Residential developers, Queensway Properties will host an open day to showcase their unique apartments at Garden Village Shopping Centre on Saturday, 4 May 2019.
The event will recreate the Reckitt family’s original opening ceremony of the Garden Village development which took place in the 1900s.
Queensway Properties have invited Deputy Lord Mayor of Hull, Councillor Steve Wilson and his Consort Mr Karl Hodder to officially open the show apartment, with a Spring fete and cream teas, in aid of Dove House Hospice.
Garden Village was designed by the Reckitt family and the Shopping Centre was the focal point for the local community, providing everything they could need including a greengrocer and Post Office. In more recent years, the building had been converted into apartments.
Queensway Properties is an Essex based developer, owned and managed by Nick Eaton and Nick Bishop who purchased the site in 2006 and have since rented the apartments to local people.
Nick Eaton, Director of Queensway Properties says:
“Until recently, the apartments at Garden Village Shopping Centre have been rented out. We made the decision to renovate the building and have invested £550,000 to improve it. Each apartment has been completely refurbished and we’ve installed new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, re-wired, and decorated throughout.”
“The building is Grade II listed and we are the first developer in the UK to have been granted permission by the local planning team to overhaul the brickwork on the outside of the building which had crumbled away, causing damp inside the property and leaving parts of it uninhabitable. We commissioned Hodgson Rendering Specialists to simulate the original brick-work at either side of the archway and also the window surrounds. This work is highly specialised and we are pleased to have been given the go-ahead for it to be done, returning this handsome building to its former glory.”
“The apartments have been designed with both first-time buyers and downsizers in mind, therefore prices start at £79,000 for a one bedroom apartment. Before we even put them on the market, we had 25 enquiries from local people, some of whom are selling their larger Garden Village family home to relocate to a more manageable property.”
“We have also found that due to the reasonable pricing structure, first-time buyers are able to get on the property ladder with just ten per cent deposit – no need for Help to Buy. This is an interesting cycle of the property ladder as the chain will allow for growing families to move into larger properties in the same area.”
Well-known for its community spirit and a fantastic central location, Garden Village Shopping Centre is a two-storey E-shaped building which surrounds a village-style green, with established landscaping, providing a unique place to live.
The first-floor level includes a balustrade walkway with outdoor space for each apartment, creating a sociable atmosphere for residents.
Fellow Director, Nick Bishop says:
“Although we are not based locally, we started investing in property in Hull over a decade ago, always having faith in the city and wanting to play our part in its onward improvement.”
“With advice from Danny Gough at Mypad Lettings and Management, we have always found that Hull is, without doubt, an excellent location for property investors and our approach is to sympathetically improve the sites we purchase, we want to make enjoyable places to live and the Garden Village Shopping Centre lends itself perfectly to our ethos.”
“The Reckitt family were industrialists and shared the dream of others like Cadburys to create a space for employees to live close to their workplace and to be a part of a solid community. Therefore, it is important for us as property developers to celebrate this history and uphold it into the future.”
“With such a rich history, sense of local pride and belonging, we wanted our open day to be in a similar vein to the original opening of Garden Village in 1908. It was attended by Thomas Ferens MP, Mayor of Hull at the time, along with the architect and many local people. As well as tours and talks, the event will include cream teas and all proceeds will be donated to Dove House Hospice, whose local volunteers will also be in attendance on the day.”
In advance of the opening day, Queensway Properties is keen to hear from local people with interesting knowledge of the site and surrounding area. To share this kind of information, please visit the Facebook page, Garden Village Shopping Centre.
