The first building in Chester’s £100m Central Business Quarter reached another milestone today as the team celebrated its topping out.
Muse Developments’ One City Place marks the first of seven buildings and features 70,000 sq ft of BREEAM Excellent office space set over six floors. Key project stakeholders including leaders from Cheshire West and Chester Council, builder and developer Seddon and design and project manager Ward Robinson gathered with Muse Developments to celebrate the occasion as the building reached its highest point.
Phil Mayall, development director at Muse Developments, said: “Reaching the topping out stage of the build marks a crucial phase in what is undoubtedly Chester’s most significant business development in the city centre in recent years.
“One City Place forms the first part of the brand new Central Business Quarter and lays the foundations for the next generation of successful business leaders in the city.”
The development, which has been part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and The North West Evergreen Fund, is due to officially launch in November.
Finishing touches are being made to new public realm around the scheme which includes the renovation of Grade 2 listed rail sheds linked to Chester Railway Station. The public space will be known as The Carriage Shed.
Cllr Brian Clarke, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Infrastructure at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “Reaching this important point marks a new chapter in Chester’s history because it is one of the largest business developments in the city in recent years. We’ve invested more than £1.5m and secured a grant of £617,550 from the ERDF to build the Central Business Quarter public realm with the aim of driving further investment and employment opportunities into the city.”
Guy Butler, chairman of Chester Renaissance Development Board, said: “One City Place and the surrounding Central Business Quarter is transforming the city’s commercial offering and is helping to broaden the vibrant business community, providing space ahead of other competing locations. It will be a hub for aspirational businesses and represents a new benchmark for office space in the city.”
Jonathan Seddon, managing director of Seddon, said: “This event celebrates an important moment for both the city of Chester and the building as it reaches its highest point. Generations to come will grow up with City Place as part of their landscape and may even work in one of its offices. I am delighted that Seddon has been part of this project and can say it has contributed to a major piece of Chester’s future.”
By 2028, it is planned that City Place will offer up to 440,000 square feet of state-of-the art office space housed within seven office blocks, creating around 3,500 jobs. In November 2014, the multi-million pound new Waitrose store opened within the Central Business Quarter with a new hotel development in the pipeline. The area will also include 200 homes, restaurants and leisure facilities.