Nine companies bid to develop piazza project
Plans to redevelop the West End of King Street by demolishing the ugly
town hall extension took a step forward this week after independent
experts whittled 17 possible developers down to a long list of nine.
Respected property experts Cushman & Wakefield judged the 17
expressions of interest following an exhaustive evaluation process.
Developers were judged on a range of economic, legal and financial
criteria including their past experience in delivering large mixed use
regeneration projects. The detailed process is to test which companies
have the best track record in delivering this kind of large scale
project.
Cllr Nicholas Botterill, H&F Cabinet Member for Environment and Deputy
Leader, said, "This is a small step in a lengthy process. We have now
got nine possible developers who all meet the necessary criteria for a
project of this nature. We will now explain the brief to them in more
detail so they can go away and start drawing up ideas."
The successful developers will be invited to speak to council
officials individually about the brief before each of them goes to the
drawing board to come up with draft ideas for further discussion.
The long listed companies are: Land Securities Trillium Ltd;
Development Securities Plc; Grainger Plc; London & Regional Properties
Ltd; St James's Investments Ltd; Stanhope Plc; Delancey Real Estate
Management Ltd; Galliford Try Plc; and Allied London Properties Ltd.
Cllr Botterill concludes, "Doing nothing is not an option and a piazza
would open up the historic town hall as well as regenerating this run
down part of King Street.
He pledged that disruption would be minimised and that everybody effected, including Pocklington residents, would be treated decently. The
Developers will be told that any of the draft ideas that they come up
with must retain Marryat Court, Cromwell Avenue and the line of trees
and must explore the feasibility of including a small cinema"
Local resident, Raj Bhatia, Chairman of the Stamford Brook Residents
Association added, "Having listened to the initial design brief I do
believe that it's a good idea to rationalise council accommodation,
optimise land use and regenerate an important, but run down part of
King Street."
June 27, 2007
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