Mendip Skyline Ltd is a private property development company owned by James Birkett and Jonathan Meier who have worked together for 4 years.

 

James Birkett has been active in the Central London market for 30 years.  In 2010 he formed Mendip Capital and now has four projects under management.   The completed development value of the projects is in excess of £150m providing over 275,000 sq ft of offices, hotel residential and retail space. www.mendipcapital.co.uk

 

A chartered surveyor, James spent the first 18 years of his career with CBRE, latterly as a Partner in the West End business team.  In the mid 1990s James was seconded to the London Docklands Development Corporation where he led the 30 strong development and property team.  He was responsible for the success of a number of regeneration projects including West India Quay, Excel exhibition Centre and Norton Healthcare’s 250,000 sq ft European HQ.

 

In 2003 he joined Land Securities PLC where he managed their £1.5bn West End portfolio.   Among other projects, he completed a total review of Devonshire House, a fully let office and retail property in Mayfair.  James appointed a new development team and created and implemented a strategic refurbishment plan, to improve performance.  He worked with the existing tenants including Alliance Bernstein, Egon Zehnder and Bain Capital to ensure that the property strategy ran in parallel with their business requirements.  As a result of a 3 year programme a number of lettings in the building achieved top Mayfair rents.  The subsequent sale of building more than doubled the £130m value within 3 years.

 

Jonathan Meier worked as Head of Property for Precis Management Services from 2005 – 2013, the on shore operating company for Montcalm Hotels (5*), Shaftesbury Hotels (4*) Access Self Storage and other assorted residential, office, industrial and mixed-use developments. The portfolio comprised over 100 properties and sites.

 

Jonathan was solely responsible for a number of significant London additions that created substantial value for the family.  Working with James, Royal London House a 90,000 sq ft office building in Finsbury Square London was acquired from NAMA in December 2011 for £25m.  Having assembled a full development team he secured permission for a new 5* hotel of 256 bedrooms increasing the value to £100m.  In 2010 the £5m freehold interest in the former Ford Motor Garage in Hammersmith was acquired.  Working with a full project team he secured change of use to offices and the addition of 50,000 sq ft roof extension to the Grade 2 listed building. In 2014 having secured a pre-letting to Tesco Clubcard for the 126,000 sq ft building at a record rent construction commenced.  Conservatively the award winning completed development will be valued at £100m.

 

City Road London EC1, a low rise office and light industrial operation was acquired in 2006 with a long term view for a further Montcalm Hotel for £7m.  Following a long tactical wait and a patient planning process planning consent was achieved for a Michael Squire 23 storey landmark building providing 277 rooms and suites.  Opening in early 2015 the completed building will be valued in the region of £140m.