Speller Metcalfe awarded £4.9m Wolverhampton city centre market job
Building firm Speller Metcalfe has been awarded the £4.9m job of creating Wolverhampton's new city centre market.
The West Midlands-based contractor has already started work to relocate the market to its new Southside home in October and the new market is set to start trading in the spring.
The company had already secured the contract from Wolverhampton council in 2016 to move the old indoor market from its previous home at Heantun House to temporarily join the outdoor traders at Market Square.
It has now secured the further phase of works to permanently relocate the entire market to the Southside area.
It is the latest in a string of successful contract wins for Speller Metcalfe in the Black Country. The company has handled the £18m refurbishment of Wolverhampton Civic Centre and also built the Advance II project at Dudley College.
The newly developed market will boast 20 purpose-built cabins and 48 tented stalls in addition to new public toilets, a new shop mobility unit and other facilities. The relocation aims to improve the long-term viability and performance of the Wolverhampton City Market by offering larger cabins, better security and increased footfall from the Wulfrun Centre and transport interchange.
Des O’Neill, group managing director for Speller Metcalfe said: “It’s very exciting for Speller Metcalfe to be such a big part of the massive amount of regeneration and investment that is happening in Wolverhampton at the moment.
“The new and improved market will provide a real boost to the local economy.
“In addition to the market works we are also building a new Jaguar Land Rover showroom for Jardine Motor Group on Penn Road which will create new jobs and further attract people to the city.”
Councillor Steve Evans, Wolverhampton councils cabinet member for city environment said: “Since the market relocation scheme was first agreed more detailed conversations have been held with the traders over their needs and the designs have been further developed.
“We are consulting regularly with the current traders over the relocation – and we are delighted with the interest we have had from new applicants.
“Their addition will provide a more varied range of sales lines to differentiate it from a traditional market offer.
“The new market, partly funded by the sale of Market Square as part of the Westside scheme, has loads of potential – and we want this to be the people’s market, where events are also encouraged.
“It will prove an asset to the city centre.”
