BT is to open a major hub in Bristol city centre in one of the largest pre-let office deals ever agreed in the city.
In a sign of the strength of the market – and a lack of supply – the telecoms group has agreed to occupy 201,000 sq ft of premium office space as the sole tenant in an 11-storey tower on the Assembly Bristol mixed-use scheme on Temple Way. 
Construction work on the 11-storey tower, pictured, will not finish until next year, with staff relocating there in 2021.
It has agreed a 20-year lease on the building – one of Bristol’s largest office blocks when it is completed – with site developer AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets.
The Assembly Bristol site on Temple Way has been vacant since 2008 when the former Clerical Medical HQ was demolished. AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets is developing the scheme on behalf of clients, with Bell Hammer retained as development manager.
The BT tower is expected to be completed next year with the first staff set to move in the following year. Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.
Bristol city centre has been struggling with a lack of new prime office space for several years – a situation that has pushed up rents by double-digit amounts over the past two years.
BT managing director of property and facilities services Graeme Paton said the group had been searching for a modern workspace in central Bristol as part of its The Better Workplace Programme.
The office will be the base for thousands of BT staff working across the region. 
“In Assembly I’m pleased to say we have found it,” he said. “We were impressed with the flexibility and environmental credentials of the building, as well as its ideal location close to public transport links.
“We’re now beginning work on planning for our first colleagues to move in towards the end of 2021.”
In total, Assembly Bristol will create up to 300,000 sq ft of office and retail space. Construction work on the building pre-let to BT started in February. A planning application for buildings of 28,000 sq ft and 90,000 sq ft are to be submitted early next year.
Designed by architects AHMM, the scheme will bring a new type of building to Bristol as it will include multiple uses with a range of flexible office spaces for local and global businesses in the services, creative, consultancy, financial, media and technology sectors.
Significant emphasis will be placed on sustainability and occupier wellness, according to developers AXA IM – Real Assets and Bell Hammer. 
They are targeting BREEAM Excellent, WELL enabled and WiredScore Platinum and are working closely with foldable bike firm Brompton to provide a new public hire docking station.
There will also be a new waterfront public space capable of hosting a rolling programme of events, and a floating harbour pontoon walkway to improve pedestrian links between Temple Meads station, Cabot Circus and Castle Park.
AXA IM – Real Assets UK director of development Harry Bad ham added: “Assembly Bristol represents the best of our experience developing new workspaces and BT’s decision to choose this development under its UK-wide better workplace programme is both a strong endorsement of this approach and the latest demonstration of a major corporate recognising the importance of staff wellbeing as part of its corporate narrative.
“We committed wholescale to Bristol when we acquired this site in 2015 and have worked hand in hand with both Bristol City Council and our excellent design team to create productive, future-ready workplaces for all business sectors.
“We took the full construction and leasing risk at a time of wider political and economic uncertainty because of our belief in the strength of the local authority, the product we are creating and the location.”
JLL acted for BT and Savills for AXA IM – Real Assets. Savills and JLL are joint letting agents for the project.
