Great Portland Estates plc (GPE) announced it has let 17,700 sq ft of office space at The Hickman development on Whitechapel Road, E1 to integrated marketing and communications agency Four Communications Group Limited (Four). Four will occupy the offices on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors at The Hickman, 2/4 Whitechapel Road, E1 on ten year leases (with a tenant break option in the seventh year), paying an annual rent of £1.1 million. This transaction leaves a further 57,600 sq ft of which negotiations are ongoing on 20,600 sq ft. Four is currently an existing GPE occupier at New City Court, SE1 which they will vacate once the leases complete at The Hickman, thereby enabling the redevelopment of New City Court, subject to planning permission, to create a best in class office development of circa 370,000 sq ft (+380%). The Hickman is a seven storey building that has undergone an extensive refurbishment to provide 75,300 sq ft of repositioned office space. There are terraces on four floors in addition to a communal, landscaped courtyard on the ground floor. The reception area blends seamlessly into Makers Café which will shortly open to the public.