Leading North East commercial developer and landlord, Kirtley Co., is reflecting on an action-packed six months.
As landlords of commercial spaces across the North East, Kirtley Co. has been busy welcoming new tenants to warehouses, offices and storage facilities.
Wild Fire, a popular Sunderland-based pizza restaurant, has moved into the former Hanover Place pub in Deptford. Started during lockdown by Roker local Josh Wild, the restaurant has gone from strength to strength, beginning as a pop-up in the Winter Gardens before moving into their own premises earlier this year. The new site has also afforded Josh and the team the chance to offer a booking system for customers, as well as increase their menu to include starters, desserts and a carefully-curated drinks list from their new bar area.
Elsewhere, Staff Power has moved into the historic Chambers following a £150,000 renovation of the former nightclub. The ground floor office space, located within Mackie’s Corner, boasts over 6000 sq ft of space. Originally opening as a nightclub and brasserie in 1987, Chambers played host to memorable evenings for thousands of Wearside residents. The building had originally opened in 1851 as a legal chambers and has been restored to accommodate a modern workforce whilst retaining many of the original features.
Anthony Hudson, Managing Director of recruitment firm Staff Power Group commented on the firm’s recent move into Mackie’s Corner: “The moving process went very smoothly and Alex and Toni went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed.
“We have been made to feel really welcome by the other tenants in the building, which has had a fantastic renovation and is a great building in which to set up our base.
“I am looking forward to the future in our new premises.”
Graham Davison, who recently founded Self Store North East at a commercial unit in Peterlee, commented on the process of becoming a Kirtley Co. tenant: “After a few months working with Toni and Alex at Kirtley Co., on the 1st of April 2024 myself and my wife founded Self Store North East and were handed the keys to a 10,000 sq.ft. commercial unit compromising 100 internal storage units varying in size from 12-250 sq.ft. at the Kirtley Co. Peterlee site. We chose this site due to its accessibility from major trunk roads and the feeling of community within the secure compound. We have welcomed a few new tenants to our storage units who were visiting the amazing GC Kitchen and Grill on site.
“We chose to work with Kirtley Co. due to the values they hold the company to. As a new family business, it gives us peace of mind that Kirtley Co. is also a family business and understands the needs of a new enterprise with no prior experience. We have previously worked closely with Jill and Henry before they “retired” and now Alex and Toni, passing on valuable knowledge from over 20 years running a storage business. Alex and Toni have helped me with branding, accounts and advice. Without the Kirtley family we wouldn’t have gotten off the ground and become as successful as we are.”
Innovative flooring company, InstaFlor, has also moved into new Kirtley Co. premises at their Leechmere site. The company, which specialises in gym and sports flooring, has set up shop in one of Leechmere’s 16 commercial units alongside businesses that offer services such as salon supplies, home improvements and an opticians.
Tracey Smith, of Instaflor, said: “The whole experience was effortless from start to finish. Alex and Toni were extremely helpful right from the beginning and ensured that we could quickly get into the unit. Nothing was too much trouble and their advice was invaluable.
“Our new Unit has ample space for our business to grow and it was a great advantage to be able to make alterations inside to suit our needs.”
Mackie’s Corner, home to independent shops and businesses, has seen change over the last six months with new tenants welcomed to the upper levels and over 1200 visitors per week to the shops and businesses that call the site home.
Director of Kirtley Co., Alex Kirtley, said: “Our shopfront units have undergone some recent renovations and size changes to open up new opportunities for smaller retail/hospitality businesses. We have said goodbye to some tenants recently. Sometimes as a landlord you do have to make difficult decisions in the best interest of your development. We are excited to announce our next two F&B tenants who will be opening their sites at the end of July.
“The two ground floor units coming to market this month are the perfect location for any independent businesses who are keen to be surrounded by five established retail and hospitality tenants. With exposed brick walls, large, curved display windows and fully fitted furnishings, the 600-1500 sq.ft. space is full of potential.”
2024 has proved to be a successful year to date for Alex, Toni and the Kirtley Co. team. To learn more about Kirtley Co., visit www.kirtleyco.uk
