A topping-out ceremony has marked a major milestone at Mill Yard, a mixed‑use campus in the heart of Cambridge, as the development's principal office building, MY Central, reached its highest point.

Set on Devonshire Road, Mill Yard will transform a key city site into a sustainable neighbourhood. The masterplan comprises three office buildings — MY North, MY South and MY Central — alongside two residential blocks and a nursery arranged around a publicly accessible park.

The £180 million commercial and residential scheme is being delivered by Railpen, with Socius as development partner and Morgan Sindall Construction as lead contractor. Targeting completion in 2027, Mill Yard forms part of Railpen's Cambridge innovation cluster.

The five‑storey MY Central topped out on Tuesday 10th March. To mark the occasion, project stakeholders and community representatives toured the site and took in views from the newly completed roof.

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On completion, the neighbourhood will provide 110,000 sq ft of flexible workspaces, 70 build‑to‑rent apartments, a 2,100 sq ft nursery, a restaurant, a café/bakery and an outdoor pavilion for community activities.

Workplaces will overlook landscaped gardens, with layouts designed to encourage innovation and collaboration. Railpen is targeting NABERS Design for Performance 5‑star and BREEAM Outstanding ratings to meet leading sustainability standards.

All buildings will be all‑electric, powered by a mix of on‑ and off‑site renewables. Using its Intelligent Solutions approach and CarboniCa digital carbon tool, Morgan Sindall has reduced Mill Yard’s environmental footprint, diverting 99% of waste from landfill and setting a potential embodied carbon saving goal of 5,013 tonnes. A 280% biodiversity net gain is targeted through measures including bat, bird and bee boxes, green roofs, hedgehog habitats and evergreen planters.

The plans include 1.55 acres of public green space with more than 120 trees, edible and ornamental planting, a new community pavilion designed by George King Architects, a perimeter running track, secure cycle parking and end of journey facilities.

Jamie Shearman, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in Cambridgeshire, said: "We know that Mill Yard is going to make a significant difference in Cambridge and events like this really shine a light on the transformative potential of this development. Working closely with Railpen, Socius, and the local community has been central to this project right from the start and means the team has been able to innovate and think creatively about how we deliver the most benefits for the area."