Wake Smith villa sold to developer

The former Wake Smith offices on Clarkehouse Road were snapped up by Primesite UK.

The Woodseats property developer is considering possible uses for the building, which was also once the headquarters of Bassett Foods.

Primesite managing director Scott Hinchliffe said: “There can’t be many people in the city who haven’t seen this building by driving past it or on a visit to the Botanical Gardens.

“It has a fantastic heritage and is a true landmark to the west of the city centre. We’re currently discussing a range of opportunities but at the heart of all of them will be respect for the building and its history.”

The building was sold by a group of former Wake Smith partners.

It was marketed by Crosthwaite Commercial last year with a price guide in excess of £1 million and following a ‘best offers’ situation, it was sold to Primesite for more than the asking price.

Selling agent, Martin Crosthwaite, said: “This is a very imposing building in a highly sought-after area close to the western suburbs and we received a lot of interest from both owner-occupiers and developers.”

Wake Smith has moved into two floors in Velocity V1 Tower on Tenter Street. The firm, which employs 100, also closed an office on Campo Lane.

It hired commercial interior design and fit-out specialist Structural Interiors to create areas for meetings, interviews and a boardroom.