Harrogate Borough Council has appointed property advisor Cushman & Wakefield to develop a business case and masterplan to identify a preferred option for the future of the Harrogate Convention Centre (HCC) site.
The HCC currently contributes £60m to the local economy each year and management is keen to move forward to give the existing site a ‘campus’ or event ‘resort’ feel to it.
Increased competition appears to have pushed Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the site, into some action to ensure the venue remains competitive and attractive.
If reconfigured, the site, which currently provides 17,000sqm of conference and exhibition space, could unlock new and transformational development opportunities.
The council has already sought specialist advice on the market opportunities for the convention centre and says this will inform the business case for investment in the wider site.
Stephen Miles, partner of Cushman & Wakefield’s Development & Planning team, said: “This is an important instruction that will identify a way of facilitating improvements to the convention centre whilst simultaneously unlocking new development opportunities that will benefit the town centre economy.”
Cushman & Wakefield is leading a wider team comprising Arup, IPW, Gardiner & Theobald, Group Ginger and DWF.
HCC Simon Kent, added: “The business case is the first step in what is potentially a very exciting opportunity for the convention centre. It’s good to see this initial stage of the project in the hands of a company, which has huge amounts of experience in our sector… I’m looking forward to seeing the company’s ideas for further integrating the Convention Centre into Harrogate’s Town Centre and strengthening our position within the events industry.”
