The creation of the brand new Southport Enterprise Arcade will show how “new life can be brought back to these fantastic buildings” in Southport town centre, says Sefton Council.
Stand Up For Southport revealed on 24th January how work had begun on the £1.5 million transformation at the Crown Buildings, on Eastbank Street.
Read More: Work begins on creating new £1.5 million Southport Enterprise Arcade
The Enterprise Arcade will be the town’s third creative and digitally-focused space for start-up and growing businesses and entrepreneurs, after the opening of Werksy on West Street and The Engine Room inside Wayfarers Shopping Arcade.
Town Deal funding of £1.5 million has been earmarked for the Southport Enterprise Arcade scheme, which will see the Crown Buildings reimagined to create almost 900m2 of space for digital and creative start-ups and scale-ups.
A team from Liverpool speciality construction and refurbishment firm Skyline Property Solutions Ltd is on site leading on the interior refurbishment and refit of Crown Buildings into the much-anticipated new space for digital and creative start-ups and scale-ups.
Work starts at the new Southport Enterprise Arcade. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
While the face of the building won’t change, scaffolding has been erected to help facilitate the refurbishment works and keep passers-by safe.
The Entertainer toy shop on Eastbank Street and local businesses inside Cambridge Arcade and Cambridge Walks remain open while work takes place.
Leading North West digital expert Jon Corner, who helped drive technology sector businesses to Media City in Salford, will be joining the Enterprise Arcade project team.
Tenants are expected to start moving into the building by the end of 2024.
The Enterprise Arcade project reaffirms the commitment of Sefton Council and its partners to maximising the potential of the digital, creative and technological sectors within the resort.
An artist’s impression of The Enterprise Arcade on Eastbank Street in Southport
It also demonstrates their support for the ongoing diversification of the borough’s economy and the continued growth of entrepreneurship in Sefton.
Cllr Christine Howard, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said:
“I’m delighted that work has now started on this key project.
“The new, repurposed workspace will join Southport’s regenerated and already successful Southport Market in demonstrating how new life can be brought back to these fantastic buildings, encouraging more investment and helping secure a positive future for the town.
“Our Enterprise Arcade will be the ideal location for a whole host of start-up and growing businesses and individuals, whether they be in the early incubator stages of developing their brand or simply in need of flexibility and an agile approach to their working practices.”
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