Business First has reopened the ACE Centre in Nelson following a full refurbishment, providing contemporary office space for businesses of all sizes, as reported by Yahoo News. The upgrade gives Nelson town centre a modernised flexible office offer as the operator invests across its North West portfolio.

Business First Limited is headquartered at Group First House in Padiham, Lancashire, according to its LinkedIn profile, and is the business centre arm of Group First, a property company with interests in residential development, business centres, industrial estates and self-storage, as stated by Group First. Its centres span Burnley, Blackburn, Blackpool, Preston, Liverpool and Glasgow, alongside Nelson and Padiham.

The ACE Centre, whose name stands for Arts, Culture and Enterprise, is a 51,000 square foot multi-purpose building on Cross Street, as stated by Barnfield Construction. Business First’s offices occupy the second and third floors, originally built as around 30 managed suites ranging from 350 to 1,500 square feet.

The refurbished offices are now open and being marketed to businesses seeking modern accommodation in Nelson town centre, with suites available from 400 to 21,000 square feet across the centre, according to Rightmove.

Business First offers serviced offices, hot desks, virtual offices and industrial units, with flexible terms that need only one month’s deposit and one month’s notice rather than long leases, as stated on its website.

The centre aims to support business growth while contributing to the regeneration and economic development of the town.

The structural driver is portfolio-wide reinvestment, with Business First refitting an established centre to keep its flexible office space competitive as demand shifts towards serviced and short-term accommodation.

“We’re committed to providing high-quality, affordable office space that gives businesses the flexibility and facilities they need to succeed,” said Toby Whittaker, managing director of Business First.

The project is part of Business First’s wider investment in its network of business centres across the North West, and enquiries are now open for office space at the ACE Centre.

For the sector, the Nelson reopening shows serviced office operators renewing existing town centre buildings rather than adding new sites.