Capital&Centric shout out to business innovators to influence The Goods Yard vibe
Social impact developers behind The Goods Yard – a planned new community in Stoke-on-Trent – are calling on indie businesses to get in touch about being part of the new neighbourhood.
Capital&Centric have made the announcement today, in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Council at UKREiiF, the UK’s first real estate investment and infrastructure forum.
The new urban quarter next to Stoke-on-Trent station will be packed full of design-led spaces for entrepreneurs, clustered around an acre of public space and gardens and with new apartments on the doorstep.
The team is now on the hunt for businesses who want to be part of the coolest neighbourhood in town, boasting design by award-winning architects and a mix of styles, from modern industrial units to spaces in the historic vaulted warehouse, set to be restored.
The mix of buildings mean The Goods Yard will provide a home to a range of operators – from offices and workshops, to bars, restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores.
Capital&Centric want to chat to independents – having built neighbourhoods such as Kampus in Manchester, filled with renowned bands born in the region. They’re also on the lookout for established names, start-ups, innovators or makers to help shape the vibe of the neighbourhood from an early stage.
Commercial spaces up for grabs will include:
Pavilion: A contemporary, two-storey space with an industrial feel. It’ll feature double-height workspaces and leisure units, with over 10,500 sq.ft to let.
Vaults Warehouse: A buzzing space in the restored and locally listed basement warehouse, featuring a vaulted brick ceiling, mezzanine floor, with around 15,000 sq.ft floorspace to let for creative workplaces, bars and restaurants.
The Signal Box: Around 2,800 sq.ft of space for a bar or restaurant to rejuvenate the former train station signal box.
Goods Yard Living: Including two ground floor commercial units in the new-build block, alongside 174 spacious apartments.
Overall, over 32,000 sq.ft of space will be available, with business leaders encouraged to express an early interest to start the discussion.
Tim Heatley, co-founder at Capital&Centric, said:
“We’ve always collaborated with ambitious indie brands and our communities have provided springboard settings for people with great ideas, loyal followings and new concepts. The type of design-led spaces we develop make them stand out from often bland workspaces void of personality, so they tend to attract creative businesses that want to be part of a proper community.
“The Goods Yard will be no different and will be a stand-out neighbourhood in Stoke-on-Trent. There’ll be loads of spaces for business owners to plan their future, whether that’s a tap room for a local brewery, artisan bakery or digital start-up. The spaces will be packed full of unique features – awesome settings that have real charm, but are flexible enough for people to put their stamp on.
“The end result will be a buzzing district that is true to the identity of the city, not an identikit high street as the nearest neighbours. We really hope the region’s businesses get fired up about the opportunity and come speak to us early.”
The £60m project will be a major investment in the region, one of three in Stoke-in-Trent backed by the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. Construction is set to start at the site, bordered by the Trent and Mersey Canal and the A500, this summer.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Abi Brown said:
“We are Levelling Up Stoke-on-Trent and we’re so excited to see this next step at such a landmark space in our city. The arrival of the Goods Yard is massive for Stoke-on-Trent.
“In less than four years, this site has gone from an intriguing idea to a development opportunity, to a partnership with Capital&Centric, to securing multi-million pound Levelling Up fund investment, to gaining planning permission for a fantastic mix of development.
“The interest and excitement about the Goods Yard has grown massively since we announced this collaboration last year, and I know that today’s call out for businesses to come forward and join us will just increase that buzz. Being able to announce this at what is looking to be the most talked about UK real estate investment event in the last five years is brilliant – we’re telling major national agencies, government departments and businesses how we’re delivering right here in Stoke-on-Trent. We are recovering from the pandemic and at the same time creating the right opportunity for local, new and ambitious businesses to join us.”
Those wanting to express an interest can do so by email to: goodsyard@capitalandcentric.com