Following our exciting announcement about our tenancy at Amounderness House, we thought we would recap the plans announced by Preston City Council which will ‘breath fresh air’ into our historic City.
After a £200m investment and £24.98m awarded by the government from their ‘Towns Fund’ in 2021, Preston City Council announced their Harris Quarter focused transformational programme ensuring the regeneration of vital heritage assets alongside additional infrastructure. Concentrating on the Harris Quarter will allow the council to change the perceptions of Preston by attracting residents, workers, and investors. The programme will focus on 9 projects, which have all been carefully selected as vital improvements to the city.
Harris Your Place
Founded in 1893, The Harris Museum and Art Gallery is getting a well-deserved to revamp. This £16m project was put into action to restore and reimagine the Harris for 21st-century audiences. The new design is set to be ‘consistently fresh and responsive’. A first look at the possible new ground floor shows that we have no doubt this place will look the absolute business when it’s completed and set to open in 2024.
Animate
£40 Million. 8 Screen Cinema. 16-lane bowling alley. 5 restaurants and a 164-space car park. This 168,000 sq ft leisure complex has had chins wagging since it was announced. The construction has just started and café bar chain Lounges have just signed a 15-year lease. It’s safe to say this incredible development on Preston’s former market site in the heart of Harris Quarter will increase jobs, visitors and footfall in the area.
Preston Youth Zone
This exciting addition to the Harris Quarter is a state-of-the-art facility for anyone aged 8-19. Providing social, sporting and artistic spaces for things such as boozing, football, climbing, creative arts, drama and even employment training. For just 50p a visit or a £5 annual pass, this space will take the important steps to help support the young people of Preston for a price everyone can afford. It will even have a café serving hot, nutrition-packed meals for no more than £1 each.
CEAIG Hub
A place dedicated to the Creation of Careers, Employment, Information, Advice and Guidance (or CEAIG, which is definitely less of a tongue twister). Not much is known about this development however we do know that it will also be in the Harris Quarter and will act as a support hub for skills and provide career advice services.
Health and Wellbeing Capacity Building
Again, not much is known about this building other than its location in the Harris Quarter. The council has emphasised the need for plans to develop Preston’s own health and wellbeing strategy. Likely to open in 2025 or 2026, this will provide much-needed support to those who need it most.
Animation of Public Spaces
Designed to coordinate events in new and existing public places in the Harris Quarter, this fund will bring together new temporary event space, artwork and improvements to public realm infrastructure to boost visitor activity. The project also funds provisions of equipment for holding such events which can be at multiple sites around the city.
Cultural Capacity Building
Build local skills, and create the capacity to support the aims of Preston City Council’s 12-year strategy. This building will house those responsible for these brilliant projects and allow them to be completed to the highest standard possible, as well as any plans created for the council’s 12-year cultural strategy.
Illuminate and Integrate
Delivering the pedestrianisation and cycleway infrastructure, as well as improving street lighting, is the cherry on top for the rest of the projects, ensuring the centre is as accessible as possible for anyone wishing to visit
Amounderness House
Last but not least, the Renewal of Harris Quarter Assets. Amounderness House (former courthouse and police station) has been left empty for several years. It was announced by Preston City Council that the building will receive a £7.4m transformation into a state-of-the-art business hub with three floors of office space, co-working and hot-desking. This whopping 23,800 sq ft space is in the heart of the Harris Quarter and is thought to bring jobs, footfall, and visitors into Preston City Centre.
W_rkspace was proudly chosen as the preferred tenants of the space, and we are incredibly excited to work with both Preston City Council and Maple Grove Developments to restore this incredible building into an office space due to be completed in late 2025.
Our Managing Director Rizwan Seth said “W_rkspace brings its own unique brand of flexible working solutions to the heart of the city. Offering outstanding opportunities for locally established companies, alongside fantastic facilities to help start-up businesses looking to achieve first steps of their business journey.”
Counsellor David Barrow (Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulation) said “It will be wonderful to see new life breathed into a heritage property that has such a rich history and impact on the city centre over the years.” Click here to find out more about the plans for Amounderness House.
Watch this space as we keep you updated with our future plans as well as any other developments in the works.
Can’t wait until 2025? We have offices available to move in now at Old Dock’s House (Watery Lane), The Watermark (Ribbleton Lane), No3 Fulwood (Caxton Road) and at our Bolton centres Hamill House (Chorley New Road) and St Peter’s House (Silverwell Street).
Call: 0333 344 8005
Email: newenquiries@wrkspace.co.uk