Workspace Design & Build picked for Wigan’s ‘coolest office development’

Developer Capital&Centric, working with the council, has formally appointed the contractor to redevelop the 1970s Civic Centre into 32,000 sq ft of offices.

Fresh images were released for the Civic project on Millgate by architect Shedkm this summer, following the securing of planning permission in January. Retention of the concrete façade is a key part of the scheme.

C&C said that the team wants the new space ”to be a hub for innovation and collaboration”. The developer, busy throughout Greater Manchester and beyond – the £70m redevelopment of Liverpool’s Littlewoods building was approved this week – said that facilities will include a gym and mini cinema, chill-out lounges and a relaxing roof terrace.

The wider public will be able to use a new café bar and terrace.

Work started last November to strip out unusable fittings, as well as to carefully remove fixtures with no architectural merit, from plasterboard and flooring tiles to light fittings.

C&C intends to deliver the project in a single phase of work, with the first Civic workspaces available from summer 2025.

Workspace D&B, Capital&Centric and Wigan Council mark the appointment. Credit: via Font Comms

John Moffat, joint managing director at Capital&Centric, said: “Civic is already creating a buzz and will be the coolest office development the town has seen.

“Wigan Council has done a brilliant job landscaping Millgate and our refurbishment of Civic completes what is starting to feel like a new quarter for the town. It’s only a few metres from the busy Standishgate so businesses looking to locate here are getting all of the amenities that the town has to offer right on their doorstep.

“The building is going to be a huge part of Wigan’s regeneration story and I’d urge anyone looking for office space in the town to get in touch.”

Workspace D&B is currently in the final stages of restoring the developer’s grade two-listed Neptune Mill in Manchester into workspaces, including C&C’s own new HQ.

Other projects C&C is working on include the creation of a major film and TV production complex at Liverpool’s Littlewoods building, Stockport’s residential-led Weir Mill, the redevelopment of Sheffield’s Cannon Brewery, and progressing the Old Town Hall complex for Gateshead Council, for which an agreement was signed in August.

The firm has also landed its largest project to date, in which it is tasked with delivering 2,000 homes for the UK’s largest new town, Northstowe in Cambridgeshire.

Cllr David Molyneux, Leader of Wigan Council, added: “It’s fantastic to see things moving on this exciting project with the appointment of the building contractor. I’m certainly pleased to see such an iconic and important building in Wigan’s history get a new lease of life and look forward to next summer when the first workspace opens.

“This is an exciting time for our town with a list of regeneration projects breathing life back into Wigan.

“This redevelopment will bring this iconic building back to life, and create a modern and sustainable workplace of choice in our town centre. This is an innovative project to restore an old building, give it a renewed purpose, and ensure it is fit for the future.”