June 2024
Cityheart Secures Darren Jones For Wigan Town Centre Redevelopment
We have continued to bolster our senior team with the appointment of Darren Jones as Project Director – Wigan Galleries.
Darren joins the business from Nikal and will lead on the delivery of the redevelopment of the former Wigan Galleries shopping centre. He spent the first seventeen years of his career with Orbit Developments and has run his own development business as well as working at Oldham and Stoke Councils.
Commenting on his appointment Darren said: “I’m delighted to be Joining Cityheart at what is an incredibly exciting time for the business. The Wigan town centre regeneration project is now at the stage of constructing the first phases, having completed an incredibly complex demolition programme earlier this year. I am looking forward to working with the team and Wigan Council to realise the vision for the town centre.”
In March this year Galliford Try was selected to undertake the first phase of construction on the scheme, which is one of Greater Manchester’s most ambitious regeneration projects and will deliver new homes, leisure and retail facilities as well as a modern market, food hall and hotel. Since the demolition phase completed, specialist groundwork contractor P.P. O’Connor has been preparing the ground for the delivery of construction phase which will include the new market hall and food court, a 144-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel along with the basement and associated infrastructure. This summer will see Galliford Try holding a series of ‘Meet the Buyer’ events as it procures local specialist trades and subcontractors for this next phase of works.
Cityheart COO Warren Taylor will be working with Darren and the wider team as the Wigan scheme progresses. He added: “Darren brings with him a wealth of development and regeneration experience and we are incredibly pleased that he has chosen to join us to help drive the Wigan scheme forward. He has over 30 years’ experience in strategic leadership working in both the public and private sector and is the perfect fit for Cityheart and our local authority partners.”
He continued: “Our mission is to create sustainable developments through regeneration which deliver economic resilience, create opportunities and better places for people to live, work and study and Darren’s knowledge and leadership will be invaluable in doing just that initially for this key Greater Manchester scheme.”
As well as joining Cityheart, Darren has also taken up a non-executive Board role with Wythenshawe Community Housing Group where he Chairs their Development Committee.
ENDS
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