Fund to revitalise city centre by creating jobs and reviving empty properties
More than £19m has been awarded to Hull to help regenerate its city centre.
The Levelling Up Fund cash will support the development of a mixed-use space in Albion Square and improve Whitefriargate and the surrounding areas.
Whitefriargate is a historic district which includes 33 listed buildings. Businesses within Whitefriargate and surrounding areas will see unused floorspace brought back into use, an increase in employment opportunities and an increase in footfall.
The city will also gain a new cultural and education hub which will use digital technologies to support education and the arts.
Mark Jones, director of Regeneration, Hull City Council said: “Investment in Whitefriargate will increase the vibrancy of this historic quarter by repurposing vacant properties, maximising employment opportunities, and increasing footfall in this much-loved area of the city.”
He added that the funding will build on other key investments, such as Hull Marina and Hull’s Maritime City.
Over £7m will support the new Albion Square development in the city centre, which will feature a mixture of residential office and retail space.
Dominic Gibbons, managing director of property developer Wykeland Group, said: “The funds will be used to bring forward much needed regeneration by creating new jobs, bringing back into use vacant floorspace, and repurposing heritage and dilapidated buildings.
“This much-needed funding is required to stabilise and develop the city centre’s economy, and we believe the money to be axiomatic in the process of bridging the viability gap and ongoing regeneration.”