Muse nears completion on Colwyn Bay office

Developer Muse and contractor Bowmer & Kirkland are set to hand over a 100,000 sq ft headquarters for Conwy Council in early October, while proposals to redevelop the town’s grade two-listed Civic Centre are currently being drawn up.

Muse was chosen by Conwy Council to redevelop the site in Colwyn Bay to bring forward the headquarters which will replace 13 existing offices and house around 750 staff. Planning permission was secured in August 2016, and the team has been on site since spring 2017.

M&G Investments has provided £39m of finance towards the project, which has been designed by AHR Architects, and once complete, a 40-year lease will be initiated between M&G and the council.

Muse and B&K’s handover date is 8 October with the cladding, main roof, M&E, and glazed atrium are now all complete allowing furniture to be fitted and carpet to be laid throughout the building. IT service installation is also nearly complete.

Conwy Council is hosting open visits for staff ahead of the move today.

Following the move into the building, the nearby Civic Centre site will be opened up for redevelopment. The council said Muse was “working up a masterplan for the car park area” of the Civic Centre and would be “consulting with the council prior to progressing a planning application”, although a timeline for this application has not yet been set.

The council’s move to its new headquarters has also meant seven sites have been brought forward for disposal. A sale has been agreed on one of these properties at 74 Conwy Road, which is set to complete in December. Meanwhile, a property at 41 Conwy Road will be put to auction in October this year after the original purchaser backed out.

Elsewhere, leases have been brought to an end at offices on Dinerth Road and Wynnstay Road; while in Llandudno, the council is in discussions with landlord Mostyn Estates to exit its offices at the town’s library building. Offices in Lladudno Town Hall are also set to be let out to other businesses.