Sir Robert McAlpine has started work on a new £65 million UK Government Property Hub at Central Square in Cardiff.

The 270,000 sq ft building will take two years to build and is being delivered on a site that has lain derelict for over 10 years. Completion is scheduled for December 2019.

Designed by Gensler, the UK Hub is the fourth building at Central Square and takes the overall space under construction at the site to more than one million sq ft. The development is being led by property development company Rightacres in partnership with Cardiff Council and funders Legal & General.

The facility forms part of the Government's plan to establish strong civil servant bases across the UK and will transform the Government's estate by accommodating multi-departmental workforces in shared buildings.

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More than 400 construction jobs will be created by the project. Once finished, the building will accommodate over 4,000 public servants from several UK Government departments including HMRC and the Office for the Secretary of State for Wales.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction today, 07 December, Government Property Agency Programme Director Ann Carter-Gray said: "Central Square will be part of a network of government hubs, transforming central government's offices by accommodating many different departments in shared buildings in our capital cities and in the regions.

"The hubs will be a catalyst for growth in city centres and surrounding areas, helping to boost jobs and economic growth and ensure the delivery of the best quality services to the public."

Glynne Jones, Director of the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, said: "We're delighted to be part of the new Central Square development at the heart of Cardiff's city centre. Today's event marks the beginning of a process that will eventually see our colleagues come together in state-of-the art facilities, enabling closer working relationships between departments."

(LM/JP)