Halifax’s £19.2m Piece Hall scheme offers office, retail and catering business opportunities

As the £19.2m restoration and transformation of The Piece Hall nears completion, entrepreneurs are being urged to play a part in the major regeneration plans for Halifax and Calderdale.

Due to reopen in summer 2016, the heritage structure, described by English Heritage as Yorkshire’s “most important secular building” and “the building that makes Halifax unique”, is currently being redeveloped to meet the needs of 21st century businesses, customers and visitors.

Once complete, The Piece Hall is set to be a world class retail, heritage and cultural destination for Yorkshire and the North of England.

The Piece Hall Trust is currently seeking the interest, commitment and investment of one world-class catering partner, as well around 20 independent retailers and 20 SMEs from the creative industries.

The Piece Hall proposition for a catering partner is to find an experienced operator/investor that will help the Trust team to maximise the opportunity. When fully operational The Piece Hall catering operation will include restaurant, piazza, bar and conferencing facilities.

The restaurant has space for over 150 covers across two floors, with an additional 50+ outdoor covers overlooking the courtyard. Prospective catering partners also will have the opportunity to provide catering for up to 7,500 capacity audiences for a year-round major events programme, as well as for smaller public and private events and conferences.

In addition, office-based business leaders are also being given the chance to locate their companies to The Piece Hall.

The office spaces ranging from approx. 200bsq ft to approx. 1,500bsq ft and flexible desk spaces are available to let on the first and second floors of The Piece Hall, alongside meeting rooms and conference facilities.

The workspaces will be equipped with the fastest broadband available in the area, to suit the needs of creative and digital companies. Well connected in particular by rail, The Piece Hall is just 500 metres from direct train lines to the commercial centres of Leeds, London and Manchester.

Independent retail businesses are also being invited to The Piece Hall transformation, to benefit from the ongoing resurgence of Halifax and Calderdale, which includes further investment in the Library, Borough Market, Halifax Minster and Square Chapel.

Sam Mason, chief executive of the Piece Hall Trust, said: “The Piece Hall is about to take its place once again at the beating heart of Halifax and Calderdale. We are working together with our partners and stakeholders to make sure that this - one of the most significant refurbishment programmes in the UK - is a fantastic addition to the town and a significant attraction for the North of England.

“The Piece Hall has over 300 years of incredible history and the next chapter promises to be the most exciting in a generation. We want ambitious young, local, tried and tested, as well as new businesses to join us in making it happen.”

The Piece Hall transformation project is being funded by Calderdale Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund with additional support from the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation.