Vinci Construction has secured a £47m contract for the construction of Chester Northgate, a new mixed-use project in Chester City, England.
The Chester Northgate scheme is part of Chester’s One City Plan and is expected to be a new cultural and leisure destination. A sod-cutting ceremony was held to mark the start of the construction.
Chester City Council has agreed to provide the funding for the scheme to ensure that the city bounces back from the Covid-19 pandemic, to create jobs and to boost the economy.
Expected to open in early 2022, the scheme will include an arched arcade from the former library frontage into a new public square, an indoor market hall relocated from the Forum, a six-screen cinema, cafes, bars and restaurants and co-working office spaces along with multi-storey car park to replace the Market car park.
Housing, Regeneration and Growth cabinet member Councillor Richard Beacham said: “Chester’s Northgate Development will breathe new life into our city, taking old inefficient buildings like the market and replacing them with something that is fit for purpose, both for traders and for customers.
“Supporting local business and creating new spaces for people to come together, spend time and learn new things in the post-Covid world is exactly what Northgate is all about.
The scheme will create a new public square for the city, linking the new market hall, Storyhouse and the Town Hall.
Considered to be one of the most significant developments in the city for decades, the new scheme has been designed to transform the city’s historic core. It is the next phase in the regeneration of the entire Northgate area following the creation of Storyhouse cultural centre in 2017.
Vinci stated that it will ensure the government guidance on social distancing is followed at the construction site.
Vinci Construction UK regional director Garry Bowker said: “Despite the challenges of working during this pandemic, we are doing all we can to ensure our staff, contractors and suppliers can work efficiently and safely; we are extremely excited about starting on site and seeing the Northgate scheme come to fruition so that we can play our part in helping to boost the local economy.”