WORK to create a £14m office development that could transform the Humber's digital economy is set to get under way in the next month.
Branded @TheDock, the 84,000sq ft scheme is being developed by Wykeland Group on land next to the old dry dock near Hull's Fruit Market.
Its centrepiece will be the Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI), a 21,000sq ft building aimed at technology start-ups and existing digital firms, and equipped with KC Lightstream connectivity.
Construction is due to begin in October and once the development is completed, it will sit alongside more than 60,000sq ft of high-end office space, opposite The Deep and with views across the Humber estuary.
Wykeland development director Stephen Hudson said: "@TheDock is one of the most important development projects going on anywhere in the North.
"No other building will have such a transformative effect on its environment as @TheDock will.
"It will play a major role in transforming the digital economy of the Humber region over the coming years, which is one of the foremost growth areas, and will play an equally major role in helping physically transform the Fruit Market area of Hull."
Demolition at the site is now nearly finished and flood defence work will begin next week.
As well as transforming the once-derelict area into a thriving business hub, the scheme also aims to foster growth in Hull's developing IT sector.
Mr Hudson said: "For us to have reached this stage is incredibly exciting.
"With the site now almost clear, we can prepare to get under way with the construction phase and see all the hard work and planning that has gone into it become a reality."
The Fruit Market also has a growing cultural role in city life.
It hosts the Humber Street Sesh music festival and several art and music businesses are based nearby.
Part of the old dry dock will be converted into an open-air amphitheatre, creating a new public area for outdoor music events and other artistic performances.
C4DI co-founder Jon Moss said @TheDock would create a fantastic venue in which to work.
He said: "It is integral to the business community in the Humber region that there is a strong digital offering and @TheDock is where that will be focused.
"The @TheDock scheme will create a community of like-minded people, some in the digital sector and some outside of it, who can share knowledge and help each other grow, and by doing that, help grow the economy of the entire region."
Mr Moss believes the development will also complement other work going on to revamp the Fruit Market.
He thinks the area can become a key selling point for those seeking to attract investment in the city.
He said: "The Fruit Market is destined to become the digital, cultural and creative centre of Hull and will be a hive of activity running up to 2017 and beyond. With water on three sides, spectacular views and the best available office space in the region, @TheDock will form an integral part of that and we're delighted to see work get under way."
Office space at the development is available through East Yorkshire agent PPH Commercial.
The firm, which has a long association with Wykeland, expects it to be extremely popular.
Director Ben Medhurst said it was likely to become one of the region's most prestigious business addresses.
He said: "@TheDock will be one of the most technologically advanced office developments anywhere in Yorkshire.
"We expect space to be snapped up very quickly as it will undoubtedly be some of the most sought-after office space in the region."
C4DI is already based nearby in Queen Street. The organisation has only been running since last year but is a key part of Hull's technology infrastructure.
Its present office, C4DI Beta, was intended to show what could be achieved when the full-scale site came into being.
The current building features 35 desk spaces available for members to share at different times, as well as a communal break-out area.
When @The Dock is finished, it is expected to house about 450 people.
The road to construction has been a rocky one.
It was almost scuppered by a derelict stable block.
The development had been recommended for refusal by council planning officers, who felt the 19th-century building should stay.
But the project was unanimously approved by councillors last September.
At the time, Councillor Terry Keal said: "I do believe we can develop this area into something really special."
To find out more about available office space, call Nick Pearce on 01482 648888 or follow @TheDockHull on twitter.
