Pioneer Group has secured planning permission to turn the Grafton Centre in Cambridge into laboratory and office space for life sciences companies.
The western end of the shopping mall alongside the cinema will be retained and transformed into a “more attractive” destination for local shoppers. In addition, the proposals include the delivery of a 120-bedroom hotel, to be operated by Premier Inn.
Pioneer bought the Grafton Centre from L&G for £50m in mid-2022, with conversion plans submitted to the council in July last year.
The shopping mall was constructed in the 1980s and has a net internal area of 378,750 sq ft. Its current vacancy rate stands at 48%. Alongside shops, cinema chain Vue has a lease with 15 years left to run and PureGym has a lease with seven years left to run. The adjacent car park provides 874 spaces.
Under the transformation plan, the centre will be increased in size by 157,422 sq ft.
Pioneer is looking to keep 96,778 sq ft of retail space and proposes to develop 386,682 sq ft of research and development facilities, including 12,648 sq ft of incubator space and 16,576 sq ft of grow-on space for start-ups and early-stage companies. A central atrium auditorium would be created with the life sciences centre, as well as shared space for events and educational use.
The move comes as the developer aims to address the demand and supply imbalance of laboratories and offices in the Cambridge area while providing amenities for the local community and occupiers.
The proposals also include provision of amenities for occupiers through the enhancement of the existing leisure uses, provision of retail and restaurant facilities and improved public realm. In addition, a range of external amenity spaces are proposed, including roof terraces.
The existing homes at 20-41 Christchurch Street and 1-4 Burleigh Street will be retained as part of the scheme, while the developer will demolish 11-12 Burleigh Street to create a new pedestrian and cycle access link through the central square.
Richard O’Boyle, chief executive at Pioneer, said: “By providing spaces suitable for international companies, small start-ups and scale-ups in one building in the city centre, scientists here will be able to work together, as well as collaborate with mentors from Pioneer, researchers in the city’s universities and investors, to help them develop technologies.
“The scheme will also deliver new jobs near to where people live, encouraging more sustainable travel, as well as helping local shops, cafés and restaurants to thrive.”
The approved redevelopment plan, designed by Corstorphine & Wright, is expected to bring forward long-term improvements to retail, with an anticipated £111.2m extra economic benefit. Overall, the development is expected to create an additional £141.4m in GVA per annum.
Jonathan Bainbridge, planning partner at Bidwells, which advised Pioneer, said: “The Grafton Centre is a site of vast, as yet unfulfilled potential, and this regeneration project will see it transformed into a commercial and retail hub which gives back to the community.
“The success of the broader Oxford to Cambridge supercluster relies on this kind of innovative planning and has the potential to be emulated across the region.”
In Oxford, Pioneer is nearing a £30m deal to buy a former Debenhams department store with a view to converting it into an urban research and development facility, with the ground floor and basement retained for retail use.
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Image from Pioneer Group
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