A project to convert a former North East police station into offices has won a £850,000 grant from the Government’s Getting Building Fund. The North East LEP has invested the sum into the project at the former Gilbridge Police Station in Sunderland city centre.
Renamed The Yard, the new building will provide workspaces for SMEs looking to grow their businesses on Wearside and attract companies back into the city centre. The Yard is one of 20 projects across the North East LEP area which have been boosted by the Getting Building Fund which have collectively received £47m in capital investment.
Developer Hanro Group is leading the transformation of Gilbridge into The Yard. When complete, it will provide offices ranging from 500 sq ft to 23,000 sq ft, a business lounge, meeting rooms, cycle storage, EV charging, showers and an area for outdoor events.
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Helen Golightly, chief executive of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Despite a very challenging environment for businesses in the North East we’re still seeing demand for high-quality office accommodation in the region.
“Encouragingly, many businesses are looking to move back into our city centres, which is helping reinvigorate and reenergise these traditional business hubs after the pandemic.
“The Yard, along with the wider Riverside Sunderland development, is transforming Sunderland city centre and bringing investment into the wider region.”
Laura Lloyd, head of portfolio at The Hanro Group, said: “We are delighted the North East LEP is supporting the creation of flexible, affordable office accommodation in Sunderland city centre through Hanro’s development of The Yard.”
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The Yard is part of the Riverside Sunderland development led by Sunderland City Council, which will complement other nearby developments including Legal and General-backed offices Maker and Faber. When fully developed the new business district will provide more than one million square feet of high-quality office space, serving accommodation for 8,000 to 10,000 jobs while also generating footfall and expenditure.
Coun Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “We’re thrilled to see work progressing at pace on The Yard, which will be a fantastic addition to the city.
“We have seen the success of similar developments in the city over recent years, with more and more businesses attracted to our transforming city centre, and we look forward to seeing The Yard open its doors and welcome more businesses and business people to Sunderland.”
The Getting Building Fund was launched during the pandemic to kick start the economy, create jobs and help areas realise growth opportunities.
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