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THE CURVY, SPARKLING NEW LOOK OF DERBY'S OFFICES OF THE FUTURE
Date : 10.04.08
Two major office and apartment schemes destined for Derby are moving a step closer to becoming reality.
Revised proposals to create offices and apartments at the former magistrates' court and police station in Full Street will go before the city's planning committee later this month.
And the £30m scheme has been given its official name - Number One Cathedral Green.
Detailed artist's impressions of how the development would look, complete with offices, 74 apartments and four restaurants, have been unveiled.
And a second five-storey office block in Cathedral Road, being named Central Square, is now being marketed in a bid to attract new firms to the city.
John Cadwallader, of the Derby urban regeneration company Cityscape, said both developments would be a major boost to Derby.
"High-quality design providing new commercial office space is critical to delivering a vibrant and active city centre, creating new jobs and business opportunities," he said.
"Number One Cathedral Green will be the first significant development on the riverside for many years, brining the River Derwent back into the heart of our city.
"The new offices on Full Street and Cathedral Road will also become a significant contributor, bringing valuable jobs and footfall back into the Cathedral Quarter."
The latest artist's impressions of how the transformed Full Street site would look show the curved glass frontage facing on to Cathedral Green, which is undergoing its own transformation.
The plans were set to get the go-ahead from Derby City Council's planning committee in January but concerns were raised by the Environment Agency about flooding risk to apartments on the ground floor of the refurbished former court.
Developer Wilson Bowden has now redrawn the plans.
Originally, a total of 125 apartments - including 51 in the converted court - were scheduled on the entire site.
Now the court would be used for office space only and 74 apartments would be built in place of the police station.
The Environment Agency has fewer flood concerns about offices than living accommodation because they are not occupied around the clock.
The development would also create up to four restaurants on the ground floor.
Graeme Cosgrove, development director of Wilson Bowden, said he was confident the development would get approved at the planning committee on April 24.
If that is the case, work will begin on the development this summer and could be completed within 18 to 20 months.
"It's been a challenge getting to this stage but these new images really get the juices flowing," said Mr Cosgrove.
"I think it looks great and is just what Derby needs. On the back of the successful opening of Westfield, this will put Derby on the map as an office location and will also act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the waterside."
He said there had already been interest from four companies in the office space, which could be let out to one large company or divided into several units.
The court would be refurbished to provide smaller offices.
"The new-build element will appeal to larger corporate bodies wanting that modern, open space," said Mr Cosgrove.
"The court will probably appeal to more locally-based companies looking for space in the centre."
Progress with the Full Street site, which has been surrounded by hoardings and boarded up since 2004, comes as a second office development is marketed.
Interest is now being sought in the former Sixt Kenning vehicle hire site in Cathedral Road which is being turned into five floors of office space.
It aims to create around 250 jobs.
Joint agents Salloway and King Sturge are marketing the office space as "a magnet for major companies".