Leicester City Council is expanding its existing Dock and Dock 2 workspace hub with two new Dock-style office buildings and a terrace of high-quality manufacturing spaces.
Andy Reed OBE, LLEP Co-Chair, said: "Investing in creating a sustainable ecosystem for regional businesses is at the heart of our Economic Growth Strategy.
"The high occupancy rate at the existing Dock buildings gives us great confidence that dozens more exciting new businesses will move into these new energy-efficient workspaces when they open next year."
The Space City Leicester partnership includes Space Park Leicester, University of Leicester, National Space Centre, Leicester City Council, and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP). Space City Leicester is part of the Loughborough and Leicester Science and Innovation Enterprise Zone.
The steel frame of the first of the new buildings is now in place, with construction of the entire scheme due to be complete by spring 2024.
The two new offices will provide space for up to 45 businesses across 4,000sqm, with the purpose-built industrial units providing an additional 2,000sqm of workspace across nine units.
A range of energy efficiency measures will mean the new buildings will be net carbon zero. These include roof-mounted photovoltaic panels, air source heat pumps, super insulation, and low-energy LED lighting. The new buildings will require no gas heating. Twelve chargers will also be installed for electric vehicles in a new parking area.
The new buildings have been designed to complement the look and feel of the original Dock workspace buildings which they are being built next to.
Once complete, the new buildings will become part of an expanded Dock campus, which is managed by the city council. The existing Dock buildings are home to around 50 businesses, with 90 per cent of the available workspaces currently occupied.
The £16.5million project is supported by £13million from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) is also providing £3.5million towards the project from Enterprise Zone retained business rates.