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Creative Renaissance

8th July 2009

Type: News

Categories: Love Middlesbrough News

BOHO One Launch Creative renaissance in the Tees Valley has officially arrived following the unveiling of a landmark building.

One of the first three buildings that will form the core of the Boho Zone in Middlesbrough – the £10m Boho One, its digital enterprise centre – has officially opened, signalling a new phase in the region’s answer to the creative quarters of New York and London.

One North East, which invested over £7m in the building, has also revealed the building is already 70% pre-let to the target industries.

The aim is to house 27 high value businesses and create 283 jobs whilst supporting the regeneration of a key site between Middlesbrough Town Centre and Middlehaven.

The Boho Zone is the headquarters of the project’s business driver, DigitalCity Business, and complements the wider DigitalCity initiative which boasts the Institute of Digital Innovation and the Centre for Creative Technologies – a £21m development on Teesside University’s campus. Work is now focused on developing the next generation of digital and media students and transferring academic innovation into business creation, which DigitalCity Business then takes forward in the commercial sphere.

One North East’s chairman Margaret Fay will officially unveil Boho One alongside Middlesbrough’s Mayor Ray Mallon later today.

She said: "This latest piece of the DigitalCity jigsaw is exciting news and is telling the world that the Tees Valley is emerging as an important new arrival on the creative map, providing a digital cluster for the whole region.

"Those who have recently gained their qualifications will be provided with a fostering approach to help secure the future of their digital business through this sustainable, community facility.

"By helping businesses to innovate and grow the Boho Zone will contribute to the region’s economy and continue to build on the reputations of the DigitalCity project and Teesside University, ensuring that academic excellence can be converted into business creation and growth."

The Boho Zone will be a radical complex of new buildings and refurbishment of existing Victorian buildings where new businesses, established successful companies and support agencies will work together in an environment where people and businesses come together to collaborate and thrive.

It will comprise three core buildings to provide workspace for the digital media, digital technologies and creative companies.

Photo by Robert Page

Boho One will offer business accommodation for accelerating and established companies in the digital industry and has a radical combination of ‘third space’ networking, marketing and presentation space. Having achieved BREEAM excellent rating it is equipped with the latest broadband connectivity and will create its own revenue stream that will in turn support the digital businesses.

Erimus Housing is developing the second phase of the development which will provide specifically designed live-work accommodation for digital and creative professionals, called

The third has seen the completion of artists’ studios comprising 300 square metres of refurbished Victorian buildings in the Middlesbrough Rail Station complex.

One North East’s cash for the the Boho Zone went towards a total investment of nearly £17 million from Middlesbrough Council, Erimus Housing and the European Regional Development Fund. The project will run until March 2010 in terms of Single Programme funding but the operation of the project will be sustained well beyond the funding period through rental and other income.

One North East has been working in partnership with Middlesbrough Council to complete this part of the jigsaw with the council playing a large role in procuring the building.

Councillor Dave Budd, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said: "This is a stunning building which meets the very highest environmental standards.

"It’s a perfect symbol of the transformation of an area which just a few years ago was the embodiment of urban failure.

"Boho One is going to be a catalyst for a wide range of other activities and marks the dawning of a very exciting era in the development of the DigitalCity project."

DigitalCity Business’s Director Mark Elliott added: "Developing a successful and sustainable cluster is a very long term game, and we’re not there yet. But with the completion of the first buildings at Teesside University and the Boho Zone, we can say we’re at the end of the beginning: we’ve definitely got the green shoots of success, we’re ahead of the curve, and we know where we need to go if we’re going to truly put the Tees Valley and the North East on the world map.

"Boho One was only possible because of the huge effort everyone involved has made, and the unwavering support we’ve had from stakeholders, partners and funders. It’s a real testament to what can happen if you really buy into a vision and go for it."

Tim Bailey, partner at xsite architecture, added: "This has been the most exciting project we have worked on, and we believe that the vision demonstrated by all parties involved in Boho One has been translated into a building that the region can justifiably be proud of.

"It’s a phenomenal concept demonstrating advanced ideas of how the workplace can function differently, and we are delighted not only to be part of this, but to be continuing with the next phases of the scheme and other spin-off projects as well."

Any digital or creative businesses looking for support from DigitalCity Business or space in Boho One or Bohouse should contact Charlotte Allen, DigitalCity Business’s operations Manager at charlotte.allen@dcbusiness.eu