Hammerson has announced that work on its upcoming WestQuay Watermark development in Southampton will officially begin early in the New Year, with the £70 million scheme set to be constructed in two phases.
Phase one, for which enabling works have already been conducted, will be overseen by main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine and will see further utility diversion and demolition works begin on the 5th of January.
Following this, new foundations will be laid for a mixed use leisure led scheme which will bring Southampton a 10 screen multiplex cinema and up to 20 new restaurants surrounding a public plaza – this phase is expected to complete and be open to the public no later than autumn 2016.
Phase two, meanwhile, remains subject to further planning approvals, but Hammerson has indicated that a hotel and residential tower will form the crux of the project. The residential tower could offer flexibility for retail and office space on its lower levels, bringing further commercial space to Southampton city centre.
Hammerson development manager Guy Wells says; “Starting on site in the New Year will mean we have reached a significant milestone in the development process and is testament to the hard work of everyone involved to get to this stage.
“Having already secured the first Showcase Cinema de Lux for the region we are continuing to make good progress in delivering Southampton with a range of exciting new restaurants, some of which will be a first for the city.”
Thanks to Hammerson’s vision, WestQuay Watermark has been named as one of Southampton City Council’s VIP “Heart of the City” investment projects, meaning that the local authority will assist in the funding process as a means of providing both jobs and economic growth for the city in future.
Additionally, the project gained £7 million from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund in order to allow for the spectacular transformation of the existing site into a family friendly public plaza.
Obviously, the project will cause a certain amount of disruption during the construction process, but Hammerson has ensured that this will be kept to a minimum. Although Western Esplanade, the WestQuay walkway and the underpass at Bargate Street will all close on the 26th of January, alternative routes for pedestrians and cyclists have already been approved and will be clearly signposted.
Southampton City Council leader Simon Letts says; “I am looking forward to seeing work officially start on site and to see the development emerge.
“It forms part of our ‘Heart of the City’ VIP project to invigorate the city centre, creating over 500 jobs and providing outstanding leisure facilities for residents and visitors to enjoy.
“We will continue to work closely alongside Hammerson to ensure that disruption to the public throughout the development process is kept to a minimum.”
