Day-to-day running of the 1852 Wing business centre at the multi-million pound Treadmills site, which is council-owned and currently run by C4DI Northallerton, will be transferred to the authority from April next year.
The former main cell block and female wing were transformed into a centre for digital innovation in 2020, after being derelict since the closure of Northallerton Prison more than a decade ago.
It formed part of a wider redevelopment of the site which saw all four listed buildings preserved and brought back into economic use – boosting the local economy while protecting Northallerton’s heritage.
Ten individual businesses currently occupy the C4DI Northallerton office space. C4DI and the council are liaising with tenants to ensure they face no disruption as part of the handover.
The council’s executive member for open to business is Mark Crane. He said: “C4DI has been a crucial part of the Treadmills redevelopment that has helped revitalise the local economy and foster business innovation.
“The 1852 Wing offers fantastic modern office spaces, meeting rooms and a collaborative environment for start-up and established businesses to thrive. We’re excited to build on the work of C4DI by taking on the day-to-day running of the building.
“We are proud of the fantastic relationship we enjoy with the businesses already situated in 1852 Wing and are excited to have the opportunity to further develop these, as well as inspire further investment at the site, as we move forward over the coming months.”
C4DI MD John Connolly added: “The new combined authority brings with it an increased scale of support for businesses across the region, as well as an excellent operational team to support the facility which will accelerate the growth of businesses based in and around Treadmills.
“We look forward to working with North Yorkshire Council as we continue to help businesses with events, mentoring, corporate innovation programmed and support for both start-ups and scale-ups.”
