Law firm moves to The Beam
Richard Reed Solicitors is taking 5,000 sq ft at Riverside Sunderland’s inaugural building, joining tenants Ocado, North East Screen, Apexon, and Asset55.
Naylors Gavin Black and Knight Frank were the agents on the deal.
The firm is relocating from its Frederick Street base, where it has been for almost 80 years, and will be moving in by the end of the year following a fit-out.
The Beam provides 60,000 sq ft of grade A office space and was the first completed building in the wider Riverside Sunderland development.
Richard Reed is undergoing a rebranding exercise to modernise the firm, hence the move to more modern office space.
It is the latest firm to relocate to Riverside Sunderland, a development that will double the resident population of the city centre from 2,500 to 5,000 and create up to 10,000 new jobs, after Just Eat announced it was taking 18,000 sq ft at the nearby Maker building earlier this summer.
The building stands alongside City Hall, Maker & Faber, and The Yard, and is close to Sheepfolds Stables, The Botanist, The Flower Café.
Managing director Sarah Reid said: “We are proudly Sunderland-based, so this move to The Beam allows us to stay in the city we were established in, in a space we can be proud to welcome our clients – right at the heart of Riverside Sunderland.
“The whole area is transforming, and we were focused on finding a space in this part of the city, where the business could thrive in an environment that reflects the modern, dynamic business we are today.”
Cllr Kevin Johnston, portfolio holder for housing, regeneration and business at Sunderland City Council, said: “Riverside Sunderland is a world-class development and it’s no surprise to see more and more ambitious firms relocating there, to be part of what is fast establishing itself as the most vibrant and exciting urban quarter in the North East.
“We’re thrilled that an indigenous firm, that has grown here, is going to make The Beam its new home.”
