Planning approves a third major Esplanade office block

Monday 07 April 2014

Planning Minister Rob Duhamel has given a third major office development on St Helier's Esplanade the green light.

The latest development at 27 and 28 Esplanade will see a seven-storey office space come onto the market and follows on from the recent approval of the Dandara development at 66-72 Esplanade, and the Jersey Development Company's International Finance Centre project.

There are now four approved projects ready to start building along the Esplanade. The Jersey Development Company's International Finance Centre is the largest, with a proposed 490,000 square feet and six office buildings and car parking. The aim is to create a 'new flagship business district.'  Work on building number 4 of the project, a six-storey office development, is expected to start shortly and will see the closure of the open air car park. Les Jardins Car Park will provide temporary car parking during the development.

Earlier this year Dandara was given permission to build a six-storey office block at 66-72 Esplanade which will bring a further 17,000 square feet of space onto the market. Save Jersey's Heritage reacted angrily to the approval of the development which will see the demolishing of listed buildings.

The latest project to get the planning thumbs up will refurbish the warehouse façade of 27 Esplanade and re-model number 28, with the rest of the buildings through to La rue des Mielles being demolished. Deputy Duhamel said: "This will be an environmentally sustainable building which takes St Helier forward whilst retaining the historic pattern of development on this former warehouse site."

The 27/28 Esplanade development was designed by Waddington Architects who are also the architects for a fourth smaller development, approved last year at 5-6 Esplanade.