Work has started on transforming a derelict industrial site in the Black Country into a new business park which is expected to create more than 330 new jobs.
Foundry Business Park is being built on 15 acres of land off Brook Street, in Bilston, and will offer a mix of accommodation for small and large companies.
Oldbury-based developer Goold Estates has started work on site following confirmation of a £12.5 million investment by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to help get the scheme under way.
Goold Estates was selected by City of Wolverhampton Council as its chosen developer for the land which it has designated for employment use as part of its wider Bilston Urban Village regeneration project.
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The WMCA funding is being used in part to cover the cost of cleaning up the site and making it ready for the construction of 15 industrial and distribution units totaling 166,500 sq ft of accommodation to suit a variety of uses.
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said: "Foundry Park will bring new life to this site and create over 300 much-needed jobs for local people.
"This modern, environmentally sustainable development will give businesses room to grow and contribute to the community. It will also help tackle a shortage of high-quality workspaces for our region's smaller firms.
"Investments like this strengthen our local economy and build a solid foundation for future growth that benefits everyone across the West Midlands."
Dominic Goold, managing director of Goold Estates, added: "This brownfield site has a complex industrial legacy which has kept it vacant for more than 20 years.
"It required consultation with a number of third parties to progress the site's development but we are excited to have begun remediation works.
"Foundry Business Park has the potential to create hundreds of new jobs, secure the future of many firms in the region and attract inward investment."
City of Wolverhampton Council leader Cllr Stephen Simkins said: "Bringing this strategically important site forward has been a long-term ambition for the council and I am delighted to see our chosen developer, Goold Estates, start work to create new industrial and distribution units that will deliver hundreds of jobs for our residents.
"It is another major milestone for Bilston Urban Village where we have also realised our vision of creating hundreds of new affordable homes for families."
