Design team revealed for £2.5bn York Central Regeneration

The developers of York Central, one of the UK’s largest city centre regeneration schemes, have revealed a star-studded list of architects that will work on the project earmarked for land owned by Homes England and Network Rail Property.

Joint developers McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate have selected Allies and Morrison as lead masterplanner for the 45-hectare site, working alongside international landscape firm Grant Associates.

The project will deliver 2,500 homes, up to one million sq ft of office, retail and hospitality space, and major upgrades to York Railway Station and the National Railway Museum.

Allies and Morrison, which created the original masterplan, will now lead the overall design and a new Innovation Hub. Grant Associates will take on the parkland, public realm and future coal drops area.

The newly announced wider design team includes:

• 3D Reid, designing the hotel and western station entrance

• re-form, handling Museum Square and public realm in the first phase

• Sheppard Robson, designing the 195,000 sq ft Government hub for up to 2,600 civil servants

• Cartwright Pickard and Corstorphine & Wright, delivering the residential and build to rent elements

• Haworth Tompkins, leading on affordable housing

With £135m Government funding secured for vital infrastructure, works have begun on preparing the site for development which will take place in a number of phases.

Tom Gilman, managing director at McLaren Regeneration, said the firms were chosen for their track record in large-scale regeneration and deep understanding of York.

He said, “Now, we are excited to get to work on with our plans, with an outstanding architectural team, our partners and the local community, to deliver what will be a vibrant, highly sustainable place, with expansive green space, and public realm, new homes and a major new employment hub for northern England.”