is now perfectly positioned to prosper under its next chapter of ownership with Grosvenor”.
The sale of Canada House has confirmed the power of the OBI Difference. The close collaboration of our integrated teams delivering projects from acquisition to disposal.
Canada House provides 67,000 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation with an enviable tenant line-up.
It was a pleasure to work with Will Kennon and Mike Pochin at CBRE who advised the purchaser, Grosvenor.
Related articles
OBI is pleased to have advised on the sale of Queens Court
01 April 2026OBI is pleased to have advised on the sale of Queens Court, paving the way for a full repositioning of this 12,000 sq ft office building at Lincoln Square. The asset has been acquired by Seneca, who will now deliver an extensive refurbishment. With Manchester Credit Union as the current tenant, the building is ready […]
10 Years On: The Northern Quarter
01 April 2026In this “10 Years On” series, we’ll look at OBI blogs from a decade ago – what did we get right, what did we get wrong, how has the picture changed? First up, Will Lewis on the Northern Quarter’s appeal. As Will explains, the Northern Quarter had become something of an office destination by 2015, […]
The Wrap: OBI’s Take February 2026
26 March 2026Another month gone and 2026 is really kicking into gear now – I was lucky enough to attend the Brits at Co op Live, an incredible occasion crackling with Mancunian energy, really showing the city well on the world stage. And that’s not all that happened in February… Corporate deal of the month Tech firm […]