LISTEN: Leicester city council’s head of inward investment, Helen Donnellan, talks exclusively to Estates Gazette about new development and investment opportunities in the city, following ambitious redevelopment plans for the council’s former headquarters site at New Walk gaining consent.
Donnellan confirmed that the first phase of the New Walk redevelopment would see 60,000 sq ft of new, grade-A office space provided in the first phase which has been prelet in its entirety to pensions company Mattioli Woods and that further office space on the site is now being considered.
Capital receipts from the sale of the scheme to developer Ingleby, will be used to bring forward other developments across the city, said Donnellan. “We are now looking at what other developments we can get involved in and where we can bring in some more commercial uses and also more residential uses. One of the big projects to benefit is our Waterside scheme which is coming on stream now.”
The 13-acre city centre site backs on to the River Soar and is just 500m from Hammerson’s successful Highcross shopping centre. The council is now looking at large scale residential development opportunities in the area. “There will be real opportunities there,” says Donnellan.
