NEWS
TECH TIME
Vision - how Boho 8 will look ( above ) and work gets underway ( right ).
Work underway on Boho 8 – and Boho X still on track
Work is under way
on the latest phase of Middlesbrough ’ s ambitious Boho campus , the heart of a zone mayor Andy Preston aims to transform into the UK ’ s digital city .
Boho 8 will provide additional space for rapidly expanding companies in the existing Boho 1 and Boho 5 buildings , as well as attracting new digital and creative businesses to the area .
The £ 2.3m project features four bespoke-designed cantilevered , modular buildings , ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 sq ft , with completion due over the winter .
Backed by Local Growth funding from the Tees Valley mayor and combined authority , the development alongside Boho 1 will be complemented by modern contemporary external communal space with a high street feel .
Mayor Preston said : “ Middlesbrough is firmly on track to become the digital city of the UK , and Boho 8 is another leap towards that ambition .
“ It ’ s another step in a £ 250m investment in this flourishing sector which is already putting Middlesbrough on the map nationally and internationally .
“ Boho is a key digital and creative hotspot , and it symbolises the sort of aspiration and ambition that will deliver jobs and prosperity for many years to come .
“ Boho 8 will not only help retain existing creative businesses but attract new jobs here too .”
Meanwhile , mayor Preston says a proposed “ Plan B ” for the town ’ s Boho X will match all of the “ ambition , passion and confidence ” of the proposed skyscraper that had previously been planned for the new digital development .
Mr Preston has revealed that he has been working with experts on a new design for the building that better meets the requirements of a post-Covid Teesside .
He explained : “ Covid has changed the world . Since it struck , I ’ ve been working with experts to try to work out what kind of demand there will be for new offices .
“ I ’ m certain there ’ ll be strong demand for great offices with the right facilities , so we will press ahead with Boho X and it will set Middlesbrough apart from anywhere else – exciting even more interest in our town .”
Explaining the likely changes to the development ’ s design , he added : “ Maybe , in the post-Covid world , Boho X needs to be a different kind of building , maybe not a single tall structure but a completely different shape .
“ With all this in mind , I ’ m considering a post-Covid Plan B for Boho X that will bring all the ambition , passion and confidence of the skyscraper and also reflects the fact that the world has changed .
“ I can guarantee that our Plan B will be as exciting and inspiring .”
Revealing new artist ’ s impressions , Mr Preston said Plan B could include : – outdoor cinema – secure storage for 100 cycles – rooftop lecture theatre / cinema for 140 people – rooftop gym – rooftop swimming pool – rooftop bar for private hire – mixed use reception cafe that open to the public – its own outside orchard – extensive teleconferencing and media facilities – 60,000 sq ft of offices – even stronger green credentials
60 | Tees Business