Contractor appointed for multi-million refurbishment of city centre public space
A contractor has been appointed for the Queens Gardens project, in Hull.
Local construction company CR Reynolds Ltd will deliver the programme of improvements in the city centre.
Councillor Daren Hale, leader of Hull City Council, said: “The Queens Gardens refurbishment will create a first-class and unique urban green space in the heart of our city.
“The gardens will also act as an impressive performance space and better tell its connection to Hull’s maritime past.
“This refurbishment is an important element in both the transformational Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City project and our investment in the city’s open spaces.
“In recent years our commitment to investing in green spaces such as East Park, Pearson Park and West Park has greatly benefited residents, playing an important role in their health and wellbeing – which has been invaluable during lockdown and the pandemic.”
The £11.7m Queens Gardens scheme will improve accessibility and visitor flows, deliver structural repairs through rebuilding the perimeter walls, introduce pieces of public art, improve biodiversity and regenerate a much-loved open space.
The project will make the gardens fit for purpose, futureproofing the space and its ability to host large-scale events.
As part of the work, the history of the gardens will be incorporated in the design, reconnecting it with the origins of the space as a former dock. The project includes the refurbishment of the Rose Bowl and its historic fountain.
The Queens Gardens improvements are part of the Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City project, as they will link the Hull Maritime Museum to the North End Shipyard – which will be the new home of the historic Arctic Corsair.
Reflecting 400 years of shipbuilding history, the North End Shipyard is where both HMS Bounty and HMS Boreas, once commanded by Horatio Nelson, were built. The shipyard is being transformed into a visitor attraction, which will tell its story for the first time.
