Doncaster Chamber urges inward investment focus for Gateway One
The organisation has called for a clear vision for the £32m digital tech hub, warning the flagship development must be judged by the businesses and investment it attracts rather than its architectural credentials.
Designed by Bond Bryan, Gateway One, a 52,000 sq ft grade A office development nex to Doncaster Station, is being delivered by Willmott Dixon as part of the city’s wider masterplan. The contractor topped out on the development in March this year.
The scheme will provide office space for start-ups and scale-ups alongside co-working facilities and ground-floor food and beverage space, forming the first phase of Doncaster’s ambition to establish itself as a hub for artificial intelligence and technology businesses.
The building has already caught the attention of anchor tenant Automated Analytics, which offers AI-powered analytical services for the marketing, customer service, compliance, and recruitment sectors.
Speaking during a panel discussion, Mayor Ros Jones, Doncaster Council chief executive Damian Allen, executive director for policy, partnerships and investment Lee Tillman, and Automated Analytics chief executive Mark Taylor. agreed the project’s success would ultimately be measured by its economic impact rather than the building itself.
The Chamber said Gateway One must become a catalyst for inward investment, attracting new businesses, talent and capital into Doncaster and strengthening the city’s position within the UK’s technology sector.
Business leaders also stressed the importance of developing a compelling vision that the private sector could support, arguing that the development should represent more than another city centre office scheme.
Panellists said creating stronger links between established Doncaster companies and emerging technology firms would be essential if the wider benefits of the development were to be felt across the local economy.
Dan Fell, chief executive of Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, said:”Gateway One cannot just be a well-designed building, it has to make a meaningful contribution to Doncaster’s business community and rewrite what our city is famous for.
“If we get the vision right, Gateway One – and any subsequent additions to Doncaster’s digital campus – can become a magnet for inward investment, new businesses and new talent, and a genuine catalyst for the wider South Yorkshire economy.
“If we get it wrong, we risk delivering a new building but not necessarily a new chapter in Doncaster’s long history of innovation and engineering excellence.
“We commend the Council’s ambition for this project, but a clear implementation plan is now needed to ensure the building is populated with genuinely game-changing businesses soon after opening.”
