Plans revealed for Bristol city centre commercial and residential development

Bristol developer Cubex has drawn up plans to transform the former headquarters site of Avon Fire and Rescue in Bristol city centre into new homes and offices, forming the next phase of the Finzels Reach quarter.

The £140M mixed-use scheme planned for the site comprises a 14,000m2 contemporary office building, featuring a unique corkscrew staircase rising up through a glass atrium to a rooftop terrace.

The office building will be delivered alongside over 300 homes specially designed for the rental market. They will be laid out in a range of apartment buildings of varying heights, from seven through to 16 storeys.

Gavin Bridge, Executive Director at Cubex, said: “This year has been pivotal for Finzels Reach as it’s really come into its own with more residents and businesses moving in, the hotel opening, as well as the lively food market every Friday becoming an established part of the Bristol street food scene.

“The acquisition of the Avon Fire HQ site allows the placemaking journey to continue, to deliver more much-needed homes and workspace for the city through carefully considered design, and, importantly, a mixture of types of housing including build-to-rent and affordable to create a balanced community, complementing the range of homes within the wider Finzels Reach neighbourhood.”

Cubex started regeneration work at Finzels Reach just over five years ago when the team stepped in to develop the site after a previous attempt went into receivership. The first phase of Finzels Reach is almost complete and comprises homes, modern sustainable office space and a 168-bedroom Premier Inn hotel, with a micro-brewery, further cafes and restaurant in the pipeline.