A Buckinghamshire council has awarded the contract to manage the construction of a £150m commercial and leisure complex to Mace Real Estate.
Wycombe District Council claims its 17-acre Handy Cross Hub development will attract major office occupiers and generate up to 1,300 new jobs. The scheme will also contain a 25,000 sq ft Waitrose supermarket as its anchor retail tenant.
Tony Green, the cabinet member for economic development and regeneration at the authority, said: “This is a real boost for High Wycombe’s retail offer and this new store will be a really exciting addition to the town’s retail scene. I know people will be delighted that a quality retailer like Waitrose has chosen to open here.”
The first phase of the development has already started with a £40m state-of-the-art sports and leisure centre due for completion towards the end of next year. Work on a 150-bed hotel and 33,000 sq ft of premium office space will get underway later this year.
When complete Handy Cross — situated between the M40 motorway and the A404 dual-carriageway — will feature a central public space linking all its buildings and a park and ride will connect it to High Wycombe town centre.
Mace, an international consultancy and construction company, has been involved with the project since its inception. It will now act as development manager for the scheme as well as providing project and cost management and design services.
Huw Griffiths is development director at Mace. “It’s always great to work on projects which we know will leave a lasting legacy,” he said. “We are looking forward to seeing many years of planning and design translating into first class leisure, business and travel facilities for the people of Wycombe and the surrounding areas.”
Wycombe District Council’s major projects executive, Charles Brocklehurst, added: “We worked well with Mace Real Estate to conceive the masterplan and to get it through planning and we are very much looking forward to the end result.
“Not only will this development become a new, vibrant destination in High Wycombe, but it will also provide a wide-range of jobs that will boost our local economy and help to ensure a positive future for the surrounding communities.”
