Work has started on a £600,000 refurbishment of Marina Court, a landmark office complex in the heart of Hull, adjacent to the Marina.
The site owners, the Hull-based Wykeland Group, say the investment is further evidence of the company’s on-going commitment to Hull and will secure the development’s future as a prime office address in the city.
Marina Court overlooks the Marina on one side and the busy Castle Street, the main east-west route through the city centre, on another, and was purchased by the Wykeland Group last year.
Built in 1990 by English Estates, the forerunner to Yorkshire Forward, the 39,500 sq. ft. complex occupies a prime two-acre site with parking for 131 cars and has been home to a number of well-known businesses during the past 20 years.
Wykeland’s Asset Manager, Rob Richardson, said: “This is a significant budget for an office refurbishment programme but Marina Court is a significant address. For many visitors to Hull, it is one of those landmark sights that will leave a lasting impression of our city and while the property itself is in very good structural condition it is in need of some TLC.
“If we are to continue to attract the best names in commerce and compete with other Yorkshire regional centres such as Leeds and Sheffield, then we have to provide first class office accommodation.
He described the refurbishment work at Marina Court as ‘extensive’ and added that interest in the building was already high.
Wykeland’s in-house architect, Graham Aitchison, said: “The refurbishment will create a completely different feel to the property with a new lift, new windows throughout, existing offices suites being knocked together to create larger floor plates and a general overhaul of the property”.
Hull building contractor Hobson & Porter has been awarded the main refurbishment contract. The company’s Business Development Manager, Mike Burton said: “We are delighted to be involved in such a high profile project and we are looking forward to working with Wykeland as they continue to invest in Hull and the wider region”.
(L-R) Mike Burton, business development manager at Hobson & Porter; David Blades, contract director at Hobson & Porter; Graham Beal, senior quantity surveyor at Hobson & Porter; Rob Richardson, asset manager at Wykeland Group, and Graham Aitchison, architect at Wykeland Group.
