One of the South West’s most historic – and eye-catching – buildings is being converted into a vast space for offices, shops and restaurants and even a boutique cinema.
Construction is progressing rapidly on the Grade I* listed Melville building, in Plymouth’s historic Royal William Yard, where there is 90,000sq ft of floorspace available over three floors.
Already a 3,900sq ft ground-floor unit will be handed over to Cornwall-headquartered burger chain Hubbox in the first three-months of 2019, ready for it to fit out as a new water-facing restaurant.
And a team from hip cinema chain Everyman has been in the yard to check on its second-floor base on the front right-hand corner of the building.
That will be handed over to Everyman early in 2020 ready for the company to fit out the 9,000sq ft space.
Cinema-goers will enter via a ground floor door and take the stairs or a lift to the top deck where they will enter a lounge and bar and then buy tickets for one of three sound-proofed cinema “pods” which will sit inside the historic building.
Each will hold about 100 people, sitting on one- to three-seater sofas, where they will be able to eat while watching a movie.
It is expected for the cinema to be ready and open in 2020.
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Meanwhile, Urban Splash, the Manchester-headquartered developer that has transformed the RWY, is predicting the remainder of the huge building, the centrepiece of the yard, to be complete by 2021 – potentially bringing another FIVE restaurants to the yard.
There is room for a water-facing diner, on the ground floor directly under the cinema, and four other eateries around the internal courtyard, which will be landscaped and perhaps have outdoor seating.
There is also space for some small shop units around the courtyard, where the listed doors will be pinned back and glass entrances installed.
But those units may not be restaurants and Urban Splash is also scanning for alternative leisure operators such as “boutique bowling”, indoor crazy golf, or ping pong.
The entire columned first-floor, and the majority of the open-plan second floor, will be converted into offices with Urban Splash keen to attract a major tenant, possibly to use the complete space, or a whole floor, as a HQ.
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But the two upper decks are flexible enough to be split up if smaller businesses want to move in.
Emily Handslip, director of commercial lettings at Urban Splash, said: “Melville is happening. We are aiming at handing over to Everyman and Hubbox by the first quarter of 2020 so they can come in and carry out their fit outs.
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“Everyman is a game changer that will drive a significant amount of footfall and give people another reason to come to the yard and stay here.
“The ground floor also has space for the last remaining waterfront restaurant in the yard, we would like to see a great independent restaurant here, or an emerging restaurant company that has two or three restaurants and are starting to build.
She said the courtyard could be fronted by restaurants or shops or other leisure uses and said: “There are alternative leisure operators, we are open to operators and uses.”
She said the upper floors are the single largest floor plates in the South West and said: “It could make a HQ or two HQs, but we could break it up, the building is flexible.
“It would make a fantastic HQ for a solicitors or other professional services, or a creative company.”
Mrs Handslip said long leases and shorter “flexible” leases are available.
The principal contractor on the scheme is Atelier Build, with Ward Williams Associates as project manager and Gillespie Yunnie Architects, which has worked on other RWY buildings, having drawn plans.
Guy Jackson, a director of Atelier Build, said the building will be fitted out to a high standard with wifi, heating and lighting all installed.
It was once a quartermaster’s stores, holding everything from uniforms to ropes and even crockery, before the navy found it surplus to requirements.
The roof has been refurbished with Welsh slate and new gutters, with timbers repaired too. Mr Jackson said the biggest challenge was working with the granite and limestone wall, in-filled with rubble, which can be up to 4ft thick.
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To contact William Telford: william.telford@reachplc.com