Friargate will provide Coventry with a “public face of international quality” which it needs to keep competing on a global level, a leading construction conference has heard.
Stephen Reynolds, of Friargate Coventry LLP, which is working in partnership with Coventry City Council on the strategic regeneration project surrounding the city’s railway station, told the conference that work will start in January.
Reynolds gave an update on the 3.2 million sq ft development at the 10th annual Wright Hassall Construction Conference at Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon.
More than 80 delegates heard how Friargate will improve visitors’ first impression of the city by investing £60million in the area surrounding the West Coast main line train station and approaching the city centre.
The site, bounded by Station Square, Manor Road, Warwick Road, Greyfriars Green and Grosvenor Road, will include 14 Grade A office buildings, two hotels as well as new, and improved, public spaces and pedestrian routes.
The project will also see Coventry City Council move from nine offices across the city into one state-of-the-art building, providing the knock-on effect of several more development openings across the city.
“Friargate is an historic opportunity for Coventry,” said Reynolds.
“We want to build something of international quality.
“Coventry is an international city. It has companies like Jaguar Land Rover and its universities, which attract people from all over the world.
“But when clients and visitors arrive here, through the train station, they do not find a city of international quality. Friargate will give the city a public face of international quality.
“We want to position Coventry as a genuinely international city moving forward.”
The Friargate project has drawn inspiration from St Paul’s Place in Sheffield, which has revitalised the city centre and its links to the train station while increasing footfall to local businesses.
Friargate will also learn from the improvements to London’s King’s Cross Station, the benefits of which are estimated to reach £2billion.
Joanna Lewis from Crossrail – the programme to improve railways lines across London and the South East – and Tim Ryall from Costain-Skanska were in attendance too.
They shared details of the Crossrail project and its progress while outlining the supply chain opportunities open to Midlands companies.
Martin Yardley, of Coventry City Council and the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Matthew Rhodes, from low carbon technology firm Encraft and Michael Wheater, a barrister from Hardwicke, also addressed the audience.
Philip Harris is head of Wright Hassall’s construction department and chaired the conference.
Harris said: “It was fantastic to see so many construction companies from across the country represented, as well as firms from other sectors.
“It was interesting to hear the plans for the Friargate development and how they are moving on swiftly thanks to investment and support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
“I would also like to thank Crossrail for their input as it is important for companies across the country to realise that there are opportunities for them to contribute to the initiative, without being based in London.”