BT Group has marked a key milestone in the development of its multi-million-pound new home in Sheffield, as the state-of-the-art building was formally handed over from developer, Scarborough Group International (SGI).
The tech and telecommunications firm celebrated the latest phase of construction of its Endeavour building, which will serve as its new South Yorkshire base, alongside representatives from SGI and Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire.
Delegates gathered at the seven-storey, 65,000 sq ft office building to hold a hand-over ceremony, marking the completion of the building’s structure and preparing it for the next phase of its development.
BT Group will now progress the fit-out and kit-out of the building to prepare to welcome staff next year.
Endeavour forms part of BT Group’s Better Workplace Programme, one of the largest workplace improvement and consolidation schemes of its type ever undertaken in the UK.
Sheffield joins other key locations including Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, and Glasgow in undergoing a workplace transformation under the Programme. It also follows the multi-million-pound refurbishments of BT Group’s contact centres across the UK, including its site in nearby Doncaster.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “It’s great to see businesses like BT expanding their base here in South Yorkshire, not only creating a brilliant working environment for their teams but redeveloping a key site in Sheffield City Centre, too.
“The Endeavor building is located within South Yorkshire’s Investment Zone – the first to launch in the UK. It’s a really exciting time for our region as we work to make South Yorkshire the best place to start, scale or relocate businesses, and I’m glad BT are going to remain a part of it.”
Brent Mathews, property director at BT Group, said: “This investment demonstrates BT Group’s continued commitment to Sheffield and Yorkshire, which remains central to our long-term plans.
“Our Better Workplace Programme is about modernising the spaces where our colleagues work and giving them buildings and facilities they can be proud of.
“The handover ceremony is a key landmark in our journey towards opening this state-of-the-art building for our colleagues in the region, and we look forward to opening the doors to them next year.”
BT Group will take up all floors in the 65,000 sq ft building.
The state-of-the-art Endeavour building is the final phase of the acclaimed Sheffield Digital Campus and will allow colleagues to collaborate and to work more efficiently, helping to boost the service it provides to customers.
Adam Varley, development director at SGI, said: “Our decision to proceed with the speculative development of Endeavour in the midst of the pandemic was driven by our confidence that the building would have a meaningful impact on the wider city, stimulating the creation of new jobs and driving economic growth; a decision that was later rewarded having secured BT Group.
“Throughout the construction of the building, we worked collaboratively with BT Group’s Property team to ensure that it fully aligned with their ambitions to create a truly unique and innovative workplace and we’re delighted to officially welcome them to their new home so that they can start their fit-out process.”
