Channel 4 set to move into former nightclub building Majestic in Leeds
Channel 4 is in advanced talks to move its national headquarters into the Majestic building in Leeds city centre.
The broadcaster said it is in negotiations with real estate firm Rushbond to lease 25,000 square feet of office space over three floors in the former cinema and nightclub.
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Last year Channel 4 announced it would move its national headquarters from Horseferry Road in Westminster to Leeds in a bid to improve its regional offering and attract talent from across the UK. The public service broadcaster successfully resisted attempts by government to make it move its entire operations out of the capital.
The company has also earmarked locations in Glasgow and Bristol to serve as so-called creative hubs.
Chief commercial officer Jonathan Allan said: “Leeds offered a wealth of potential locations for our national headquarters, but the Majestic really stood out as an iconic building which will put Channel 4 at the heart of the city centre.
“It’s an incredibly impressive redevelopment and offers the right mix of location, connectivity and space for our organisation and great facilities for our staff and our partners in the industry.”
CBRE is leading negotiations on behalf of the broadcaster, which will move a range of departments, including its news operations, into the building.
Separately, Channel 4 is agreeing terms to move staff into temporary offices in the city, with plans to move staff there from September.
The Majestic building was built in 1922 as a cinema, restaurant and ballroom. It was later transformed into a nightclub, named Majestyk, which served as the inspiration for the Kaiser Chiefs song ‘I Predict A Riot’.
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The building was ravaged by a fire in 2014 and is currently undergoing transformation into office space by Rushbond.
Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “The Majestic building is an iconic Leeds landmark, and will be a fantastic location for Channel 4 when they make their move to the city.”