YORK

Revitalise the riverside

The Chamber’s York Property Forum recently heard from Ed Harrowsmith and Max Reeves, directors at Helmsley Group, about the property investment and development specialist’s exciting vision for the Coney Street area of York. Attendees were also given a tour of the area.

Helmsley has acquired a number of properties in the major city centre retail destination, including most recently 19 Coney Street - a 50,000 sq ft retail unit currently occupied by Next and Monsoon – which was purchased in a multi-million-pound deal. Helmsley also owns numbers 39-43, currently let to Boots and WH Smith, as well as numbers three to seven, housing JD Sports, Lush, Mango and the newly-opened Rosa’s Thai. Ed Harrowsmith, Investment Director at Helmsley Group, said: “Helmsley is a proud York-based business with ambitions to bring a new lease of life to York’s riverfront and redevelop Coney Street as a high-quality commercial destination. “The purchase of 19 Coney Street from NFU Mutual not only brings another important building into local ownership but is the final piece of the puzzle in enabling us to move forward with our ambitions and help realise the potential of this underutilised area of the city.” Max Reeves, Development Director at Helmsley Group, added: “Helmsley Group has made a continued commitment to the regeneration of Coney Street, and we look forward to continued collaboration with City of York Council. We are excited about sharing our vision for Coney Street with the public and other stakeholders and to obtain their valuable input over the coming months.” The York Property Forum also heard from members of the Street Life project, led by University of York researchers, which is running a series of events at 29-31 Coney Street, let to them by Helmsley. The premises have been transformed into a gallery, printing press and cultural hub with activities including music, creative writing, printing and heritage workshops. Street Life has received funding of £469,000 from the Government’s Community Renewal Fund to not only explore the 1,000-year history of Coney Street but support the creation of opportunities for the future.