Ridge letting takes Newcastle’s Citygate II to 100% occupancy
The Built-environment consultancy is relocating its North East team from The Spire on Pilgrim Street to a suite on the third floor of the 63,000 sq ft Gallowgate office.
Ridge has taken 1,582 sq ft, withKnight Frank completing the letting on behalf of landlord Topland Vintage, with Savills acting as joint agent. Knight Frank also project managed the fit-out works alongside brokering the letting.
Citygate II is located on St James Boulevard and was built in the early 2000s. Topland bought the office at the end of 2021 for £19m from REIT EPIC, which is managed by The Ediston Property Investment Co, which itself purchased the building in January 2016 for £18.95m.
The office provides 16 workstations, an eight-person meeting room, two video-call pods, a large kitchen and breakout space.
Ridge was able to move straight into the fitted accommodation, and the deal was completed in just over two months, from initial contact through to lease completion.
The Ridge deal completes a 7,000 sq ft leasing campaign on the south side of Citygate II’s third floor. International engineering group Jacobs took 5,000 sq ft at the building in October 2025.
Its occupiers include EY, while Grainger and UNW have recently restructured their respective leases to expiry dates in 2032 and 2034.
The wider City Gate area has also attracted significant occupier activity, with engineering and design consultancy Arup recently taking 20,000 sq ft at nearby City Gate I on a 15-year lease.
The latest deals underline the area’s position as an established office location in Newcastle city centre.
Steve Pope, group director at Topland, said: “We are delighted to complete our leasing activity at City Gate II and to welcome such great new occupiers in Ridge and Jacobs, to complement our roster of excellent tenants.”
Patrick Matheson, partner at Knight Frank, said: “This was a particularly positive transaction, not least because of the speed at which it came together.
“The letting highlights the continued appeal of high-spec, fitted and ready-to-occupy office accommodation, as businesses increasingly look for solutions that can provide greater cost certainty and reduce the time required to establish a new workplace.”
Paul Heron, partner at Ridge, comments: “Over the past 12 months, our Newcastle team has grown faster than anticipated, making it the right time to find a space that supports our continued expansion.
“It was important to us to create a workplace our team can be proud of while remaining close to our clients in the city centre. Our new office delivers both, providing the room we need to grow over the coming years from a prime location in the heart of Newcastle.”
