New Fruit Market car park opens to help drive regeneration

The Fruit Market’s new multi-storey car park has opened, marking the latest milestone in the development of Hull’s urban village.

The 350-space car park will support businesses in the area and the wider city centre economy.

The £5m facility is also part of the largest development of its kind in Hull for more than half a century, with construction continuing on the same site on a showpiece new head office for Arco, the UK’s leading safety business.

The new offices will secure Arco’s future in Hull and provide a platform for further growth for one of the city’s biggest employers. Construction is nearing completion, with Arco staff due to move in by the early summer following fit-out.

Once the Arco building is open, the multi-storey car park will have 200 spaces reserved for use by the company’s employees from Monday to Friday, with the remaining available to visitors. All 350 spaces are open to the public at weekends.

The multi-storey car park is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with weekday parking from just £2 for up to three hours and weekend parking at just £2.50 per day for unlimited stays.

The facility features extra wide parking spaces, eight electric vehicle charging points and paperless payment methods, supported by automatic number plate recognition.

It also features a green “living wall”, reflecting the commitment to sustainability in the Fruit Market as seen in the restoration and conversion of crumbling former warehouses and the creation of energy-efficient homes supporting eco-friendly city living.

OPEN: From left, Adam Thompson of PDR Construction, Councillor Daren Hale, Richard Beal of Beal Homes and Dominic Gibbons of Wykeland Group in front of the multi-storey car park that has opened in Hull’s Fruit Market. Picture by R&R Studio.

The opening of the multi-storey car park maintains the momentum of the regeneration of the Fruit Market waterfront neighbourhood.

The £80m reinvention of an area that was near-derelict just a few years ago has seen the opening of independent shops, restaurants, bars and galleries, the creation of a hugely-popular residential community, and development of a tech campus that has generated hundreds of highly-skilled digital jobs.

The regeneration is being driven forward by the Wykeland Beal joint venture of commercial developer Wykeland Group and housebuilder Beal Homes, two local, family-owned businesses working in partnership with Hull City Council in the Fruit Market LLP.

Wykeland Managing Director Dominic Gibbons said: “The new multi-storey car park makes it easier and more convenient to visit the Fruit Market and is a major asset for the wider city centre. It offers a modern, safe and well-lit environment for use by workers, shoppers and visitors to the area.

“It will also provide weekday parking for staff based at the new Arco head office as part of retaining one of Hull’s leading businesses within the city centre.

“Despite the impact of Covid, the regeneration of the Fruit Market is continuing at a tremendous pace, with huge investment being delivered. The Fruit Market is providing a template for successful urban renewal and leading the way as we look towards the city’s post-Covid economic recovery.”

Beal Chief Executive Richard Beal said: “The multi-storey car park is another important piece in the Fruit Market jigsaw of development and investment. All the elements have worked together to create a sustainable urban village in the heart of Hull.

“We’re especially proud of the creation of a new residential community which will be complete by the end of this year when construction of the final phase of our Fruit Market development is due to finish.”

Councillor Daren Hale, Hull City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economic Investment and Regeneration, said: “This car park will be a welcome addition to the Fruit Market area, due to the successful redevelopment of this area and it being a great place for visitors. It will also provide parking for Arco - a successful Hull business which has relocated to this area.”

Hessle-based PDR Construction is the principal contractor for the multi-storey car park and Arco head office.

PDR Construction Director Adam Thompson said: “We’re are delighted to hand over this landmark building, which is a great addition to the Fruit Market, and want to thank our staff and supply chain who have worked tirelessly through such unprecedented times.”