Plans Submitted For Warehouse, Store, Office
Plans have been submitted for a “new purpose-built distribution warehouse, retail store and associated staff office facilities” in the Marginal Wharf area in the East End.
A letter submitted with the application said, “Our proposals seek to develop a brownfield former US military site to create a new warehouse, retail store and office space.
“The existing site forms part of the larger Marginal Wharf land parcel. The current landowners, Bermuda Land Management Corporation [BLMC], have negotiated a lease agreement for the proposed site which is contingent upon an in-principle application for the development being approved.
“It is proposed that many of the existing buildings will be demolished in order to make way for a new purpose-built distribution warehouse, retail store and associated staff office facilities. A separate application will be submitted for the demolition works.
“The new building is proposed to be 3 storeys in height with ground floor areas used for the retail store, warehouse and ancillary facilities. Upper floors will be used for additional warehouse and office space. The gross internal area of the building, inclusive of upper stories is expected to be approximately 173,000 sqft.
“The existing site infrastructure will be re-used whilst supplementary power generation and water collection will be provided through the use of solar panels and water tanks. Geothermal systems and tidal power are also proposed to reduce the overall environmental impact of the scheme.
“The distribution warehouse will require approximately 76 staff based on site to carry out day to day operations including the receipt, processing, storage and shipping of goods, administration and management.
“Incoming and outgoing deliveries will be carried out with a fleet of approximately 30 vehicles ranging from container trucks through to small vans. A customer collection facility is also proposed.
“Retail Operations: The retail store will be staffed by approximately 25 personnel working in a variety of roles with different shift patterns.
“Office Operations: In additional to the warehouse and retail functions an office floor will accommodate approximately 55 staff.
In providing a summary the letter said, “The proposals will breathe new life into an under-utilised site that would benefit greatly from regeneration. The new warehouse and offices will make a significant contribution to the island’s critical retail distribution infrastructure, improving resilience, whilst the new store will benefit the local community where existing retail options at this scale are limited.
“Furthermore, the scale and ambition of the development has the potential to be a catalyst for regeneration and investment in the wider Marginal Wharf area.”
“The proposals will breathe new life into an under-utilised site that would benefit greatly from regeneration. The new warehouse and offices will make a significant contribution to the island’s critical retail distribution infrastructure, improving resilience, whilst the new store will benefit the local community where existing retail options at this scale are limited.”
No argument here.