York Central top team strengthened
Karen Stafeckis, formerly of CEG, has been appointed as development director for the £2.5bn regeneration project.
With work continuing apace on York Central, the expanded team will operate under Tom Gilman, managing director of McLaren Regeneration, and will collaborate closely with Allan Cook, founder of Arlington Real Estate, McLaren’s strategic development partner.
Stafeckis will have a strategic role within the York Central team, which now also includes Jack Widdup, a development director at McLaren since 2022 given a brief to focus on York Central, and Joseph Young, a recent graduate joining as a development surveyor.
Together, the McLaren/Arlington partnership is tasked with the transformation of one of the largest brownfield sites in the country, working with Homes England and Network Rail Property, as well as key partners including the City of York Council and the National Railway Museum.
York Central will deliver 2,500 new homes (20% of which will be affordable) and create up to 1m sq ft of office, retail and hospitality space, along with improvements to the York Railway Station and an enhanced National Railway Museum – although this project’s funding was left unanswered in the recent Budget.
Plans have now been approved for the first office building within the 111-acre masterplan, a 195,000 sq ft public sector hub, while the first public realm project has been the first element to take shape.
Stafeckis brings extensive experience from her previous role as head of development (North) at CEG – formerly Commercial Estates Group – where she worked on various regeneration projects and partnerships, and was involved in the climate agenda, working with the Leeds Climate Commission.
She will be primarily responsible for the environmental and social sustainability opportunities for all elements of York Central.
Tom Gilman, managing director of McLaren Regeneration, said: “York Central is a significant project for York and the UK, which will transform one of the largest brownfield sites into a vibrant and sustainable mixed-use community.
“We are assembling a strong team composed of experienced professionals, with expertise and insights gained from major regional regeneration projects and broad sector knowledge. I welcome Karen, Jack and Joseph to the team and very much look forward to working together to deliver an outstanding new quarter for the city of York.”
Stafeckis added: “York Central is one the UK’s most exciting regeneration projects, with huge opportunity and potential. I’m really looking forward to working with Tom and the team, our partners, stakeholders and local people to deliver our vision for a highly sustainable place, full of life, vitality and community.
“A key focus for me is to embed and deliver upon the generational environmental and social sustainability commitments and opportunities that this development presents. “
Widdup, for his part, will leverage his experience in the residential sector, focussing on the build to rent and co-living markets in guiding the project’s residential strategy and delivery.
