Politicians have hailed a “fantastic” new office block at their first look around.

Boho X is set to be handed over to gaming firm Double Eleven, the new tenant, imminently. They will then fit out the building in St Hilda’s and move staff in once it’s ready.

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen, Middlesbrough mayor Chris Cooke and former mayor Andy Preston all took the opportunity to take a sneak peek before the new tenants land.

The Northern Echo:

Read more: Striking pictures show progress of major new office block in North East town

Conservative Mr Houchen said: “It’s fantastic to finally see it be completed. It’s going to be a fantastic office block right in the centre of Middlesbrough. The tenants are taking the full building as well, when we originally started out on this project it was going to be multi-let to lots of different businesses.

“It just goes to show if you build it they will come and that one business is going to put more than 400 staff in here…It’s going to be fantastic once they get in and are able to put on their fit-out, their own spin on it and make it their own as well.”

Labour’s Mr Cooke, who took over the mayoral job after beating Mr Preston at the elections in May, said it was a great building and he was looking forward to the tenants moving in. He added: “I think it’s really good, it’s really innovative.

I think there’s a lot of stuff here which adds to the overall aesthetics of the building but also makes sure the staff here have something else to do. So stuff like the cinema is a really good addition and a really out-the-box idea.”

As well as open-plan offices, Boho X, which cost £21m to design and construct, has terraces with panoramic views across the town, a lecture theatre, a ground-floor gym and a cafe. The Tees Valley Combined Authority provided £20m for the scheme.

Mr Cooke added: “What this signals is that there are jobs and that there is a growth in the economy. What we need to keep doing is we need to keep moving. Keep creating stuff like this from the council and the TVCA to make sure that we move forward as a town and have spaces that people can rent as office spaces and make sure we are a town that thrives.”

Mr Preston, who was in office during the Boho X process, said it was great to be inside the new building. He added: “There’s so much more that can happen in Middlesbrough and places like it, not just Teesside but across the country. You need ambition, you need the resources but you need the momentum and energy.

“It’s no good sitting down, planning stuff and thinking about it because three years later by the time you get near, the funding has gone and the opportunity has moved. Councils in places like Middlesbrough need to move super fast and that’s my message to everyone listening. Don’t get fobbed off by people delaying, delaying, delaying.”

Mr Cooke, who pointed to delays to the new Southlands Centre scheme under Mr Preston, said: “We are moving on with lots of projects and I have only been in for a month.” He added that he thought there would be examples coming up which would show what happens when the council does not do enough planning around its assets.

Read next:

More than £600,000 was spent on the design costs for the original 260ft tower, which was scrapped after a decision to scale it back.

An audit review earlier this year found Mr Preston had exceeded his remit, meeting with Chinese state-owned developer BCEGI without being accompanied by council staff or documenting the meetings, contravening the council’s constitution.

At the time, Mr Preston was accused by then-Labour group leader Cllr Matt Storey of “incompetence and rule-breaking”. He hit back, accusing Labour of spending £20m on Centre Square offices to use as a political palace.