Construction work has begun on the new £1.7m waterside retail, restaurant and office development at Mercia Marina.
Derby-based Davlyn Construction has been appointed as main contractor for The Boardwalk development, which is scheduled to open to the public in September 2014.
The Boardwalk will comprise a central restaurant, built over two floors and recessed to include an outdoor seating area on the water front. The restaurant will be flanked by three retail units on each side and the remaining upper floor space will include up to four small office units.
Mercia Marina has already attracted two flagship retailers; The Butcher, The Baker, The Ice Cream Maker to operate a farm shop, and the clothing retailer Bluewater. Negotiations for the restaurant operator are in their final stages.
Davlyn broke ground at the 74-acre South Derbyshire yesterday, marking yet another important milestone for Mercia Marina in its fifth anniversary year.
Robert Neff, general manager at Mercia Marina, said: “This project has been several years in the making, so it’s hugely exciting to see it finally becoming a reality.
“We look forward to welcoming new visitors to the marina next year, boosting local tourism and helping to create much-needed jobs for South Derbyshire.”
The appointment of Davlyn Construction, which was also responsible for building the marina’s large chandlery five years ago, follows a successful financing deal with NatWest bank, brokered by the Sheffield office of Irwin Mitchell solicitors.
It also signifies a commitment by the marina to use high quality local suppliers where possible. The Boardwalk was designed by Bi Design, of Repton, and Burton-based SA Consulting was appointed as structural engineers.
Dave Gaskin, director at Davlyn Construction, said: “We’re very excited to be given the opportunity to take on this challenge. It’s a unique development – due to the various different construction elements involved and its proximity to the water.”
The Boardwalk has been designed to complement the marina, with the use of locally sourced stone, timber cladding and large amount of glazing, which will reflect the marina’s 24-acre waterscape.
Mr Gaskin said one of the biggest challenges was in the construction of the actual boardwalk itself, which will run along the front of the development next to the waterline.
The Boardwalk represents the first phase of a larger development, which will include more shops and eating and drinking establishments.
Mr Neff said: “We had originally planned to build the entire development in one go, but we’ve had to adapt our plans over the years due to the recession and the way in which it has particularly hit the retail industry.
“Mercia Marina, the largest inland marina in Europe, has actually thrived as a business despite the recession, but we’ve obviously not been able to control the way it has affected other industry areas, so a phased development seemed to be the most sensible approach.”
