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First shops completed at White River Place
03 August 2009
Two new shops have been completed and handed over as part of St
Austell's £75 million town centre redevelopment scheme - White
River Place.
The final stages of construction are well underway and Sir
Robert McAlpine, the scheme's main contractor, currently has a work
force on site of around 280 with building work taking place 12
hours a day, seven days a week.
£31.5 million is being invested in the scheme by the South West
Regional Development Agency (RDA) with the remainder of funding
from White River Developments.
Wilkinson and HBoS have taken possession of their units to
enable them to start fitting out the interiors - other retailers
will move in over the next few months to begin their fit-outs. The
550-space car park for the scheme is virtually complete with
lighting, line markings and services all fitted, ready to hand over
to operator APCOA for the final stages.
Significant progress is being made on the residential blocks
which will accommodate 69 apartments when finished - the external
wall finishes are now well advanced which include coloured
rendering, brickwork, locally sourced cedar boarding and sheet
cladding. Concrete planters are being constructed alongside South
Street which will be clad with Cornish stone walls. Paving is being
laid through the main thoroughfare of the development together with
installing slate pilasters which forms part of the new shop
fronts.
All buildings within the White River Place development,
including the service and delivery bays, have now been constructed
and external finishes are being completed.
Sandra Rothwell, Head of Regeneration in Cornwall for the South
West RDA added: "It is heartening to see such rapid progress by the
construction team and to know that White River Place is well on
course for the opening on Thursday 29 October. This is a really
exciting development for Cornwall's largest town, helping to unlock
St Austell's business potential and create new jobs in these tough
economic times. The RDA is proud of its involvement and we look
forward to its much anticipated unveiling later this year."
Bryan Trethewey, Project Manager for Sir Robert McAlpine said:
"This is now the final push to get everything finished in time for
the opening in October. The fantastic progress that has been made
on this development is testament to the hard work and dedication of
the whole construction team involved in the build programme. We
would also like to thank everyone in St Austell including the local
community and neighbouring businesses for their patience and
understanding during the construction phase."
Earlier this year, Sir Robert McAlpine won a Silver Considerate
Constructors Scheme award for White River Place. The project was
praised for achieving particularly high standards of cleanliness,
safety, accountability and the company was recognised for its
consideration to local people for keeping disruption to a
minimum.
White River Place will include new shops, restaurants, a
550-space multi-storey car park and 70 apartments. The new
four-screen White River Cinema opened in December last year and
Frankie & Benny's opened in June. Other retailers committed to
the scheme include coffee shop Starbucks and fashion outlets New
Look, Peacocks and Bonmarché. Up to 700 new jobs are expected to be
created once White River Place is finished and open for
business.
Ends
For more information contact Ryan Martinez, Account Manager, on
01208 77900 or via ryan.martinez@dca-pr.co.uk.
Notes to Editors
The South West RDA leads the development of a sustainable
economy, investing to unlock the region's business potential. It is
helping companies respond to the economic crisis and charts a
course for recovery. The RDA is developing or expanding initiatives
which include: establishing a Business Loan Fund; coordinating the
response to large companies in difficulty; preparing for economic
recovery.