GMI Construction is main contractor for the £31m transformation of Grimsby’s Freshney Place shopping centre into a leisure, retail, food hub and complimentary market.
The project, backed by central government and North East Lincolnshire Council, aims to revitalise the town centre shopping area.
GMI, appointed principal contractor by the council’s regeneration manager Queensberry, will construct a market hall with refurbished facades and internal upgrades, with a new five-screen cinema and adjacent leisure facility, developed as shell-only units to provide flexibility for potential tenants.
It will also put in three commercial units designed for food and beverage operators, a newly designed public square serving as a focal point, upgraded shopfronts and bulkheads within Market Square, as well as the refurbishment of three existing retail units.
The initial phase involves an internal strip-out followed by the demolition in summer of the existing market hall and rooftop carpark. There will also be a partial demolition of the former BHS store on Flottergate and several commercial units in Flottergate Mall and the Bullring.
North East Lincolnshire Council leader Philip Jackson joined representatives from GMI Construction Group on site last week to launch the project. He said: “We’re on a hugely ambitious journey, with significant investment of public funds across our towns and borough. We’re investing in one of the largest schemes this council has ever invested in, and I’m pleased to be working with GMI on this significant contract.
“Our Freshney Place regeneration scheme is, in my firm belief, the most important regeneration project we have seen in North East Lincolnshire. It is key to the future of our town centre – underpinning the other regeneration taking place as well as securing the future of Freshney Place and the 1,700 local jobs it supports”
GMI commercial director Ed Weston said: “Our expertise in delivering both urban regeneration projects and high-quality mixed-use developments will ensure that Freshney Place becomes a vibrant destination for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.”
Paul Sargent, founder of Queensberry, and the council’s development and asset manager for Freshney Place, added: “This is the sort of placemaking everyone talks about, but not everyone gets the opportunity to create.”
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