Hull has recently seen a new surge in city centre living which has had a significant impact on the city’s skyline, with exciting new developments finished and in the pipeline. 

Jason Coleman, Managing Director of Iguana Developments has been pivotal in shaping the city. With over 20 years in the property development and a vast portfolio from high quality student accommodation and house –shares to young professional lettings.

More recently Iguana Developments have been addressing   the cities shortage of high-quality accommodation with £42m investments in city centre living. Namely in; HU1 Living, Liberty House, Burnett House, Bowl Alley Lane and the soon to be developed old Queens Garden’s police station.  Liberty House will be completed in autumn 2018, offering 25 highly space-efficient apartments, with quality finishings and an in-house cinema and gym. 

Jason Coleman, Managing Director, said; “Hull is one of the best kept secrets I know and we saw the opportunity to fill a void in the top-end of the market.  The region has a shortage of high-quality accommodation for what is now a growing young workforce and lots of relocatees.  Our aim was to bring luxury apartment living to Hull, think Kingston upon Thames to Kingston upon Hull”.      

The new HU1 living apartments are perfectly located in Hull’s historic old town.  The former Essex House office block has been converted into 45 high-spec apartments fitted with all the mod cons you can imagine such as LED TVs, sound installation, wine coolers and karndean flooring.  The site was chosen due to its unrivalled amazing balcony views over the city centre.  Not that the view is the only selling point however.  The apartments house a beautiful communal roof terrace area, private dining, a gym, a cinema with an enormous plasma screen, a games room filled with leather sumptuous gaming chairs and boys’ toys – giving a whiff of a ‘club land’ feel.  With the additional benefits of having a 24-hour concierge service and the fastest internet broadband in Hull (on a par with the C4Di digital hub), HU1 Living has become the most unique and attractive metropolitan living in Hull.  With residents such as footballers, doctors and well-educated professionals, living here will make you the envy of all your friends and colleagues.

With the recent introduction of Permitted Development Rights under the last Parliament it is now easier for empty office buildings to be converted into apartments, with planning law being more in favour of residential development.  And the latest development project of Iguana Developments is the much anticipated Queens Gardens site, which will be turned into 94 apartments, 21 of which will be spectacular new-build duplex penthouses.  These penthouses will be unlike any other property on the market in the region, offering unparalleled space and specification, as well as iconic views.  If you know a thing or two about investing in bricks and mortar then watch the release of these apartments closely, as it is likely many if not all will be sold prior to completion.  City centres are increasingly where people want to live and work, a nice pad at the heart of a vibrant cosmopolis close to great amenities with a wealth of bars and restaurants.  So if you are looking for ultimate high living in Hull city centre then these developments are the perfect place to buy or rent a city bolthole.  The completion of the Queens Gardens development will result in a property portfolio for Iguana Developments of 170 apartments, 230 tenants and the creation of c.100 jobs.       

The properties are being let by local company MyPad, their Managing Director, Danny Gough said; “city centre living is having a huge comeback and young people in particular are now leading the move back into urban areas.  The take up at HU1 Living was incredible with 35 of the 45 apartments let within just eight weeks of opening.  It is rare to find two bedroom apartments of this high standard within a city centre.  Hopefully this is the start of a rebirth, making Hull city centre not just an attractiveness place to live but part of an economic boom.”

In most city centres you are hard-pressed to find open spaces but in Hull there is abundance of green open spaces and gardens, as well as stylish bars and quirky eateries, heritage and culture, think cobbled streets and charming architecture.  The jewel in the crown is Hull’s marina and waterfront adjacent to the eclectic Fruit Market area, full of independent coffee shops, restaurants and bars, giving this pocket of Hull a local and unique feel for city dwellers.  Complementing the Iguana Developments sites in the historic quarter is the Wykeland Beal £17m investment of 100+ new homes in the Fruit Market waterside quarter.  Jason Coleman, Managing Director, Iguana Developments commented; “the Wykeland Beal scheme adds to the much needed critical mass of city centre living, particularly for the creatives and independents, as well as widening the appeal of city centre living beyond just young professionals.”

What’s next for Jason Coleman and his team?  They anticipate a £300m investment portfolio within the next 5-10 years, developments in York and Harrogate and more in Hull city centre creating a true live-work city.

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