University of Southampton acquire city centre building

Published by

Sam Pither

The University of Southampton has acquired the Sir James Matthews Building from Solent University, having been advised by Dorset law firm Lester Aldridge.

The Guildhall Square building includes 100,000 sq ft of space, and is expected to be ready before the end of the calendar year.

Southampton University were advised by the real estate team at Lester Aldrige. The firm has offices in Bournemouth, Southampton and London.

Bethan Dodd, partner at Lester Aldridge, said: “It has been a pleasure working with the University of Southampton on this project.

"Timeframes were critical to ensuring that the University were able to get into the building to commence their works in time for the next academic year, and it is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the team at the University that we were able to achieve this.

“Given our office is only moments away we shall be watching with interest as the refurbishment takes place and the building opens. The new facility should provide a real boost of energy to our city centre.”

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.