One of the Humber’s leading commercial property agents has itself relocated – to the heart of Hull’s thriving Fruit Market.
Scotts Property LLP has moved from Alfred Gelder Street in Hull’s Old Town, where the building is under offer for residential conversion.
The firm will occupy the full first floor of the former Humber Fruit Brokers building.
The move puts Scotts at the heart of a fast-growing commercial and creative district, with scores of businesses now based there and hundreds more professionals due to join them with a new head office for safety business Arco and C4DI tech hub expansion both well underway.
Hull partner Tim Powell said: “We’re committed to the city centre and we want to keep that tradition going. The Fruit Market is a fashionable and growing area and everyone is excited and upbeat about the move.
“We see the business growing as we service existing and new clients and this is a great platform to build on the solid foundations of our loyal customer base.
“We are pleased to be part of a growing professional business community that could require our services. We want the team to immerse themselves in that community, from both a business and social perspective, to enhance existing business contacts and develop new relationships.”
Mr Powell said the new offices created an opportunity for investment in new hardware and software, which will enable Scotts to improve services to clients and streamline communication.
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He added: “We’ve been looking for the right place to move to for some time and our new home ticks all the key boxes. The location works well for us and the offices are refurbished to a very good standard.
“Having previously been in a multi-occupied building we really wanted our own front door. The offices also come with dedicated parking, which is quite rare in a city centre location.”
The offices have been leased from the Fruit Market LLP, the partnership of the Wykeland Beal joint venture, formed by commercial developer Wykeland Group and housebuilder Beal Homes, and Hull City Council.
Tom Watson, development surveyor for Wykeland, said: “Scotts Property’s move into the Fruit Market as an established and respected professional business underlines the area’s ever-growing status as a thriving location.
“Like many other companies, the Scotts team has recognised the area is a great place to work, do business and be part of a growing social and cultural community.”
It comes as creative and retail start-up businesses are being given a helping hand to further their ambitions there.
Following the success of using pop-up spaces in Humber Street over the past year, Wykeland Beal has decided to extend availability of three refurbished units for a further 18 months.
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It hopes the move will further animate the street, while demonstrating its commitment to creating an area filled with cultural activity and community events.
Natalia Cleary, events and community co-ordinator, said: “We want Humber Street to continue to be a vibrant and exciting cultural hub, so we’re encouraging creatives, makers, performers, start-ups and scale-ups to take advantage of the pop-up spaces and add to the mix and diversity of the street.
“The pop-ups offer great opportunities for all sorts of organisations, and will bring something new to the area.
“We’re open to everyone’s dreams and ideas. The more imaginative and creative the ideas are, and the more the public can participate, the more excited we are!”
Over the past year the pop-up spaces have been used for a host of events and activities, including several small-scale theatre companies, together creating a Pop Up Play Season. Among other events were two Hull Dance residences, several exhibitions by Feral Art School and a debut exhibition by Hull Print Collective. Pride in Hull also used one of the spaces as a pop-up hub.
Maple + Pea, a baby and children’s clothing business, also benefitted from its first retail experience outside the online market in the run-up to Christmas.
Owner Jo Philpot said: “Having the pop-up spaces is such a great idea. I thought I’d won the lottery when I was part of it and loved everything about the experience.
“So many people who follow me on Facebook and Instagram came in and it helped to personify my online customers.
“The Fruit Market is an amazing community and everyone was so supportive. The other traders in Humber Street were like my family for 10 days. Wykeland Beal couldn’t do enough to help and the promotion around it was wonderful.
“It has helped my business to grow locally and I’ve had so many new followers on the back of it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”