Swansea Council is seeking feedback on the plans for its new public sector hub in the city centre, with the aim of the development being to drive new employment and economic opportunities.
Coming as part of the £1 billion transformation of the city centre, the hub will see the council and other public sector partners taking over office space in the building, whilst shops and restaurants will be offered space below. This comes with five floors offering the opportunity for almost 1,000 public sector workers to be based at the new hub.
By proceeding with the development of the site, the hub would then enable the redevelopment of the seafront Civic Centre. This redevelopment will ensure that the site is returned to public use and will offer new opportunities for restaurants, homes, and leisure attractions to be brought in, with the increase in footfall benefitting city centre traders.
Ownership of the hub will be retained by the council, as development is done in partnership with Urban Splash.
Councillor Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said:
"To be successful in the 21st century, Swansea city centre needs more people working there, living there and visiting to support existing local shops, businesses and traders. This will also create new jobs and opportunities and encourage more shops and other businesses to locate to the city in future.
"We know there is strong demand for quality office space in Swansea, and the proposed public sector hub will help meet that demand. The extra workers based in the city centre would also add to the existing daily spend in local restaurants, shops, cafes and other businesses.
"Subject to consultation feedback and planning approval, the public sector hub's construction would form part of the next phase of the city centre's £1bn transformation, following on from schemes like Swansea Arena, the restoration of the Palace Theatre and the new office development for private sector tenants which is taking shape at 71/72 The Kingsway.
"The scheme is part of our commitment to regenerate Swansea city centre and create a leading destination for visiting, enjoying, working, living and studying."
In order to ensure that the development is done in the best interests of residents, three consultations on the plans are being run this month, whilst planning permission will be required once the plans are finalised. Should all this go to plan, the council expects construction on the hub to begin in mid-2025.
Image credit: iStock
