Demolition paves way for luxury flats and offices in York’s upcoming Hudson Quarter scheme

Demolition firm Squibb Group has finished bringing down a 103,000 sq ft office building in central York to make way for the city’s Hudson Quarter development.

Hudson House, built in the late 1960s by the former British Rail, has now been demolished.

In its place, developers are creating a new mixed-use complex that includes 127 luxury apartments, 34,500 sq ft of Grade-A offices and 5,000 sq ft of commercial space.

The scheme will comprise four buildings set around a landscaped courtyard and a new landscaped link from the train station opposite, through to Toft Green and on to Micklegate.

Listed property investment company Palace Capital plc owns the two-acre site. City planners gave its Hudson Quarter masterplan the greenlight in August last year.

According to Palace Capital, the new office building is set to be first of its kind, of this size, to be built speculatively in central York for over 20 years.

Demolition work is now complete

Palace Capital chief exec Neil Sinclair said: “The completion of the complex demolition process heralds a key landmark for the project and demonstrates our commitment to delivering this development for completion in early 2021.

“Hudson Quarter will be a vibrant community for people to live and work. The branding represents a new beginning for this part of York and offers a unique opportunity to create a new quarter in the heart of the city.”

He added: “Even at this early stage in the development process, we have been encouraged with the considerable amount of interest in both the apartment and office space.”

Hudson Quarter was designed by Leeds-based Fuse Studios.

Andrew Sharp, from destination management organisation Make it York, commented: “York is an ideal place from which to do business, it is less than two hours to London by rail and has some of the fastest internet anywhere in the country.

“The Hudson Quarter redevelopment will take full advantage of this, bringing forward a striking new development in a fantastic location with great access to the rail station and York’s vibrant city centre.”

Carter Jonas and Hudson Moody are the residential agents for the development. Sanderson Weatherall and JLL are agents on the scheme’s office building. York-based design and marketing agency The Ideas Group created the branding for the development.

Construction work will start on Hudson Quarter in February 2019, with a main contractor expected to be announced before the new year.