Member Article

Diggers arrive at Edward Street Quarter development in Brighton

Work has begun at Edward Street Quarter, the £120m redevelopment of the ex-AMEX House site, owned by property developer First Base in partnership with Patron Capital.

McLaren Construction has been appointed as lead contractor with a target of completion by autumn 2021.

McLaren has begun construction work in earnest this month, pouring the concrete for the foundations and basement floor. Nick Hibberd, Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture at Brighton & Hove City Council and other local stakeholders also got stuck in to help kick off the construction.

With 110,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, 168 new apartments, 39,000 sq ft of retail, food and beverage and leisure units, the development is the largest of its kind to come to Brighton in over 25 years.

Steve Eccles, Project Director at First Base, commented: “Starting on site at Edward Street Quarter is a significant milestone as we move forward the delivery of Brighton’s largest speculative office scheme for over two decades. The growth of the tech, media and creative sectors in Brighton has been frustrated by a lack of suitable workspace, so we anticipate strong demand for the commercial element, which will sit within a vibrant new neighbourhood in the city centre.”

Kevin Cooke, Senior Partner - Development at Patron Capital, said: “Following significant planning, it’s exciting to see construction work starting for this major scheme. With its exceptional design, attractive city-centre location and mix of uses, we look forward to this being a highly successful development in all senses.”

High-end commercial office space is in high demand in Brighton, as Director of the Chamber of Commerce, Sarah Springford, recently testified: “We know from talking to our members that high-end office space is something this city is currently seriously lacking. Developments like Edward Street Quarter will help Brighton prosper and help our burgeoning creative and tech businesses stay local, growing within what is fast becoming recognised as the UK’s Silicon Beach.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Edward Street Quarter .