Canary Wharf Group has pre-sold 15 Canada Square to accountant KPMG for its new UK headquarters.
Canary Wharf confirmed this morning that KPMG had acquired the 999 year leasehold interest in 15 Canada Square for £260m.
CWG will complete construction of the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed building by April 2009. The fifteen storey building is located in the heart of the Canary Wharf district, adjacent to the headquarters of HSBC and Barclays Bank.
KPMG will consolidate staff from a number of London offices into the building, although it will retain an existing office at Salisbury Square, off Fleet Street in London.
George Iacobescu, chief executive officer at Canary Wharf, said: ‘We are delighted to have KPMG, one of the world’s pre-eminent professional services firms, significantly expand its presence at Canary Wharf.’
John Griffith-Jones, UK chairman and senior partner at KPMG, said: ‘This is an important step on the road to creating an office environment in London for our people and our clients which is an expression of our core values and embraces the changing ways we will work together in the years ahead.’
Canary Wharf was advised by Knight Frank and CB Richard Ellis. KPMG was advised by KPMG Corporate Finance and Jones Lang LaSalle.