In the space of what seems like a relatively short period, MRP has expanded its development across Belfast and beyond into the rest of the UK.
It files as a limited company but is part of the overall McAleer & Rushe group – one of our largest construction businesses.
McAleer & Rushe’s property arm focuses on development and investment and has offices in London, Belfast and Cookstown.
It’s headed by McAleer & Rushe stalwart Stephen Surphlis, as its managing director.
MRP Land Ltd is one of the firm’s limited companies, which is registered in Northern Ireland, and comes in at the number 92 spot in the Ulster Business Top 100 Northern Ireland Companies 2024, in association with KPMG.
It says it now specialises in the development of high-quality buildings within the office, hotel, residential and student accommodation sectors.
In Belfast, it’s been behind the flagship Ewart building on Bedford Street – now home to Deloitte a soon a range of other firms.
“The company reports occupier demand has remained constant within its core focus areas of commercial office, purpose built student accommodation, hotel and residential sectors, notwithstanding challenges in securing investor support for new developments against a backdrop of higher construction and borrowing costs and softening values,” Stephen Surphlis, managing director, told Ulster Business.
“However, activity is expected to improve towards the end of 2024/early 2025 with the benefit of lower inflation and the prospect of reducing interest rates.”
The Ewart was a sizeable restoration and modernisation development – bringing back the original 1870 listed building into use, along with the construction of a 17-storey tower at the rear.
Elsewhere in the city, there were originally plans to develop the site of the former Norwich Union House into a 230,000 sq ft office scheme, including retail, restaurants and cafes, which would see the original structure knocked down to make way for a six-storey building.
But now, ES NUH Ltd – which is a development company linked with Co Tyrone’s McAleer and Rushe – now wants to knock the existing building down to make way for student accommodation.
Norwich Union House, located between Castle Street and Fountain Street, was initially due to be developed to make way for a mixed-use scheme to include a hotel.
An application to develop the site as a £60m office scheme was approved in 2020.
That could include retail, gym and cinema. The development would cover around 376,000 sq ft.
“The [MRP] portfolio continues in key cities across the UK, with recently completed schemes including the award-winning Vita Bruce St PBSA development in Belfast and the 140,000 sq ft City Square House office development in Leeds, where 85% of space has been pre-let,” Stephen said.
“The company has several active sites, such as a 409-unit PBSA scheme at Queens Road in Nottingham which is on track for an August 2024 completion and the commencement of two further PBSA schemes at Gough St in Birmingham (540-units) and Broadway Central in Glasgow (409 studio beds).
“In addition to the company’s strong pipeline of active development projects to complete, planning consents are being advanced on several schemes in cities such as London, Manchester and Bristol, as well as the significant Weavers Cross transport-led regeneration scheme in the heart of Belfast.”
MRP’s City Square House, the new 140,000 sq ft office building next to Leeds Station, is now complete.
This major landmark, which has been speculatively developed by MRP and built by McAleer & Rushe, is said to be the “most significant new office building in Leeds for a generation”.
Just last year Translink selected developer MRP as its private sector partner for Belfast’s Weavers Cross development.
That’s the next phase and wider nearby development, which is being further developed following completion of the new Grand Central Station.
MRP will deliver the Weavers Cross development with the potential for 1.3 million sq ft of mixed-use office, life sciences, residential, student housing, hotels, retail and leisure space.
“The vision for Weavers Cross is a bold one, marrying world-class urban design that incorporates the very latest sustainable practices to create a new neighbourhood for Belfast that will impact positively on all of Northern Ireland,” Stephen Surphlis said.