THE
POD GETS GO-AHEAD,
June 2005
Nottingham's
newest exciting commercial development,
The Pod, has been given the green
light.
The £25m
scheme is on the edge of the
Lace Market area of the city.
The Pod's 100,000 sq ft will
house two or three levels of
large retail units aimed at
the fashion sector and larger
space users. In addition there
will be several floors of hotel
and leisure uses.
The Pod is
close to Nottingham's growing
fashion district with Bridlesmith
Gate and The Edge close by.
The site is also right next
to a tram stop for Nottingham
NET.
Local developers
Bildurn Properties are behind
The Pod and brought in award
winning architects Benson &
Forsythe who won a £150,000
design competition to get the
opportunity to create this scheme.
The competition, backed by Nottingham
City Council also attracted
many of the country's top architects.
Benson+Forsyth
are known for award-winning
designs for the Millennium Wing
of National Gallery of Ireland,
in Dublin, and Museum of Scotland.
The striking design brings a
new genre of architecture to
Nottingham and improves a run
down site at the heart of the
Lace Market Conservation Area.
Sean Akins,
Director at Bildurn added "
We're delighted that Nottingham
City Council has approved the
scheme and believe that their
decision sends very positive
messages to the local and national
development and investment community.
"We're
also excited by the nature of
the interest shown by retailers
in The Pod and hope to report
news soon. There are good lessons
to be learned from the architectural
competition process which enabled
us to attract the country's
top architects to design for
the City."
Ray Valenti
Senior Partner at chartered
surveyors Nattrass Giles who
has been involved in The Pod
since its inception commented,
"The 'planning ticket'
gives the marketing strategy
a whole new impetus. It means
the interest already received
from operators can be pursued
in the knowledge that the scheme
can now be built.
"I'm
delighted that the City has
decided to endorse this landmark
project. It means that our long
term ambitions to develop a
new retail axis from our client's
development of the Waterstone's
store on Bridlesmith Gate into
the heart of the Lace Market
can at last be realised."
Sean Akins,
Director at Bildurn added, "We
anticipate that The Pod will
attract some quality new names
to Nottingham and in turn add
a new dimension to the Lace
Market as well as creating 100
new jobs."
Gordon Benson
of Benson+Forsyth said: "We
are extremely pleased to have
been chosen to design a modern,
eye-catching building in part
of Nottingham which has a strong
industrial heritage, and has
emerged as a fashionable and
desirable part of this vibrant
city.
"The
challenge for us in doing is
to create a contemporary development
which will integrate into the
conservation area, while adding
something to the City's architectural
environment as well."
A Technical
Team of advisors have been involved
since the project's inception
in 2003. including Nattrass
Giles, Gleeds, BWB, Latham Architects,
Freeth Cartwright and Dalgleish
(London).
If all goes
according to timetable work
should start in later in 2005
and be completed towards the
end of 2006.
ENDS
For
further PR information contact
Eden PR on 0115 852 4717, fax
0115 950 9175 or contact Kathryn
Harrison, Kathryn@edenpr.co.uk
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