Logistics developer and investor GLP preleased 650,000 square feet to modular housing manufacturer TopHat in a built-to-suit warehouse at Magna Park in Corby.
The first lease to be signed at Magna Park Corby after GLP bought the site at the end of 2021 earned a CoStar Impact Award.
TopHat’s presence is expected to attract and develop a range of skills and crafts in the local area. A modular housing factory in Corby will produce a house every hour on a site the size of 11 football pitches. It chose the steel town with a proud manufacturing and logistics history as the venue for Europe’s biggest house factory which will open in 2023.
Advising TopHat, Charles Spicer from Savills said it was one of the largest manufacturing deals agreed in 2022 and will create important jobs in Corby. The judges agreed, saying it was great news for the town and the surrounding region.
The building will be a Net Zero building constructed to GLP’s enhanced specifications, including BREEAM Excellent and WELL ready ratings, as well as LED lighting throughout and low water spray taps. The site will also benefit from a provision for electric vehicles, wildflower planting to improve biodiversity and a programme with Planet Mark offered for the first year of occupancy to help manage energy use. There is also a G-Hive scheme, GLP's own beehive scheme.
Construction is expected to start later this year with completion of the facility expected in summer 2023.
About the project: Prelease of 650,000 square feet to modular housing manufacturer in built-to-suit warehouse at Magna Park in Corby.
What the judges said: Ian Dunckley, development director for Tungsten Properties, said: “Magna Park Corby adds to the proud manufacturing history of the town and is becoming a choice destination for occupiers. The scheme has been well designed to incorporate Net Zero build, BREEAM Excellent, with many other ESG credentials and biodiversity net gain.”
They made it happen: Charles Spicer, director, industrial and logistics – Midlands at Savills, John Madocks-Wright, associate director and surveyor at Savills, James Atkinson, development manager at GLP.