The value of technology and creative companies to the town is now being recognised with the arrival of The Cube and the conversion of Vulcan Works.
The value of technology and creative companies to the town is now being recognised with the arrival of The Cube and the conversion of Vulcan Works. Stephen Chown of Chown Commercial considers the emerging identity of the town centre. AN early part of the university’s commitment to the town centre has been The Cube opposite the new railway station and it won’t be long before it opens for business. The Cube, for which Chown Commercial acquired the land three years ago, follows on from The Portfolio Centre at St Georges Avenue which has been a great success over the last five years, attracting a myriad of small companies many of which have been nurtured to grow flexibly within the building before expanding into premises of their own. Meanwhile, our own experience in the property market has seen several smaller centres attract creative and high tech companies, the latest of which is the Albion Brewery tower in which we have recently let floors to film-makers and artists, and which is now attracting other similar tenants. It is said that technology is no longer a sector but underpins the way we work, live and shop. Whilst this may have been the cause of some negative changes to the town over the past few years, the emergence of entrepreneurial clusters now has the potential to drive growth in the town and even to improve its identity. Hubs offering small, flexible spaces are invaluable in encouraging the university’s talent to stay in the town and maximise the entrepreneurial spirit that would otherwise drain away. Working in the same building or environment as other like-minded creative people has long been recognised as the environment from which London’s Swinging Sixties and the Dot Com boom sprang. This is called ‘knowledge spill-over’ – in effect, the acceleration of the development of products and ideas resulting from clusters of people or companies who would otherwise work separately. We fully support the exciting redevelopment proposed at Vulcan Works on Guildhall Road and we hope it will breathe life into the heart of the Cultural Quarter of the town. Chown Commercial has championed the Annual Northampton Music Festival, The Artists Sanctuary and the Albion Brewery and relishes its role in shaping the real estate supply chain with new projects in order to support this renaissance in the town. Stephen Chown can be contacted at www.chowncommercial.co.uk
