ALREADY organisations have expressed serious interest in two buildings arising quickly on the Holgate Park estate, York.

The buildings, of 3,100sq ft and 4,000 sq ft, are taking shape alongside what will be the new 16,500 sq ft Benenden Healthcare Society building opposite CPP Card Protection Plan.

Just as soon as the project is completed in January, the 200 staff working for the society will move out of their spliced Victorian houses in nearby St George's Place into the main block, which is more than double the size.

The not-for-profit mutual friendly, which has more than a million members drawn from the Post Office, the civil service, BT, the education sector and local authorities, anticipates that eventually it will need the two satellite buildings.

The two York agents are preparing to market the old Benenden Society headquarters.

Jamie Wheldon, of DTZ said: "The buildings are ideal for organisations which prefer traditional cellular rather than open plan office space."

Meanwhile, steps have been taken to make a £4 million speculative office building project near Fulford Road, York, a reality.

Work has now begun by York-based Shepherd Developments on 37,000 sq foot Fulford House, the L-shaped three storey venture with on-site car parking in Hospital Fields Road. Construction is being undertaken by sister company Shepherd Construction and completion date will be next summer..

The site is right next door to the award-winning Fulford Moor House office building and just one mile from York's city centre.

Fulford Moor House, once totally occupied as Shepherd Building Group's HQ was sold to Total System Services Inc (TSYS), the US-based global payment card processor in December 2000. Shepherd has temporarily leased offices there until a planned move to Huntington next year. But Shepherd retained land behind Fulford Moor House on which the Stuart House project is being built.

Updated: 08:41 Tuesday, October 22, 2002