Future of York’s Guildhall and riverside to be addressed

The City of York Council are set to meet to address the future of the iconic Guildhall complex, looking at proposals to maximising its economic use, heritage appeal and public access.

The riverside complex could potentially be transformed into an office venue with virtual office and business club facilities, which will garner a significant economic benefit to the city of over £66m in GVA.

The council meeting, which will take place next week, follows a review conducted earlier this year that explored different options for the complex, covering a range of uses from simply leasing the space out as offices to exploiting its commercial potential via a mix of bars/cafes and visitor attractions.

The review identified that the strongest proposal was for a business club/flexible office space with some supporting commercial restaurant and cafe space, offering continued public and civic use of the site whilst generating financial returns and supporting local business growth.

During the meeting, Council executives will be asked to approve the commissioning of further design work to ensure a scheme is developed and an associated business case is progressed.

To ensure that the Guildhall will attract high levels of use commercially, which will secure future viability and wider economic benefits to the city, plans to approve the selection of a commercial operating partner will be reviewed.

Cllr Chris Steward, Leader of City of York Council, said: “The Guildhall complex is one of York’s most iconic buildings so it’s vital that these proposals not only safeguard its long-term future but also maximise its economic use to give local businesses the kind of space they need to thrive.

“We welcome the scrutiny review which reinforced the need to explore different options to bring the Guildhall back into use with a mixed use development including a new commercial offer, which will bring significant economic benefit to the city of over £66m in GVA.”

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