Andersen Consulting is believed to be looking at both Grand Canal Plaza, the Ken Rohan office development at Lower Grand Canal Street, and the Hardwicke's scheme at Upper Hatch Street, both in Dublin, as a possible venue for its new European shared service centre. The company has an initial requirement for 25,000 sq ft, but is also likely to take an option on double that volume of space for further developments towards the end of 1999. Office rents in both schemes are likely to be close to £25 per sq ft.

Andersen plans to use the centre as a one-stop-shop or "showcase" facility for European clients of the firm. The centre will offer a range of support functions such as financial processing, procurement, information technology, human resources and administrative services, concentrating on the domestic, British and German markets in the first phase of a three-year plan which will see its services extended to 13 other countries.