£1.5m funding for Hull office project

Funding of £1.5m has been awarded to support a project to create new managed office space at a vacant and dilapidated Hull city centre building.Hull City Council and Hull & East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (HEY LEP) has awarded funding to Venture Business Space, part of Allenby Commercial, towards its £6.5m project to create the office space at Monocle, formerly known as Europa House, on junction of Anlaby Road and Ferensway.The money has come from the council’s allocation of government Levelling Up Funding and HEY LEP’s Growing Places Fund, with both providing £750,000.The project is set to support 30 construction jobs, with up to 600 further employment opportunities secured following completion.It will comprise commercial space at ground level and office accommodation on the five upper floors.Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, the council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “The former Europa House building is a prominent and key property in the city centre which has stood dilapidated for many years.”This is another important step forward in the regeneration of Hull city centre, once again supported by Levelling Up Funding.”James Newman, HEY LEP chair, added: “This project will be an important addition to ensuring that Hull city centre continues to develop and will attract new businesses to the city.”I am delighted that the HEY LEP has been able to support Venture Business Space and I look forward to seeing the development completed and the new space occupied.”Work is expected to start soon and Allenby Commercial hopes the first two floors should be ready for occupation by the end of March 2025. Full completion is scheduled for the end of November 2025.Andrew Allenby, managing director of Allenby Commercial, said: “All of our projects are focused on creating jobs in our home city by regenerating sites which were in danger of being forgotten and we are delighted Hull City Council Hull & East Yorkshire LEP are able to support us with this particular project.”We bought the building before the pandemic and have had to face up to the changing landscape in commercial property and to the imperative of creating jobs in Hull city centre.”We have always worked to the highest standards but now the bar is even higher. To buck the trend of remote working and to attract people into the buildings you need to offer excellent facilities.”