The Green: Offering Top Flight Commercial Space and Working Environments

While central city centre locations may work for some businesses, and remote retail parks for others, there’s also a happy medium. The Green offers top flight office and commercial space with easy access to Belfast, alongside the provisions and quality environment staff are looking for.

It’s a recently revamped and refurbished development close to Lambeg, outside Lisburn, which currently has space available alongside its already well-established list of top tenants. It’s currently home to the Unicorn Group – which owns the development – alongside pioneering Cirdan, and Goudsmit, which produces magnets and precision parts.

“We moved to our location as our former sites weren’t large enough,” Roger Pannell, chief executive of the Unicorn Group, says. “We were attracted to it as it was close to Belfast, on the south side – the traffic doesn’t tend to build up until Lisburn. For us, it was important to get the right pool of people from a range of locations – such as Belfast, Portadown and Newry. What The Green offers is a pleasant and well-equipped environment to work in. We are on the banks of the Lagan with direct access to the towpath. People can cycle in, or take the bus or train. It sets us apart from city centre locations or industrial estates. People want and need a pleasant environment in which to work.”

The Unicorn Group itself is a dynamic manufacturing business occupying office and warehouse space at the development. It works across a range of areas and brands, including injection moulding, steel fabrication, as well as producing medical sack holders for the health sector. Flexibility and the ability to work on bespoke fit-out is another key selling point of The Green. Around 30,000 sq ft of space is available, with office units starting at around 1,500 sq ft.

“Aside from the amenities available, such as coffee shops nearby and an on-site gym, the quality and make-up of The Green makes it more akin to something like a science park,” Richard McCaig, director, Osborne King, which is marketing the development, said. Roger says: “The advantages of our location and quality are clear. It’s also about working with our tenants to deliver the sort of space they want. For example, Cirdan was involved before the work began and had input into what it would look like to ensure they got the best option for them.”

He said The Green could play host to a wide range of businesses, including technology, as well those which combine both office work and research and development, with some manufacturing element. Rick says they are also open to the possibility of serviced office provision amid a changing market dynamic which has seen it growconsiderably in Belfast and beyond.

“Another strength is the connectivity, which is increasingly important for businesses,” he says. “There is also significant power supply coming into the site, as well as a back-up generator.” Roger says The Green brings forth a “unique offering” to a range of businesses in the wider area. “It’s a wonderful, leafy site with lots of parking, but it’s also a space in comparable quality to those in Belfast. It’s an attractive environment for staff to work in.”

Published in Ulster Business Magazine November 2024.