StepSpace launches first site in Belfast's Centre House following £3m investment

Developed to bridge the gap between co-working office space and the traditional city centre office letting, StepSpace represents an initial committed investment of £3 million by Causeway Asset Management.

Offering an alternative to the traditional five or ten year lease, an ongoing membership at StepSpace entitles companies to private office space set around a communal core as well as a range of operational and support services.

In addition, StepSpace provides dedicated business support services for its tenant companies in terms of recruiting talent, signposting of funding and navigating grants, as well as a host of other serviced office facilities and amenities.

Created to serve companies on a rapid growth trajectory, the project forms part of Causeway Asset Management’s Future-Fit concept; a user first approach to office development that’s already being rolled out across its portfolio and as part of the current redevelopment of 56,000sqft at Chichester House in the centre of Belfast.

StepSpace has already filled over 50% of the 80 desks available.

Whitespace, headquartered in London and run by successful tech entrepreneur Andrew McCartney, is set to take a 20 desk office from early July, with another local high growth tech company currently finalising a 30 desk membership.

“StepSpace is user led; we can convert a 10-desk office to a 15 or 20-desk office in the space of a weekend to meet the needs of our occupiers,” said manager Ann Trueman.

“The collaborative core at the heart of the venture gives our members all the benefits of a co-working space, combined with the privacy requirements of a scaling business.

“Add to that, the fact that there’s no long lease, and that we provide a range of operational and business support, StepSpace is unlike anything that Belfast has seen in the office market to date.

“We’re offering the best of all worlds for businesses who want to concentrate on what matters, namely growing their business.”

Danielle Hanvey, asset manager at Causeway Asset Management, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the interest in StepSpace, Centre House – 50 percent occupancy pre-launch is a demonstration of the existing demand and bodes well for the future success of the brand.”