Willmott Dixon has been confirmed at the main contractor for the £120M Flemingate mixed use development in Beverley, Yorkshire, with work getting under way immediately.
The contract award by developer Wykeland Group coincides with the start of work on the £70M commercial element of the regeneration scheme, which began yesterday.
The development, which is due to be open to the public before Christmas 2015, will create around 130 construction jobs during the building phase.
When complete, the ten acre Flemingate centre will be home to a host of big retail names as well as a five screen digital cinema complex, multi storey parking for more that 550 cars and restaurants and leisure facilities.
On the adjoining residential site, 130 new homes have already been built and work commenced two weeks ago on the new Beverley campus for the East Riding College.
Willmott Dixon managing director Anthony Dillon said: “Flemingate is a fantastic scheme that will bring major economic and leisure benefits to Beverley. We are delighted that work has finally commenced and we look forward to delivering a truly great shopping and leisure facility.”
Wykeland Group managing director Dominic Gibbons said: “Beverley is a beautiful town which already attracts significant numbers of people and workers to its extensive offering of quality independent shops. We believe Flemingate, by focusing on larger, quality national brands, will considerably broaden the town’s retail offering, making Beverley a top location.
“With work commencing on site, we have reached a significant milestone in the development’s history.”
East Riding of Yorkshire Counci leader Stephen Parnaby said: “This is just what the town needs. Beverley is a thriving, bustling community of independent shops which give the town its character and offer fantastic, artisan products they would not get elsewhere, but the town lacks the commercial space needed to accommodate large national retailers that have wanted to come here for many years but have not been able.”
