Commercial Property: M8 upgrade puts Eurocentral in the fast lane

Construction group Balfour Beatty has agreed a lease on 43,600sq ft at Maxim Office Park at Eurocentral, in what is the biggest out-of-town business park deal in the West of Scotland in the last year.

Maxim 7 benefits from Eurocentrals improved transport links

The firm has taken space across three levels in the Maxim 7 building on a ten-year lease as part of its “Build to Last” transformation programme, which was launched two years ago in a bid to return the business to profit after a £199 million loss in 2015.

The move sees the consolidation of seven Balfour Beatty offices at locations including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Shotts into one regional centre at Maxim.

Fit-out works have recently completed and staff are currently taking occupation.

Eurocentral’s location, just off the new M8, with its improved transport links, makes it particularly attractive to companies.

Craig Ritchie from Maxim Office Park said:“I’m sure [Balfour Beatty] will benefit from Maxim 7’s modern and environmentally efficient working environment.

“Now it is open, the upgraded M8 is having a major positive impact on the businesses along the motorway corridor and beyond, cutting up to 20 minutes off the Glasgow to Edinburgh journey.

“The excellent accessibility the central Scotland road network provides and the public transport offering at Maxim – the park is serviced by over 130 buses a day – is making the decision to relocate to Maxim easy for businesses.”

This year Maxim Office Park will be home to over 1,200 employees, working for more than 25 companies and the wider Eurocentral area is expected to employ 5,000 people by the middle of this year.

Another benefit for tenants is the growing number of on-site amenities, which include a children’s nursery, hotel, hairdressers and a fitness and beauty suite. The park is also close to the Glasgow Fort M8 shopping centre.

Balfour Beatty’s new home occupies a prime location on the south side of the long, landscaped boulevard in the park.

Incorporating dramatic entranceways and a sky-lit atrium, Maxim 7 has quiet outdoor courtyards and seating spaces which can be enjoyed by the firm’s employees and guests.

According to Balfour Beatty, the move will bring together a number of business units and enable functions to be in one place, significantly reducing the cost of its Scottish office footprint.

Cushman & Wakefield and Ryden represented Maxim Office Park in the deal, while CBRE acted for the tenant.

Alistair Urquhart, associate director at CBRE, said: “Maxim 7 is a fantastic building so I am thrilled Balfour Beatty has chosen it as it consolidates its operations in Scotland.

“We’d been helping the team to explore opportunities in central Scotland for some time and when we viewed Maxim the team was impressed, not only with the flexible and adaptable nature of the space but also by the fact it is located in the very heart of the Central Belt, right on the new M8 which makes Maxim a unique proposition for businesses.”

Balfour Beatty joins a growing number of organisations operating from the park including SEPA, Arran Aromatics, TC BioPharm, Allied Glass, the Digital Health and Care Institute and Proact UK.