Mission Street and BGO have secured a resolution to grant planning permission from Oxford City Council for Phase 2 of their development in the West End of Oxford.
Known as Fabrica, and part of Mission Street’s joint venture with BGO, the new-build scheme will provide 16,722m2 of prime innovation real estate within a 10-minute walk from Oxford station and city centre. Designed by global architecture firm NBBJ, Fabrica has been designed to provide full flexibility of wet labs and offices across 5 floors in what will be a next-generation commercial sciences building.
The planning success comes in the same week as Practical Completion of Mission Street/ BGO’s Inventa building which provides 6,038m2 of lab, office, and collaboration space. The scheme provides large lateral floor plates separated by two “high-street” atriums serving to provide 743m2 of collaboration and breakout space for occupiers
Inventa and Fabrica will provide the first commercial science schemes in the West End, Oxford’s central science district which is set to be transformed over the short and medium term in response to a shifting trend towards more sustainable, easily accessible urban science locations. Over 185,806m2 of commercial and University science buildings have been identified within the West End pipeline with Nuffield College and Oxford City Council’s Oxpens scheme awaiting determination.
Artem Korolev, CEO of Mission Street, said: “The decision to grant planning permission for Fabrica is a significant statement for the city of Oxford and for the Mission Street-BGO joint venture. This is the largest commercial Sciences scheme to gain consent in central Oxford and recognises the growing trend towards urban Science. The benefits for future occupiers are clear – proximity to Oxford train station and the city centre provides access to wider talent pools, ability to adopt sustainable travel methods, access to the amenities and cultural offerings of the city centre as well as the key anchors including the University. We’re extremely excited to be at the forefront of this transformation of the West End.”
Colin Brown, Development Director of Mission Street, said: “Having just signed off practical completion of Inventa, we’re really encouraged by this decision on Fabrica. The committee approval is the result of two years of hard work and extensive consultation with the local authority, the public and wider stakeholders. The team are all very really proud of the building design as well as the wider benefits that Fabrica will bring. Not only are we delivering a best-in-class science building in a supply starved market, but we are also delivering Oxford’s first Living Wage building and setting new standards in sustainable development for Science buildings. I would like to thank our fantastic team as well as those within OCC and other stakeholders who have contributed to positively to the process.”
CBRE and Bidwells are advising on the leasing.
Image provided by Monfort.
