Our Chris Park looks at Urban Civic on Canal St

Urban Civic

To say the site on the corner of Whitworth Street and Princess Street has been mired in controversy is something of an understatement.

Ever since the plans went up for the much maligned Origins development in 2006, there have been concerns from locals, then the recession hit and the half begun site stagnated. Those concerns reared their heads earlier this year when property developers, Urban Civic bought the site. What would this mean for Canal Street and the surrounding area?

Urban Civic unveiled their plans to the public earlier this month and Canal Street caught up with local campaigner, Adam Prince to get his views.  Adam ran a survey over the summer, giving local people the opportunity to give their comments on the future of the site.

“Overall the plans are an improvement on the alien 2006 designs. It is still bulky… more attention can be made to improving the aesthetics of what is an imposing blocky building” he explains “We welcome civic space and a more sympathetic look as well as the receptiveness to feedback but we know (we) can still improve the final design.”

So what would he like to see changed? “We encourage more stepping back…more flare, more green space” he says “Contrasts in materials would be great to see whilst being sympathetic to the area. Even for private buyers, in residential, hotel and retail units, the building can be much improved and made more desirable by responding to concerns and feedback from people that live in or love the area. The hope is that the retail units that were missing in 2006 can be researched well so they do not become empty units.”

Canal Street also approached Urban and Civic, Andy Lavin, Development Manager said “Following the public exhibition on the reworked proposals for the site at the corner of Princess Street and Whitworth corner on September 11 and 12, Urban and Civic invite comments until September 27. All comments are being reviewed and the key issues raised will be addressed in the Public Engagement Report, which will be submitted with the planning application in due course”.

Only time will tell what will become of the site and the impact, if any, it will have on the Gay Village.

For further information, please visit www.urbanandcivic.com

For the Community Report, please click here, courtesy of Adam Prince and Reece Singleton.

By Chris Park for Canal-St Online

Published: 1-Oct-2015: (3321)