Quest Property - Mixed-Use Development - Barnsley, Gateway Plaza
Date: 02 Sep 2005
The diggers have moved into Phase 1 of Gateway Plaza, Barnsley's first ever town centre living, hotel and office redevelopment.
Work started on the £50million scheme this week, with Environ earth works/environmental company moving in to prepare the 2.2 acre site for the forthcoming development. Three contracting companies have been selected to undertake the work and the preferred developer is likely to be awarded the contract over the coming weeks.
The Office element of the scheme will be supported with European Objective One funds allocated to help fund aspects of the office element.
Quest Property, part of Barnsley based Brook Group, is developing the scheme. Matthew Stephens, Sales & Acquisitions Manager at Quest, explains: "The commercial element of the scheme comes at a high cost, and as Barnsley does not command such high rents as its neighbour's Sheffield and Leeds there is a gap funding element. It's this that makes such a flagship scheme viable.
The availability of the Objective One funds has enabled Quest to invest in Grade A high quality space. This will bring prime office space, with full IT network capabilities, high speed internet access, modern cabling, flexible open plan space, air conditioning and other features associated with the most modern sites in big cities.
Matthew Stephens continues, "The intention is that this will attract inward investment, create jobs for local people and help to kick start further regeneration in the town."
The site will also become home to Barnsley's first ever branded new generation town centre hotel, letting agent Lambert Smith Hampton has already received a vast amount of interest from a variety of hotel operators.
Jonathan Parrish from LSH explains: "Crucially for a hotel operator the fact the scheme is now on site means a swift turnaround, with the potential to be up and trading next year, in conjunction with the commercial and residential elements of the development.
"There is simply nothing else in the area to match this site. Gateway Plaza will be a high quality scheme to rival anything in the region and it is no less than what Barnsley deserves."
The hotel is expected to be in the region of four storeys high, offering up to 100 bedrooms. Quest is offering flexibility in terms of design and build.
Local residents are excited that work has now started on site. Over 250 people visited the residential launch of the scheme, resulting in every one of the 188 apartments from the first phase being sold within the week.
Mick Vials and Denise Dawes from Rotherham were in the queue to sign up on the day. Nick said, "Modern living is crucial. Barnsley may not be a city but it's a vibrant town with a great night life. We currently live in Rotherham but do go out in the Barnsley area, that's why we are interested in living here."
Denise added: "We're delighted work has now started on site and we intend to move as soon as possible once they are completed next year. We are also relieved that we won't have a garden as we both hate gardening!"
Alice Hetherington, an investment buyer, said, "Gateway Plaza is exciting for the area as it give Barnsley a taste of city living. I've bought the apartment as an investment because I'm keen to put something back into the area."
The second phase of the residential element will see the remaining apartments being launched to the market in the Autumn.
Quest has worked closely with Sheffield based architects Axis, to give Gateway Plaza a cutting edge design; the focal point of which will be a large, modern central plaza surrounded by cafes, retail units and leisure space. The end result will be a flagship 11 storey building of varying levels linked to the central plaza.
Gateway Plaza will serve as the catalyst for the 'Remaking Barnsley' strategy, being the first contemporary, as well as one of the region's largest, mixed use schemes. The scheme comprises 188 luxury one, two and three bedroom apartments, with up to 20,000 sq ft of ground floor A1/A3 units for retail and café space and in excess of 500 secure underground car parking spaces.
CGI image of Gateway Plaza
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