Transaction Agreed With Independent Bank Sees Express Building Fully Let

The Express Building in Ancoats, Manchester has achieved full occupancy following the completion of a 23,000 sq ft transaction on the final two floors to DF Capital, a specialist savings and commercial lending bank, under a 10-year lease agreement.

DF Capital, which provides award-winning commercial finance solutions and savings products to consumers and small businesses, are currently the first and only independent bank to have its headquarters based in Manchester. The team of 130 were previously located on Oxford Street before the move.

Originally built in 1939, for the Daily Express newspaper, the restoration of the grade II* listed Express Building was completed in 2019 and now boasts over 77,500 sq ft of contemporary workspace. Whittington are current owners of the building.

OBI, represented the landlord Wittington Property (Investments) Ltd on the transaction. Other businesses occupying the building include cyber security firm, Novacoast, co-working brand, Huckletree, and VF Corporation, who use the space as showrooms for brands including Vans, The North Face and Timberland.

Richard Lace, Transactions and Asset Management, said: “The Express Building is a Manchester landmark and the calibre of names now occupying the building reflects the quality of the space Wittington have provided and the iconic nature of the building. I am pleased to see we have created a dynamic mix of tech, fashion, digital and creative companies, which was always the vision when we set out this repositioning back in 2019.”