34 | Tees Business
Boro scales new heights with Boho Five
Middlesbrough's new Boho Five building was officially launched by a cross-party
team of politicians. Tees Business editor Martin Walker joined them...
A
ndy McDonald says he wants to take
school and college students high
above Teesside to give them a bird's
eye view of the opportunities that exist
across the region.
But the Middlesbrough MP doesn't need
to hire a helicopter to show them what the
rapidly-developing Middlehaven has to offer
our youngsters.
I joined Mr McDonald, Middlesbrough
Mayor Dave Budd and the Northern
Powerhouse Minister, and Stockton South
MP, James Wharton for the official launch of
Boho Five - a state-of-the-art £4m structure
built specially for the creative and digital
sector.
The six-floor Boho Five business unit - the
latest addition to the town’s Boho Zone
– has been developed in partnership by
the Homes and Communities Agency and
Middlesbrough Council through European
Regional Development Fund and HCA
investment.
"When I go into schools and colleges, I'm
desperate to lift people up above the Tees
and show them the businesses that are
active and creative and right at the cutting
edge," Mr McDonald told me.
"We have our core industries which
we absolutely need - steel, chemicals
and polymers - but there's more to
Middlesbrough and Teesside than that.
"Boho Five is a fantastic diversification of
our skills and abilities, and a continuation of
the work that has already been established,
which started with Boho One and all the
wonderful creative and digital companies
starting up there.
"It's emblematic of the vitality here in
Middlesbrough and wider Teesside and is a
remarkable contribution to Middlehaven. We
can see it all spreading all around us. These
are fantastic developments for our town."
Politicians put their differences to one
side for the launch of Boho Five, which
was designed by award-winning firm Xsite
Architecture.
Mr Wharton told Tees Business: "This is an
exciting and really important development for
Middlesbrough and the Tees Valley.
"You look at Middlehaven and you look
at what's changed, this is another stage
in delivering real investment and securing
jobs for the future of our economy, and
regenerating this very important part of
Middlesbrough which is the centre of the
Tees Valley."
At over 24,000 sq. ft the building will offer
office accommodation for up to 50 small and
medium sized enterprises in the digital and
creative sector. With this in mind a variety of
office sizes have been created ranging from
100 – 1000 sq. ft.
Mr Budd told me: "This is the next stage
of the Middlehaven development and now
we're beginning to lose count of how many
new buildings there are, and there are more
to come.
A stunning aerial view from
the top floor at Boho Five.
(Left to right) Middlesbrough Mayor Dave Budd, Northern Powerhouse
Minister James Wharton, HCA executive director for the North East and
Yorkshire Naz Parkar and Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald at the
official launch of Boho Five.
"Boho Five fits architecturally with what
Middlehaven is about and it fits with the
commercial future of the city centre,
and it's yet another marker to say that
Middlesbrough is changing.
"I love looking out of the top of buildings,
it gives you a different view of the place, and
the views from the top of Boho Five show all
the opportunities that are going to be around
for the next few years."
Aimed at new and growing businesses in
the sector, Boho Five will provide informal
space for pre-start companies and potential
entrepreneurs, fast start incubation space,
flexible space as well as project spaces
for use by companies requiring short-term
capacity.
The colourful black and orange Boho Five building
sits on Bridge Street East at Middlehaven.
Businesses interested in relocating to
Boho Five can visit www.dcbusiness.
eu/location/boho-five, telephone 01642
224706 or email [email protected] to
arrange a viewing.