Reading Borough Council has chosen McLaren Living as development partner to transform its 5.2-acre Minster Quarter site, formerly occupied by the Civic Centre.
The scheme has a gross development value of £250m and includes more than 600 homes, 40,000 sq ft of commercial space and public realm.
The residential scheme is expected to include around 200 affordable social rent and affordable private rent flats, while the commercial element of the project will provide workspace, retail, food and beverage, and a 102-bedroom hotel.
The public spaces will extend across a new Hexagon Square, featuring civic space and a community hub, and serving as a gateway to Reading’s Hexagon Theatre and new Studio Theatre.
The development is central to the wider Minster Quarter regeneration area, which will create a mixed-use neighbourhood in the town centre, delivering upwards of 1,200 homes.
Over the next decade, neighbouring landowners plan to bring forward a series of schemes. These include the redevelopment of the Castle Street police station and Broad Street Mall, investment in the Magistrates’ Court and the council’s own plans to create a cultural campus including the Hexagon Theatre and new Studio Theatre extension.
Jason Brock, leader of Reading Borough Council, said: “Our key aims throughout have been to secure affordable housing for Reading, public realm and a net-zero development, in line with our wider net-zero ambitions.”
Matthew Biddle, managing director at McLaren Living, said: “We already have a presence in the area, and we are committed to working with local stakeholders to deliver a new community for all and enhance Reading.”
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