Scottish Property Awards: final finalists announced

Fiona Morton is chair of the judges. Picture: John Young

With just two weeks to go until the fourth annual commercial property awards, the finalists in the top three categories have been announced by Fiona Morton, chair of the judging panel.

In Rising Star of the year, sponsored by Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers, four fast-growing high-performing businesses have made the selection.

Edinburgh-based property agent IME Property is up against residential and commercial developer Stone Acre, Reeder Ness, the developer start-up which has completed projects across Scotland and Glasgow-based Whitecross Building Consultancy, the chartered building surveyor. All have been registered as businesses in the last five years.

The ultimate award of the night, Property Company of the Year, sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland, will be presented to one of the following five finalists: Drum Property Group, HFD Group, Hub South East, Knight Property Group, London Scottish Investments and Quartermile.

While the judges make the decisions on those two categories, in the third it is the audience at the glittering prize ceremony who will vote for the winner. The Deal of the Year is judged on a range of criteria including complexity, risk, value and size and six deals have made the final cut.

Demand for places at the awards event is strong this year following the record number of entries in the competition which assessed over 40 commercial developments across Scotland.

The Scottish Property Awards will be presented by BBC Scotland news anchor Catriona Shearer and Scottish comedian and broadcaster, Des Clarke.

To book tickets for the Scottish Property Awards on 2 March at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange, contact [email protected] or visit www.scottishpropertyawards.co.uk to complete a booking form.

The final finalists:

Rising Star, sponsored by Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers

IME Property; Reeder Ness; Stone Acre; Whitecross Building Consultancy.

Scottish Property Company sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland

Drum Property Group; HFD Group; Hub South East; Knight Property Group; London Scottish Investments; Quartermile.

PMP Deal of the Year

– Dandara and LaSalle Investment Management. Forbes Place, Aberdeen. Scotland’s first institutionally-funded build-to-rent development. It has 292 apartments and 16 townhouses on a 5.5 acre site in the Stoneywood Estate and will complete in Q2 this year. Dandara/LaSalle Investment Management. Deal team: Dandara/LaSalle Investment Management.

– HFD Property Group. Pre Let, Waterloo Street, Glasgow. The 155,000sq ft is pre-let to Morgan Stanley at 122 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, part of the Bothwell Exchange. Deal team: HFD Group/Morgan Stanley/Bank of Scotland/CBRE/Pinsent Masons/Brodies.

– HFD Property Group, EcoCampus, Hamilton. The UKs first carbon neutral speculative development, the EcoCampus at Hamilton International Technology Park is three buildings of 225,000sqft and linked by a “street atrium.” Deal team: HFD Group/Knight Frank/CBRE/Pinsent Masons.

– City of Edinburgh Council, Atria. The sale of Atria for £105 million to German investment company Deka Immobilien reflected a yield of 5.35 per cent and brought an effective exit for the council following this innovative investment. Deal team: JLL/City of Edinburgh Council/Montagu Evans/Shepherd & Wedderburn/Savills/HBJ Gateley.

– Sale of Quartermile 4, Edinburgh. This £68 million sale to clients of TRIUVA marked the end of this highly successful development which was 100 per cent pre-let prior to practical completion. The proceeds have enabled the speculative development of Quartermile 3, now underway. Deal team: JLL/M&G Real Estate/ Maclay Murray Spens/CBRE/HBJ Gateley/Montagu Evans/Brodies.

– Edrington office lease, Glasgow. Office lease acquisition of the top four floors of 100 Queen Street, Glasgow, marked the opening of the firm’s new international HQ and the relocation of 140 staff into Glasgow city centre from Perth. Dealteam: Edrington/Mark Allen/Knight Frank/Esson Properties.