Fitness firm Peloton seeking office space for 700 workers in Cork's city centre

It is one of the single largest office requests for Cork in recent times, joining Apple and Amazon who also are expanding their Cork presence.

Sources say if the jobs are what's described as back-office, they will not be likely to pay the current rent levels of €30 per square foot being achieved in the newest blocks lining the city quays.

Estate agents in Cork have been asked this week to propose a city-centre office location for up to 700 jobs, believed to be for at-home fitness and exercise company Peloton whose business has soared due to Covid-19 stay at home demands.

The request for Cork back-office space of 65,000-70,000 sq ft has come from London agency CBRE, without identifying Peloton as the client.

It's one of the single largest office requests for Cork in recent times, joining Apple and Amazon who also are expanding their Cork presence.

Peloton already has a small presence in Cork, at outsourcing specialists Voxpro in Mahon. Picture: Denis Scannell

The global fitness giant - whose business rose 145% in the past year due to the pandemic - already has a small presence in Cork, at outsourcing specialists Voxpro in Mahon.

The company makes leading brand treadmills and exercise bikes, used both for online home fitness and in gyms, but was hit in recent weeks by the need to recall 125,000 treadmills after reports small children and pets were being injured on some models.

Now, it appears after an otherwise massive rise in usage and home training, Peleton is seeking c 70,000sq ft of office space in Cork city, to support the significant expansion of its European operations.

Estate agency sources say if the jobs are what's described as back-office, they will not be likely to pay the current rent levels of €30 per square foot being achieved in the newest blocks lining the city quays, indicating a slightly more secondary location.

"But, the inquiry is for the city centre, not suburbs or business parks," the Irish Examiner was told.

One agency source said the unexpected office space need for Peleton was for accommodation within this calendar year, indicating an existing building or one close to completion would be favoured. Some locations might include Blackpool or the Counting House on South Main Street on the Brewery Quarter site.