Wolverhampton's i9 development wins top digital award

The office building was handed the WiredScore Gold certification in recognition of its digital connectivity and infrastructure.

The award, given to the city centre development which is set to be complete in the summer, is a trusted benchmark in the field.

Councillor Stephen Simkins, cabinet member for city economy, said: "The i9 development is helping give investors confidence in Wolverhampton and it is attracting strong interest from potential occupiers, who will benefit from excellent digital connectivity.

"Achieving a WiredScore Gold Rating confirms our commitment to providing the very best facilities and the highest level of service to occupiers.

"Being the only office building in the Black Country to achieve this status reinforces how innovative our digital strategy is in Wolverhampton.

"i9 will help us stimulate economic growth in the city, bringing hundreds of jobs and much-needed opportunities for local people in our recovery from the current Covid-19 crisis."

The development is also targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the building and lower any potential impact on the surrounding environment.

The finished building will provide up to 50,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, which has potential for 5,600 sq ft of retail or leisure space, chiefs have said.

Chris Jones, associate director at property developer ION, said: "We are delighted to achieve WiredScore Gold certification for the i9 development which demonstrates our commitment to providing tenants with excellent digital connectivity.

"This is ION’s first project to secure a WiredScore rating so to achieve Gold status is a fantastic achievement and one that has required a collaborative effort with City of Wolverhampton Council, Glenn Howells Architects, Hilson Moran, GRAHAM Construction and WiredScore."

The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is also supporting the development of i9.