Karis Holdings – a 50:50 partnership between Karis Developments and ING Real Estate Development UK – has been selected by Brighton & Hove City Council to develop a 4.2 acre brownfield site on Hove seafront.
The decision on the preferred development partner for the King Alfred site was announced after a Council meeting on 24 July 2003 where three proposals were considered.
The design of the scheme combines the talents of three of the world’s leading architectural firms: Gehry Partners, HOK Sports and CZWG Architects.
The development, to be built on the site of the 65 year old King Alfred Leisure Centre, will comprise:
- a state-of-the-art Sports and Leisure Centre costing £25 million
- 438 residential apartments (262 open market/176 affordable) set in four futuristic towers
- 5,574 sq m of retail and commercial space
- new public space and art provided by ‘Angel of the North’ creator Antony Gormley including a piazza and pedestrianised walkways
Siep Hoeksma, Joint Managing Director of ING Real Estate said of the announcement: “Naturally we are delighted with the news and by combining the talents of a respected local developer with the development arm of one of the world’s largest financial institutions we can deliver an extra dimension and focus to the city. ING and Karis have huge experience in the regeneration field and we are ready to put it into practice. Brighton and Hove already enjoys an excellent reputation and our proposals will further strengthen its position nationally and internationally.”
Josh Arghiros, Managing Director of Karis Developments, commented: “The King Alfred project will provide a destination truly in tune with, and complementary to, the unique personality of Brighton and Hove. We have put together a world class design and development team that can create this lively and colourful extension to the city. Our partnership with ING Real Estate has been instrumental in creating this winning scheme and I thank John Robinson of ING for his invaluable input. Together we are very much looking forward to continuing our excellent relationships with Brighton & Hove City Council and will be working closely with them over the coming months to add further detail to the scheme.”
Alan Stone, Brighton & Hove City Council press officer, said: “Brighton and Hove will continue to grow significantly in the coming years and we believe this development will help create and support a vibrant economy and community. It will provide the best possible range of sustainable facilities for visitors and most importantly for local people.”
The selection follows a public exhibition and consultation process in March 2003.
The high profile redevelopment will be Frank Gehry’s first major UK project and is set to become a major national landmark and international attraction. His only other UK project was the Maggie cancer care centre in Dundee, which has recently been named as the Building of the Year by the Royal Fine Art Commission.
The project team incorporates a dedicated Community Liaison and Communications Co-ordinator to ensure thorough dissemination of scheme information to local stakeholders and to inform the design process.
