News: Rotherham civic offices a step closer
The plans for the multi-million pound civic offices on the Guest & Chrimes site in Rotherham town centre moved a step closer at the council's planning board last week.
Agents, GVA Grimley submitted the plans on behalf of land owners and developers, Evans Property Group to create 16,000 sq m (172,000 sq ft) of office space for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.
The design has been prepared by architects Carey Jones, who worked on the Frenchgate Interchange in Doncaster and the St Pauls Quarter in Leeds.
Last September, RMBC's cabinet gave approval to a conditional contract and 35 year lease with Evans for one of the most significant public sector property transactions outside of London in the last year.
A key part of the £2bn Rotherham Renaissance scheme, the new building will bring together council services from across the town centre, allowing the vacated sites to be redeveloped.
Incorporating a "three-fingered" design consisting of a four, five and six storey building, the proposals aim to provide a high quality new office development with strong links to the town centre, bringing a significant portion of the former Guest & Chrimes site back into economic use.
Also included are landscaping, flood protection and improvements to the junction with Main Street. The building is set to open out to the town and river to the east and introduce a sense of arrival relating to the new civic square. The publicly accessible plaza will see visitors from the town centre cross the existing road bridge and emerge into a light filled public space.
The plans also include two roof courtyards which have the potential to be developed as garden spaces for the adjacent offices.
The exterior will incorporate sandstone similar to Rotherham Red and brass metal work to reflect the history of the borough and the site.
Managing Director of Leeds-based Evans John Bell said: "The proposals are significant for Rotherham town centre. Regenerating this site, which is at the moment unused, opens up further opportunities for redevelopment and investment into the town centre.
"It also provides the town centre with a modern building, improving services to Rotherham people, the working environment for thousands of Borough Council staff and it’s a clear indication of the council's continued commitment to the regeneration of the town centre."
Members of the planning board were disposed to grant the application.
The application now has to be referred to the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber, which has 21 days to decide whether to intervene or allow the local authority to make the final decision.
Subject to that decision, Evans plans to start on site in the autumn of this year with the anticipated completion of the building in late 2011 or early 2012.
Rotherham Renaissance website
Evans Property Group website
Rotherham
Agents, GVA Grimley submitted the plans on behalf of land owners and developers, Evans Property Group to create 16,000 sq m (172,000 sq ft) of office space for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.
The design has been prepared by architects Carey Jones, who worked on the Frenchgate Interchange in Doncaster and the St Pauls Quarter in Leeds.
Last September, RMBC's cabinet gave approval to a conditional contract and 35 year lease with Evans for one of the most significant public sector property transactions outside of London in the last year.
A key part of the £2bn Rotherham Renaissance scheme, the new building will bring together council services from across the town centre, allowing the vacated sites to be redeveloped.
Incorporating a "three-fingered" design consisting of a four, five and six storey building, the proposals aim to provide a high quality new office development with strong links to the town centre, bringing a significant portion of the former Guest & Chrimes site back into economic use.Also included are landscaping, flood protection and improvements to the junction with Main Street. The building is set to open out to the town and river to the east and introduce a sense of arrival relating to the new civic square. The publicly accessible plaza will see visitors from the town centre cross the existing road bridge and emerge into a light filled public space.
The plans also include two roof courtyards which have the potential to be developed as garden spaces for the adjacent offices.
The exterior will incorporate sandstone similar to Rotherham Red and brass metal work to reflect the history of the borough and the site.
Managing Director of Leeds-based Evans John Bell said: "The proposals are significant for Rotherham town centre. Regenerating this site, which is at the moment unused, opens up further opportunities for redevelopment and investment into the town centre.
"It also provides the town centre with a modern building, improving services to Rotherham people, the working environment for thousands of Borough Council staff and it’s a clear indication of the council's continued commitment to the regeneration of the town centre."
Members of the planning board were disposed to grant the application.
The application now has to be referred to the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber, which has 21 days to decide whether to intervene or allow the local authority to make the final decision.
Subject to that decision, Evans plans to start on site in the autumn of this year with the anticipated completion of the building in late 2011 or early 2012.
Rotherham Renaissance website
Evans Property Group website
RotherhamImages: Evans
1 comments:
Nice to see that there's some good news in the town centre, but why oh why can't these architects come up with something genuinely new and exciting.
If you ask me it looks like a carbon copy of Barnsley's Digital Media centre!
Come chaps, show some imagination and come with something genuinely new, eyecatching and inspirational.
Let's face it, the town needs it!!
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