Preparation starts to convert modernist civic centre into business incubator
Work has begun on an incubator scheme to host new businesses, or expanding companies, in the heart of Wigan.
Manchester-based social impact developer, Capital&Centric, is transforming the former civic centre, a modernist concrete building created in the 1970s, into the new commercial facility, located on Millgate.
Having been empty for years, locals are likely to see activity on site in the coming weeks as enabling work starts to strip out the unusable fittings, as well as carefully remove fixtures with no architectural merit, from plasterboard and flooring tiles to light fittings.
Capital&Centric, which is working in partnership with Wigan Council as part of a post-COVID drive to create standout workspaces in Greater Manchester’s towns, is planning to protect and restore as much of the original modernist structure as possible.
While the team works up a detailed planning application for the site, prep of the building for its next chapter will be in full swing. This will include taking down the defunct telephone mast mounted on the roof, removing redundant mechanical equipment and carefully shotblasting the paint from the waffle ceiling to expose the original concrete.
The big vision is to tempt businesses to set up or expand in Wigan, with what promises to be some of the highest quality and most creative workspaces on the market when completed.
John Moffat, Capital&Centric joint managing director, said: “We’re finalising detailed plans for the site, but we’re already getting going on prepping the building for an incredible next chapter. We’ll be super careful to preserve all the beautiful concrete finishes, which provide so much character, as we preserve and restore this local icon.
“The civic centre has been part of Wigan life for decades. We want it to become a magnet for start-ups and growing creative businesses that want a standout space with real character right in the centre of town.”
Plans for the space will be geared toward delivering incubator spaces for start-ups and small businesses, alongside larger spaces, a coffee shop, outdoor hangouts and a roof garden.
Council leader, Cllr David Molyneux, said: “It’s fantastic to see work begin on the redevelopment of the civic centre and I’m looking forward to watching the transformation as it progresses.
“Capital&Centric’s vision for the building is exciting and will see the iconic building restored and transformed into an attractive and modern workplace of choice.”
