**Swansea Council Approves Nearly £3 Million for New City Centre Office Development**
Swansea’s city centre is set to undergo another major transformation following the approval of close to £3 million in council funding for the construction of a landmark office block. The project, which has received planning permission, will emerge on a site between St Mary’s Church and the recently built multi-storey car park on Albert Row. The scheme is being supported as the next step in Swansea Council’s ongoing efforts to revitalise the heart of the city.
At a cabinet meeting held on 26 June, councillors voted to allocate £2.95 million to drive the development forward. The funds will go towards contracting a builder for the five-storey structure and progressing the detailed design. The exact construction costs will be confirmed once a contractor is appointed and the final plans drawn up.
While the building has largely been described as a new hub for public sector staff, the council has signalled it will now also seek private sector interest in taking up office space in the development. The proposed scheme includes commercial units on the ground floor for shops or other businesses, whilst the upper four floors will accommodate a mix of public sector organisations and possibly private firms.
The latest plans confirm a shift in the council’s occupation from the originally intended two floors down to one. Despite the smaller footprint, council officials say this will still allow all remaining staff to move out of the seafront Civic Centre, which has long been earmarked for closure. Council leader Rob Stewart said conversations are underway with both the Welsh Government and Westminster about possible relocations of their staff into the new office.
This office block is just the latest piece in a broader picture of regeneration sweeping across the city centre. Swansea has already witnessed the development of another major office scheme on The Kingsway, named 71/72 The Kingsway, which is about to open its doors. The new Kingsway site will be home to travel company TUI and workspace provider IWG Ltd, who together will take up more than a quarter of the space in the five-storey building. Additionally, new office facilities have been delivered by private developers on the corner of Princess Way and St Mary Street.
Councillor Stewart emphasised the importance of attracting premium mixed-use and office space to keep the city centre moving forwards. He described the demand for offices at 71/72 The Kingsway as robust and growing, with more tenants likely to follow.
The council’s development partner, Urban Splash, is working alongside local authorities on a wider Swansea Central regeneration plan. The goal is to create a vibrant precinct of new retail outlets, eateries and pedestrian walkways, stretching between the existing city centre and the recently completed Copr Bay project. Copr Bay is already home to the multi-storey car park, new flats, commercial premises, the striking yellow bridge over Oystermouth Road, and the Swansea Building Society Arena.
According to council papers, the objective is to complete the final design of the new office block before the year ends. If the timescale remains on track, construction could commence as early as April and conclude by the end of 2027. Officials maintain there is already significant interest in the future office space, signalling healthy market appetite.
The council had already committed £2.68 million towards pre-development and preparatory costs to keep the project on schedule. Deputy council leader Andrea Lewis paid tribute to the “huge amount of work” so far and expressed enthusiasm for the next stages of the development.
As Swansea continues to emerge from successive waves of investment, civic leaders remain hopeful that such projects will draw both new employers and businesses into the city centre and further enhance Swansea’s status as a regional hub for work, shopping, and leisure. The coming years look set to reshape the face of central Swansea and build on regeneration efforts already underway.