As work on the £12 million refurbishments of Newport Market progresses, the site’s developers are experiencing huge demand from independent businesses wanting to be based in the new-look building.
The Victorian building is currently the subject of the biggest market refurbishment in the UK.
When completed at the end of 2021, Newport Market will house more than 100 independent businesses, offering a huge choice in food and drink, retail and lifestyle outlets.
The revamped building will also host more than 70 workspaces and offices of varying sizes – from two-person units to others able to house up to 13 people.
Based in the centre of Newport with easy access to rail and bus transport hubs, the new-look market building will be open seven days a week and play host to events catering for between 50 and 250 people, including conferences and weddings.
Developers Loft Co expect an annual footfall in excess of 1.5 million – making the ultra-low carbon footprint market one of the most-visited historic buildings in Newport and the surrounding area.
Such is the interest in Newport Market that all 10 restaurant units have already been let. Visitors will be able to enjoy food and drink from around the world in the building’s ground-floor food quarter.
On offer will be some of the best street food offerings in Wales, including Greek, seafood, Indian, pizza, and desserts.
Meanwhile, demand is also increasing for the retail and lifestyle units and workspaces that will be available in the building, with spaces available to reserve from today.
Alongside the food quarter on the ground floor will be more than 45 retail units, each offering a unique, independent shopping experience.
There will be 15 lifestyle units based on the mezzanine first floor of the market, each with glass frontage and individual seating areas. Independent businesses will range from beauty, tattooists, and hairdressers, to physiotherapists and podiatrists units.
Office tenants will be able to enjoy a unique set of benefits, allowing them to work, rest and play on the same site – with priority access to the shopping, dining and lifestyle experiences on offer in the building where they work.
With 24-hour access to the site, offices will be based in Griffin House and on the Riverside part of the market building.
As well as having easy access to the market’s shopping and dining experiences, office workers will also benefit from on-site gym, yoga and Pilates facilities, free daily fruit and vegetables from the rooftop garden, and first call on the event spaces (including the on-site industrial kitchen) for conferences, meetings and presentations.
Office spaces range in size from 7.9sqm to 59sqm with a variety of individual designs.
Loft Co managing director Simon Baston said:
“The market refurbishment, along with the general regeneration of Newport city centre is now picking up great pace in terms of its independent offering to the local community.
“With regards to the pace they were let, the food quarter businesses have shown great confidence in what Newport is trying to achieve in this super-bold environment.
“Customers will be able to expect the highest level of street food served to them in a calm, orderly manner in what will be one of the finest Victorian markets in the UK.
“To date we have had great support working with Newport City Council and Welsh Government at all levels, and in particular with their heritage building department. We’re on programme to deliver the scheme for office space by the end of October and inside the market by the end of January 2022.
“We would like the thank the Leader of Newport City Council, Councillor Jane Mudd, for all her continued support throughout the development of Newport Market. Loft Co are delighted to be able to work in conjunction with many local businesses and community leaders at all stages through this development.”
Reservations for office, retail and lifestyle units are available from today, To reserve your space, or receive more information about the development in general, please contact enquiries@newport-market.co.uk or browse the brochures available on the Newport Market website – www.newport-market.co.uk
