Key milestone reached on £48 million town centre mixed-use development

Morgan Sindall Construction has celebrated completion of the external structure for a major new £48 million mixed-use regeneration scheme in Slough.

Once complete, the nine-storey development will feature two new Marriott International hotels; operated under the Moxy and Residence Inn brands, along with 64 residential apartments.

The hotels will feature 244 luxury bedrooms in total, and there will be an additional 4,100 square foot of restaurant and retail space.

The main contractor is delivering the project for Slough Urban Renewal (SUR). SUR is a joint venture between Slough Borough Council and Morgan Sindall Investments Limited (MSIL), the investment division of construction and regeneration group, Morgan Sindall Group plc.

A topping out ceremony was held on 27 January, attended by representatives from Morgan Sindall Construction, SUR, Slough Borough Council, Cycas and Marriott International. Cycas, the award-winning hotel management company, will manage both hotels. Marriott International is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, and manages a number of franchises including Moxy and Residence Inn.

The new build is located in the town centre at the site of the former old library, and the hotels will be owned by Slough Borough Council. It is situated near to The Curve, Slough’s iconic new library and cultural arts centre which Morgan Sindall Construction began building in 2014, and which opened in September 2016.

During the topping out ceremony, attendees were invited to visit a Moxy sample hotel room, and experience the traits of the building first hand. As an homage to the iconic British TV series, Thunderbirds, which was originally filmed on the Slough Trading Estate and is an important part of the town’s history, the Moxy hotel will also boast interior décor featuring themed signage and artwork.

Work is due to fully complete on the site in early 2021.

James York, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “The old library site is a key community asset and this reimagined use for it will elevate the hospitality and residential offer in Slough; catering to increased demand fuelled by the town’s continued renaissance.
We’re incredibly pleased to celebrate this milestone with all of the public and private partners involved in the scheme. That we’ve been able to do so eight weeks ahead of schedule is credit to everyone working on the project.”

Andy Howell, General Manager at SUR, said: “Work continues apace and reaching structural completion for this mixed-use development is a significant milestone, which deserves to be celebrated. The scheme here will deliver much needed high-quality hotel accommodation in the town centre, while the apartments will contribute towards meeting the local demand for housing.”

Councillor James Swindlehurst, leader of the council and lead member for regeneration said: “The topping out ceremony provides a great opportunity to take stock and celebrate, not only this development and what it will deliver for the town, but all that we have already achieved as a joint partnership. This scheme delivers across a number of our corporate objectives, from regenerating the town centre, to contributing towards making Slough a great place to do business. To have a brand new, top class hotel offering, right in the heart of the town is going to be great for the community and great for business.”

By 2027, SUR is expected to have delivered a series of developments to the area with a total value of £1 billion. On the day, Councillor Swindlehurst reported that the local authority is already netting an estimated £5 million a year in profit thanks to the joint venture. This additional revenue has meant the council been able to fully maintain Slough’s frontline public services in the face of cuts to government funding.

• For more information about this news release please contact Helena Young at Influential on 0151 239 5000 or email [email protected]