Progress on delivering a new eye catching modern office development at the heart of the City of Wolverhampton Interchange today (Wednesday 14 February) reached a major milestone.

A planning application has been submitted by Interchange partner and leading property developer, Ion, for the proposed i9 building on Railway Drive

It has emerged as a scheme following the success of the award winning i10 complex on the opposite side of the road, which was fully let within 9 months of its doors opening.

i9 will provide 50,000 sq ft of stunning Grade A office space for a national or regional headquarters for a major business when completed in 2020.

The proposals were well received at a public consultation event at the city's Light House last month.

It is the next step in building a thriving commercial quarter at the heart of Wolverhampton Interchange - bringing further investment and jobs.

City of Wolverhampton Council and Ion selected Glenn Howells Architects' design for i9 as the winner from a strong field of ten UK leading architects and urban design practices.

They are the architects behind the Paradise Birmingham scheme - one of the biggest city centre development projects in the UK.

Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: "Since i10 was completed we have seen increasing demand for quality office space in that location of the city, particularly from large space users.

"i9 was always envisaged to satisfy that demand, and it is great news that the official planning application has now been put forward for consideration.

"We want this building to become the design and quality benchmark for future developments in the city and to demonstrate our ambition for the city centre.

"This important site ideally lends itself to a distinctive, high quality headquarters building. We know there are inquiries swirling around the market for that kind of building."

Steve Parry, Managing Director of Ion, said: "The i9 competition attracted some excellent submissions, but Glenn Howells design stood out as an iconic building that is sympathetic within its environment, whilst still demonstrating City of Wolverhampton's ambition to compete as a prime city centre office location.

"The development of this quality of building will broaden the appeal of City of Wolverhampton to a range of office occupiers who are seeking the highest standards. The proximity of transportation hubs and availability of cafés and restaurants on the ground floor will reinforce this part of the Interchange as a place to spend leisure time."

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  • released: Wednesday 14 February, 2018