Macquarie Bank is in final-stage lease negotiations with Bishops See developers Hawaiian and Multiplex to take up two floors of the project's nine-storey office tower.
WA Business News understands Macquarie has signed a heads of agreement to lease about 3,000 square metres over two floors, joining audit, tax and advisory firm KPMG, which has 7,000 sq m in the 18,000 sq m south tower.
Macquarie currently occupies two floors of the Allendale Square building and industry sources suggest the new deal could be worth as much as $500/sq m.
It has been more than six months since Multiplex and Hawaiian signed KPMG on a 10-year lease at Bishops See and the firm is due to move in December 2008.
Hawaiian and Multiplex received development approval for Bishops See in late 2005 and are yet to sign an anchor tenant for the proposed 27-storey, 46,000sq m north tower.
Hawaiian and Multiplex have said the tower would not be built until a leasing pre-commitment was secured.
But, the job is getting tougher.
There are four major office developments in the CBD vying for only a handful of tenants with significant requirements.
By far the biggest catch, BHP Billiton, is looking for between 45,000 sq m and 50,000sqm of space and was touted as a potential anchor tenant for Bishops See's north tower.
However, sources suggest the mining giant is likely to anchor Multiplex's City Square tower proposed for the Westralia Square site, which is believed to offer up to 60,000 sq m of office space.
Other leasing deals expected to be finalised in the coming weeks include National Australia Bank, which is looking to lease around 9,000 sq m, and Euroz, which has a requirement for space of between 1,200sq m and 1,500 sq m.
NAB is believed to be close to signing a deal with Axiom Properties Ltd and Industry Superannuation Property Trust for the 17-level Century City office development at 100 St Georges Terrace.
The developers have already signed Japanese oil & gas group INPEX for 7,000 sq m of space, or 25 per cent of the total 28,000 sq m on offer within the development.
Hawaiian and Macquarie declined to comment.
