Two prominent firms of barristers have moved into Middlesbrough's Centre Square office development, with all buildings reaching capacity.
Dere Street Barristers and Park Square Barristers will join the XPS Pensions Group in the building, with further plans for GB Bank to open its headquarters at the site.
Following this, only one wing of 2 Centre Square, which is about 5,500 sq ft on the ground floor, will remain to be let.
One Centre Square's office space is already fully occupied by Firstsource and Causeway.
Building work is planned to start in January on 6 Centre Square, a four-storey 40,000 sq ft office development which AXA UK has confirmed as the new home for its 450 local staff.
Developer Mark Ashall of Ashall Projects launched the Centre Square project six years ago, in partnership with Middlesbrough Council, with the aim of revitalising the heart of the town by attracting employers offering well-paid jobs.
He said: "There are now companies in Centre Square employing hundreds of people and many of them have plans to recruit additional staff. That's great news for all the people who have been hired as well as the local shops, restaurants and bars who will feel the benefit of the increased spending power in the town centre."
Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: "This is more fantastic news. It is further evidence that, despite Covid, Middlesbrough is re-emerging as the regional hub for jobs, energy and investment.
"At the same time, bit by bit, we're working with private landlords to get their empty office buildings renovated and let to bring even more businesses and jobs into the centre of our town."
Dere Street Barristers is one of the largest sets of barristers in the country with more than 100 members of chambers practising primarily in the North East.
Phil Paxton, head clerk of Dere Street Barristers, said: "We have been looking for some time at acquiring a premises in Middlesbrough to help service the needs of our clients in this region and it has taken a while to find a place that meets our requirements.
"We are very pleased that 2 Centre Square ticks all of our boxes."
Park Square Barristers has more than 180 barristers and 30 support staff in the UK. Fifteen barristers and three staff are moving to Centre Square and there are plans to recruit more
Senior managing clerk Richard Sadler said: "We are absolutely delighted to secure these premises which will provide the perfect foundation for growing our business and our brand in the North East.
"This is a modern impressive building - perfectly located within a stone's throw to Teesside Combined Court Centre and the Magistrates Court. We can't wait to get started."
Commercial property specialist Dodds Brown has been involved from the outset in the Centre Square project and has helped secure the arrival of the new occupiers.
Dodds Brown's senior partner Stephen Brown said: "For too long Middlesbrough has been by-passed by employers because it didn't have the standard of office they required."
In July, Middlesbrough Council also approved an outline planning application for three further Centre Square buildings which together would have room for around 1,000 office workers.
