GMI Construction Group has marked A major milestone in the development of the 650,000 sq. ft Connect warehouse and logistics scheme.

Durham City MP Mary Kelly Foy was invited to visit the site, within the Integra 61 mixed use development at J61 of the A1(M) at Bowburn, by GMI and real estate and development company Citrus Durham.

There she signed a steel beam, the first of 1,200 tonnes of steelwork that will be used during the project.

GMI was appointed by Citrus to construct the five units that comprise Connect and the steel frames of the first two units will start to rise in the coming weeks.

The Connect development comprises four industrial/logistics units ranging from 43,000 sq. ft to 152,000 sq. ft plus a stand-alone 298,000 sq. ft warehouse on an adjacent plot which will feature 15 metre high bays. This unit, called Connect 298, will be the region’s largest speculatively developed industrial unit for more than a decade.

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Citrus secured £75 million to enable the speculative development of Connect at its Integra 61 site, with the units scheduled to be ready for occupation by next summer.

Mary Kelly Foy MP said: "I'm pleased to see this development moving forwards with the arrival of the steelwork. Warehousing and logistics space is in great demand in this region and is a vital component in the economic infrastructure that will contribute to the area's prosperity."

David Cullingford, project lead for Integra 61 and Citrus, said: "There is currently lots of activity at Integra 61 and to be seeing the steelwork about to rise on Connect is the first step towards filling a crucial void in the regional logistics pipeline. We were delighted to mark the event with a visit from the Durham City MP."

Gary Oates, GMI Construction Group’s North East Operations Director, added: "GMI is immensely proud to be involved in a development that will create jobs and stimulate the region's economy. People will definitely notice real progress once the framework goes up."

The steelwork has been fabricated and will be erected by Finley Structures, based in Newton Aycliffe, which is an established supplier to GMI Construction Group.

Integra 61, which includes a two million sq. ft Amazon Fulfilment Centre, is the largest logistics and manufacturing opportunity in the North East in a generation.