Kettering Borough Council and main contractor John Sisk & Son came together on Wednesday 9th March to mark the start of the final stage of building work to the Market Place Restaurants. As the roof nears completion, the building just needs its windows before it is completely wind and watertight. With works already progressing inside the apartments, a summer completion is definitely on the cards.
The event was celebrated inside the larger of the two restaurant units with partners including North Northants Development Company (NNDC), Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
The new buildings will incorporate a total of 9,000sqft of restaurant space and 10 high quality apartments with resident parking provided at basement level. The new restaurant buildings will give people in the town somewhere to enjoy a bite to eat and sit and catch up with friends and family.
The success of the Market Place has already been evident with local, regional, national and international events being staged in the new space and over a million pounds of investment in the buildings surrounding it.
The creation of the Market Place Restaurants is part of a multi-million pound improvement project aimed at rejuvenating Kettering’s town centre. The work is being paid for entirely from funding attracted from outside of the borough known as the Growth Area Funds as well as £560,000 of investment directly from the Homes and Communities Agency to complete the apartments on the scheme.
The design of the new buildings provides more than a passing reference to the buildings that used to sit on this site:
Construction work is due for completion in the summer, with the fit-out of the restaurants to follow in time for an autumn opening.
Paul Thomas, Programme Manager at Kettering Borough Council said:
“It is really exciting to see first hand the development of the Market Place buildings and as they near completion we can sense a real buzz in and around the market place. Not only will this new development help to regenerate the Town Centre and help to create an established Restaurant Quarter but it is also restoring a piece of history to the town and area. With the completion of these buildings in summer and the transformation of the surrounding streets Kettering is one to watch.”
Speaking about the ceremony Chris Dyer, Director for Sisk commented:
“We’re delighted to have reached this major milestone for delivering a fitting centre piece for Kettering. The next and final stages of the project will see the build taking shape rapidly as it moves towards the summer completion. This project is very much about the detail as it’s important the buildings blend seamlessly into their surroundings. We have gone to great lengths to ensure the best quality materials and craftsmen are used on this project, promising a positive addition to the Market Place.”
Sandy Ward, Area Manager at the Homes and Communities Agency, said:
“We are pleased to see the progress of this scheme, which is creating high quality apartments and commercial premises to attract national restaurant outlets into Kettering. It is hoped the project will also encourage inward investment for further regeneration projects in the town.”