Local firm instrumental in opening Doncaster’s “biggest and most impressive” gaming arcade

Barndales successfully let a 14,000 sq ft open-plan property on Doncaster’s bustling high street to the popular gaming entertainment company The Arcade Warehouse. Alongside this, it let a 4,574 sq ft unit in a brand new office building at Carolina Way office park to the IT services and cybersecurity provider, Wavenet.

Jason Barnsdale, Managing Director of Barnsdales, said: “I’m very happy to welcome The Arcade Warehouse and Wavenet into our growing portfolio of commercial property leases throughout Doncaster, South Yorkshire and the UK.

“The commercial property market is truly starting to recover from the unsettling impact of a tough few years and these lettings are a testament to the fact that the market is adapting towards experience and infrastructure-led enterprises like these two businesses.”

Situated just metres from Doncaster’s historic Mansion House and Frenchgate Shopping Centre, the rental agreement with Barnsdales marks a new era for The Arcade Warehouse - which prides itself on being ‘the UK’s best free-play gaming arcade’. It now celebrates three years of consistent growth by opening its Doncaster facility, establishing bases across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and Tyne and Wear.

Caton Airey, Regional Manager of The Arcade Warehouse, said: “We’ve been looking to establish a foothold in Doncaster for years now, but the right property was proving quite evasive. Barnsdales showed us around the high street premises and we simply fell in love with it straight away.

“Its layout, location and design make it ideal for our business - which typically involves blacking out windows and retrofitting features to create an immersive gaming experience reminiscent of a 1980s gaming arcade. The proactive and hands-on-the-ground approach from Barnsdales has really sped up the process of installing our games and digital infrastructure and we’re already reaping the benefits of the prime location and excellent transport links.

“Our Doncaster store is now our biggest and most impressive venue, making it our flagship location - we’ve welcomed guests from Sheffield, Leeds, the North East and even London.”

Meanwhile, Barnsdales has leased a 4,574 sq ft unit in Chadwick House, a modern office building at Carolina Way Office Park, to the award-winning IT and cyber security provider Wavenet, acting on behalf of the landlord The RG Group.

Situated close to the picturesque Lakeside Shopping Village and well-known brands such as BT, The Direct Line Group and the UK’s largest rail freight company, DB Cargo, which Barnsdales also oversees property management for, the location is ideally positioned for rail and road transport links - with access to the A1 (M) accessible via the M18 in just over five minutes.

David Dixon, Managing Director of The RG Group, said: “Barnsdales have been instrumental in helping us to successfully let out this prime commercial property. While interest has been intense throughout the marketing period, it was important to us to take on a client we feel is the right fit for this purpose-built space - and Wavenet is just that.”

James Humphreys, Surveyor at Barnsdales, added: “We’re very proud to have been trusted with this instruction and are equally proud to have excelled in putting together a deal that the client and tenant are happy with. Truthfully, post-COVID, the office market was predicted to have a potentially bleak future - but we’re certainly not seeing this become reality. The office market is still very active with a number of deals being done throughout the region and nationally.”

Barnsdales has a team of experienced property professionals with offices in Doncaster, Sheffield, Bristol, Cirencester, Manchester, Nottingham, Lincoln, London, and Derby.