Scotland

Knight Property Group

Knight Property Group, a successful Aberdeen-based property developer, was formed in 1987 and specialise in commercial, business and industrial developments.

The firm work predominantly in the north east of Scotland, however over the years they have undertaken projects in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The company develop many business parks in the region as there is big demand for office space, especially in the oil, gas and energy sector. We caught up with Howard Crawshaw, Director at Knight Property Group, to find out more about the company and their recent projects:

“We build what people want and have a high quality product as well; we pride ourselves on establishing good working relationships with contractors and architects. We tend to use the same businesses as we feel it is important to support local businesses and work with people who know and understand us.”

Knight Property Group have worked on a plethora of projects since their inception and Howard gave us the lowdown of their most recent and ongoing developments. The company are currently working on the redevelopment of the Capitol Theatre, situated on Union Street in Aberdeen.

Knight’s purchased the site in September 2013 and gained planning consent in the same month. Demolition works began in January 2014 and are due to complete in May; after this section of the programme is completed the new build works will commence.

The site used to hold Capitol theatre but more recently has been home to a variety of nightclubs; after these venues went bust the building has remained disused and in a fairly dilapidated state. The new building will span seven storeys and comprise an array of office space; below the building five levels of basement car parking space will be installed.

The £30 million project is estimated to be complete by November 2015 and comprises the skills of Keppie Design Ltd, Andrew Cowie Construction and Knight Property Group. The site, which will contain seven floors of open plan, flexible office space, is very well located and has great transport links with the rest of the city. It is set to regenerate the top end of the main shopping thoroughfare, Union Street, in Aberdeen as well.

Knight Property Group is also working on the development of an office pavilion block at City View Business Park, located in Altens outside of Aberdeen city centre. The development is a joint venture with M & G Investments, a real estate firm, and the seven month project is estimated to be completed by December this year.

Knight have previously constructed three office pavilions on the site which have all been let to AMEC; one of the world’s leading engineering, project management and consultancy companies. Knight now have consent to construct a final pavilion in the park. Space Solutions architects and Andrew Cowie Construction are the crucial in the design and construction of the £25 million three storey office block.

Knight Property Group are currently involved in an ongoing development at Kings Hill Business Park in West Hill in the west end of Aberdeen, around six miles from the city centre. The property developer has previously constructed four office pavilions on the popular site, with a total investment value of £15 million, two of which are already occupied.

The Group are soon to build a further two office pavilions on the site starting in June 2014 and have also just applied for planning permission for a further five office blocks on the site. Space Solutions and Andrew Cowie Construction continue to play a crucial role with Knight’s developments, including this project.

Howard Crawshaw, Director at Knight Property Group, told us more about another of the firm’s projects. The firm have recently bought Site Six at Minto Commercial Park, which they already own numerous sites on, and are in the process of constructing a two storey office building with a warehouse attached to the rear of the property.

The industrial development is due to complete by the end of May 2015 and has been pre let HSP Limited who specialise in the production of specialist valves for the oil industry. This £3 million development is the last plot at Minto Commercial Park; works have been undertaken by Bancon Construction and Space Solutions.

With regards to Knight property Group’s ongoing success, Howard said:

“We are a small, close knit, family owned business and we are very hands on in every project we undertake. We employ a team of dedicated professionals and pride ourselves on delivering projects to a high specification on time and in budget.

In the future we plan to continue developing in Aberdeen as we know the market very well; we are however keen to develop in Glasgow and Edinburgh, or wherever the opportunities arise.”

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Roma Publications