'Motorvational' start for firm

12/05/2010

A fledgling property developer has welcomed the first tenant to their recently unveiled east Hull business park.

Local firm Time Developments was set up in 2007 to oversee the transformation of a deserted site on Merrick Street into the smart new Merrick Business Park.

Phase one of this development was completed last December and the company has now welcomed Motorvation Training Ltd, a private education provider to the site.

Motorvation, which specialises in vehicle engineering training, has taken a 4000 sq ft unit at the park, which was specifically designed to cater for small business owners.

Jason Davies, director of Time Developments, said: "We worked with our property agents to find out what the market needed and worked with the architects.

"What we found was that there was a lot of small business owners who wanted to buy premises of 1500 sq ft up to 4500 sq ft."

The site, which was purchased in December 2007, has been developed in two phases with the first comprising of a refurbished 9000 sq ft building which can be split into smaller premises.

The second phase which is now underway involves the construction of a 4000 sq ft bespoke building for a local firm and a further 5000 sq ft which can be developed.

Time Developments claim their project has transformed the Merrick Street site from an "eye-sore" into a well designed industrial estate.

Mr Davies said: "Hull is an enterprising city and has great potential with all the regeneration work that is going on.

"We wanted to get in on a project that has transformed that area.

"When the new building went up it was like a light going on."

The development firm already has a number of other sites in Hull earmarked for development.

They have been advised on their plans by Hull property agents, Garness Jones.

Dales Gooderham, surveyor at Garness Jones, oversaw the lease of the first Merrick Street unit to Motorvation Training Ltd.

Mr Gooderham said: "Brand new premises of this size are difficult to come by in such a prominent location in Hull City Centre.

"There remains a completed unit for sale or to lease and opportunities for design and build at this site that we are pursuing with a couple of interested parties."

Darren Barker, managing director of Motorvation Training, said: "We looked round for commercial premises for some time but the prominence of Merrick Business Park, central location and easy transport access made this unit our first choice."

Links

Garness Jones

www.garnessjones.co.uk

Motorvation Training Ltd

www.motorvationtraining.com