Ambitious plan revealed for site of city brewery
PLANS for a major 12-storey financial building at the proposed Central Quay riverfront regeneration scheme on the current Brains brewery site in the centre of Cardiff have been revealed as the developer behind the ambitious project launches a consultation process with local residents and businesses.
As part of its pre-planning discussions, Cardiff-based and family-owned Rightacres Property has written to hundreds of residents and firms in the Grangetown and Riverside areas of the capital, inviting them to have a direct say and input on the master planning for what would be the biggest commercial property scheme ever seen in Wales.
Over time Central Quay could see 2.5 million sq ft of new office, leisure – including bars and shops – and residential space built running alongside the river Taff.
It would create thousands of new jobs and provide a major boost to the economy of Cardiff and the wider Cardiff Capital Region.
The first phase will focus on part of the existing SA Brain & Co brewing and office site.
This includes plans for a 220,000 sq ft landmark office building targeting companies in the financial and professional services sector, including those in the growing financial technology (fintech) sector.
The 12-storey building’s architects are Rio, who also designed the One Central Square office scheme in the centre of Cardiff, which was recently named the best commercial office in the UK in awards from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
A detailed planning application for the first phase Central Quay office project, along with a multistorey car park for 650 vehicles and a 200-bedroom hotel, is expected to be submitted to Cardiff Council early next year, following the public consultation pre-planning exercise.
If approved, the three projects will be located on the existing SA Brain car-park site, so allowing the brewer to continue to operate while it builds a new operation elsewhere in the city. It has drawn up a shortlist of possible locations and a decision on its preferred site is expected to be confirmed shortly.
The financial centre at Central Quay would also have a dedicated food hall, which would target local food and drink producers. Subject to planning, work would start later next year and be completed by the summer of 2020.
There is already understood to be keen interest in the building from existing firms in the south Wales marketplace, as well as financial and professional services firms looking to relocate into Wales.
Legal & General, which currently employs 1,400 in the city at offices at Brunel House and Knox Court, has been linked to a new 100,000 sq ft HQ in the centre of Cardiff.
Cardiff Metropolitan University has Central Quay on its shortlist of two locations – the other being land at Callaghan Square – for its proposed new School of Technologies, which could open in 2020 for around 2,000 students.
The SA Brain site could accommodate up to 1.5 million sq ft of mixed-use development. However, this could increase to over two mil- lion square feet if combined with Network Rail’s land, some six acres, at what is currently a surface car park immediately south of the Cardiff Central railway station and which is next to the SA Brain site.
The masterplan includes a twoacre site owned by Vastint and currently used as a BMW car dealership in Penarth Road.
The listed brewing building and landmark Brains chimney would remain as central features at Central Quay. While there are no confirmed plans yet for the brewery building, it is understood that it could become a new hub location for start-up businesses and entrepreneurs.
Chief executive of Rightacres Paul McCarthy said the pre-planning consultation for Central Quay would be a collaborative process, and said he fully expects the “crowd sourcing” exercise to bring forward “great ideas” that will end up being incorporated into the scheme.
He added: “Our experience shows that early consultation with the local residents and businesses can generate the kind of ideas and experiences that will enrich the final scheme and contribute to its success.
“It’s also important that we have a forum through which any concerns can be communicated. The plan is to co-ordinate the feedback to inform both the design and construction process. The success of this scheme relies on getting the balance right between local residents, businesses and visitors.
“As well as providing modern, high-tech workplaces, the development will include food markets for local producers and space for creative businesses that will attract visitors and create a vibrant meeting space for locals. Central Quay will become an integral part of the city for businesses.”
A consultation website for the scheme has now gone live at www. centralquay.co.uk.
Grangetown councillor Lynda Thorne said: “We welcome this approach by the developer. There is no doubt that a development of this scale can directly affect the local community and having a platform through which concerns and ideas can be communicated is a good idea.”