Wates wins another big Boro job
Middlesbrough Development Corporation and its partners iMpeC and Buccleuch have chosen the contractor to deliver the Gresham regeneration project.
The transformation of the brownfield site is regarded as a flagship element of Middlesbrough’s regeneration masterplan, with a first phase including more than 230 build-to-rent properties and residential accommodation for more than 450 students.
International hotel brand Fairfield by Marriott is also in discussions to open a 200-bedroom hotel as part of Gresham’s reinvention.
A planning application for the first phase of the project is set to be submitted in the coming weeks. Subject to planning permission and MDC board approval, building work on the project could start as soon as early summer 2025.
The wider aim of the Gresham project is to bring high-quality accommodation to the town centre, supporting companies looking to attract and retain talent.
It will also support the growth of Teesside University, where Wates earlier this year won its fourth campus project, to deliver the £40m Digital Life building.
David Wingfield, managing director for construction (east) at Wates, said: “We’ve been working in the centre of Middlesbrough for nearly a decade, helping cement the town as a key growth region in the North East through our builds.
“The Gresham regeneration will help accelerate this potential even further, bringing a disused area back to life through the creation of community, and we’re incredibly proud to be appointed to deliver it.
“We firmly believe that large-scale regeneration projects should go beyond the lifecycle of a building, providing opportunities that can support communities for generations.
“We plan to deliver more than £50m in social value to Middlesbrough through this scheme, aligning with our values to create thriving places and allowing us to make a lasting impact in the heart of the community.”
MDC announced this summer that it had appointed iMpeC and Buccleuch Property as its development partners for Gresham, launching a July consultation on the proposals.
Leigh Cresswell, director at iMpeC, said: “This development can be the catalyst to wide-scale public and private investment that will transform the centre of Middlesbrough.
“It will help the town’s digital community – the UK’s fastest-growing tech hub – as well as the thriving advanced manufacturing and professional services sectors to attract and retain talent.
“Following a formal tender process that attracted most of the UK’s major contractors, we are delighted to welcome Wates as a key part of the established project team.
“While their appointment brings the vast experience and knowledge of a national business, Wates has a proven commitment to keeping its supply chain local wherever possible as well as working with the local community.
“The appointment of the construction contractor is a key milestone in the development as we move towards the submission of planning approval.”
