Today, April 11, HMRC employees have moved into the new office block The Unity Square Tower, off Sheriffs Way, Nottingham and there's already a real buzz in the area. Around 1,000 UK Government employees moved in today and a further 4,000 is due to move in by May.
People and business owners on Carrington Street say they’re ‘happy’ the building is open and will help the footfall in the area after the loss of Broadmarsh and the bus station. Simran Sangh, 29, manager at Crunch Munch told Nottinghamshire Live that the new employees will make the business busier and it’s ‘fantastic.’
Mr Sangh said:“It’s good, it’s busy. If people are coming it’s good for us and we’re busier.
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“I think it’s a lot of people working like 1,000 - so if 5 or 10% of that come it would be good, not just for us but for everybody here. It’s fantastic and if they do a night shift that would be food as we are open until 2 o’clock and they can get food easily.”
The building was formerly a multi-storey car park which then was demolished in 2017. The plans for this new UK Government hub were announced in 2018.
Shopper Varlerie Smith, who is 75 and from Keyworth, says that the area will be different now that the offices have opened.
She said: “It’s been difficult coming down here. There’s nothing near Broadmarsh, no shops. I think that it will be very good with this open.
“If you go up to Victoria Centre it’s an entirely different atmosphere - it’s busy. There’s no atmosphere this way, I find it depressing I think it will make a big difference here.”
Eventually, there are plans to complement the building with another, even taller sibling. Planning permission was granted for two buildings and the second scheme awaits investment before work commences.
Michael Meliou, 45, owner Carrington’s Fish and Chips told Nottinghamshire Live that it will create more foot traffic in the area after a ‘horrendous’ time for businesses during Covid. Mr Meliou said: “I’m really happy. With the regeneration of Broadmarsh it’s nice to have something complete.
“There’s always been lots of footfall in the area but with Broadmarsh and the Bus Station there’s a loss of footfall. It’s nice to have the college and now the HMRC as it was horrendous with Covid.”
Ciprian Lop, 27, owner of Rotari Cakes, says that he hopes the area will get busier. Mr Lop said: “There seem to be more people in the street. It’s good, it will increase and hopefully the area will be busier.”
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