Construction has begun on a new head office for Arco – one of the biggest head office schemes taking place across North England
The £16m new head office will secure the company’s future in Hull and will provide a platform for further growth.
The start of building work also marks a major milestone in the £80m rejuvenation of the waterfront Fruit Market area in Hull, which is being transformed into one of the North’s most significant urban regeneration projects.
The Arco building will be the largest new-build office development for a dedicated user in the Hull area since the late 1960s.
It has been supported with a grant of £1m from the Humber’s Local Growth Fund allocation through the Humber LEP’s Growing the Humber programme of business investment grants.
The scheme marks the latest major chapter in the rejuvenation of the waterfront district being led by Wykeland Beal, the regeneration company formed by commercial developer Wykeland Group and housebuilder Beal Homes as a joint venture.
Wykeland Beal has worked closely with Arco to develop the scheme and enable the company to relocate from its existing head office in Waverley Street, Hull, which has been purchased by Hull City Council to support regeneration and investment in the city centre.
Features of Acro’s new development
The new head office will include a 350-space multi-storey car park to support Arco and its colleagues and the continued growth of the area.
The 58,500 sq ft, five floor building will have a contemporary look and feel, with social meeting areas, a glass-fronted atrium and an auditorium for staff and customer presentations.
It has been designed to enhance the existing environment and blend with neighbouring buildings, including the @TheDock tech campus and its centrepiece, the Centre for Digital Innovation.
The development will create around 200 jobs during the construction phase and provide a further boost for the regeneration of the Fruit Market and the economy of Hull city centre.
Dominic Gibbons, managing director of Wykeland Group, said: “There hasn’t been a new office building of this size in Hull for a single user for more than 50 years and the development will see a showpiece facility of exceptional quality and prestige occupying a key, strategic site.
“We’re delighted one of the city’s most successful and respected businesses has chosen the Fruit Market for the next chapter in its rich history.”
Hessle-based PDR Construction is the principal contractor for the project, which is due to be completed by the end of 2020. The new head office will be home to around 550 Arco staff.
David Evison, managing director of Arco, added: “We’ve taken this opportunity to create a modern workplace that has been designed to ensure our colleagues thrive and new talent emerges.
“We’re particularly pleased that our new head office will support the regeneration of Hull’s Fruit Market, to ensure the city remains vibrant and commercially successful.
“Our second National Distribution Centre, which is on track to open at the end of this year, is further proof of our dedication to investing in the continued growth of the region and to build on our long heritage in Hull.”
