Bouygues UK has welcomed councillors and senior officers from Swansea Council on site at 71/72 The Kingsway to give them an exclusive tour of the work carried out so far on this major five-storey office development in Swansea city centre.
Located at the former Oceana nightclub site, when finished the building will house up to 600 workers, will be operationally carbon zero and worth £32.6 million a year to Swansea’s economy.
Bouygues UK’s Mike Timothy, project director for the Kingsway site, showed the client delegation around the foundation works that are now well underway before the concrete frame of the building is built in the next few months.
Due for completion in the summer of 2023, the scheme will include 114,000 square feet of commercial floor space with flexible co-working and office opportunities for businesses in sectors like tech, digital and the creative industries. Other features of the new development include a roof terrace, a new link between The Kingsway and Oxford Street, and balconies overlooking the city centre and Swansea Bay.
Swansea Council is developing the project and it is being built by Bouygues UK. It is part-funded by the Swansea Bay City Deal and supported by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.
John Boughton, Managing Director of Bouygues UK in Wales and the West, said: “Bouygues UK is very proud to be working with Swansea Council on this pivotal project for the city and it was great to welcome the councillors and officers to the site so they could see the progress so far.
“The mix of commercial and office space is going to be a great asset to Swansea, along with the other ongoing regeneration projects. The fact that the building, when finished, will operate at net zero is also very important to us as a business, as it’s our ambition to achieve this all of our sites and builds.”
Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, said: “Visiting the site has enabled us not just to see for ourselves the progress that’s already been made, but also to learn from our main scheme contractor, Bouygues UK, about some of the exciting digital tools soon to be used as part of the project as the development gathers even more pace.
“Once complete, this scheme will offer the kind of modern, flexible office space we know our businesses need to thrive, particularly in the digital, tech and creative industry sectors, where an agile workspace with networking opportunities and high-quality digital connectivity is so important.
“The scheme has attracted significant attention from potential tenants, and it will also benefit other city centre businesses by generating more footfall and spending.”
Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “This scheme will help retain young business talent in Swansea and provide even more jobs and opportunities for local people.
“It’s yet another example of an artist’s impression that will soon come to life, following-on from a major improvement scheme led by the council that’s already transformed The Kingsway into a far greener and more pleasant environment for residents and businesses.”
