Work starts on £2.5 million mixed-use refurbishment project in Wakefield city centre

The design and build project will see Westgate’s Marygate House, which was originally built as an office building in the 1970s, transformed into 26 apartments over three floors.

In addition, the existing ground-floor retail units will be upgraded with new shop fronts and canopies, on behalf of developer, IP Marygate House.

The development will offer a selection of smart studio apartments, as well as one and two bedroom homes, which will be ready to move into early next summer.

The scheme was designed by Leeds-based PDG Architects, with Yorkshire construction contractor, Priestley Construction, beginning the work earlier this week.

Nathan Priestley, CEO of the Priestley Group, said: "As a Yorkshire-based business, we continue to see the huge potential in the region’s smaller towns and cities, such as Wakefield, which is a city on the up, driven by a council that is committed to bringing its ambitious regeneration plans to life.

“We are thrilled to start work giving Marygate House a new lease of life, as well as significantly enhancing the local street scene in a sought-after part of the city centre, within the main retail centre and close to the historic Civic Quarter.

“Our experience in delivering high quality residential developments in key city centre locations has enabled us to create a vision for a scheme that will be a fantastic place to live, as well as being a valuable asset for both Marygate and Wakefield as a whole.”