Old laundry building to get new lease of life

Grainger plc has recently announced that the lease to the community space at its hugely successful Hornsey Road Apartments development has been sold to Islington Council .

The 10,000 sq ft space, located in the old laundry building at the scheme, will undergo a £2.8 million refurbishment by the council to transform it into a performing and creative arts centre for young people which will act as a youth hub for the area and offer young people access to world class positive activities and access to high quality information, advice, guidance and support.

Richard Shaw, Development Director at Grainger plc commented, “We are delighted that the sale of the lease to the old laundry building has been finalized and are very excited about welcoming such a great community facility to be a part of our development.”

The council’s purchase was made possible in March after it was awarded £3.5 million from the Government’s My Place programme, a scheme aimed at delivering world-class youth facilities for young people to use. The new centre, which will open in April 2011, will give local young people access to a safe space where they can socialise with peers and work on art, music, technical theatre, film, fitness, dance and other performance projects.

Through close partnership working between the Council, the voluntary and private sector, the arts community, schools, Cambridge Education @Islington, the police, community and faith groups, and NHS Islington the centre will enable young people to access the opportunities and support they need to achieve their potential.

Cllr Paula Belford, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Children and Young People, said: “We’re delighted to announce that award winning architects van Heyningen and Haward have been appointed as architects for the scheme. They are very experienced in designing world-class performance spaces, working with young people and delivering exciting and beautiful spaces through sensitively working with existing buildings. The design team will be working with young people and local residents throughout the summer to ensure that the new space is a wonderful asset for the whole community.”

Since launching at the end of March, the Hornsey Road Apartments scheme has proved enormously successful with over 90% of the available apartments sold. Set on the site of the former Victorian bath complex in North Islington, the scheme features a grand and newly refurbished nineteenth century gatehouse, a high quality new build element of 146 homes and an imposing 24-metre chimney surrounded by a five-storey glazed atrium that serves as the scheme’s centrepiece. The development also features two landscaped squares, 35 underground parking spaces, CCTV and a porter.

As the UK’s largest residential landlord, Grainger plc has adopted a dual approach to the development, meaning that properties are available for sale and to rent. The developer is selling approximately two thirds of the apartments while retaining one third of them to let out through its direct lettings arm, graingerlets. This strategy, will enable residents to benefit from the developer’s long-term involvement and specialist management expertise.

For more information, visit hornseyroad.co.uk.