ELLANDI'S EAGLE LAB SOARS IN SOUTHAMPTON
Posted by Ellandi on 27th Jun 2019
Ellandi are delighted
to announce the opening of Barclays Eagle Lab at the Marlands Shopping Centre
in the heart of Southampton City Centre. This new facility will support
creative, digital and knowledge-based entrepreneurs by providing the City’s
first collaborative, co-working environment. This is the 24th UK
opening of the Barclays Eagle Lab concept and we are delighted to welcome them
to The Marlands.
The Marlands is a
200,000 sq ft Community Shopping Centre located in the heart of Southampton
City Centre, opposite the City Council’s civic offices and within close
proximity to both the city’s two Universities. Implementing an innovative concept like the Barclays Eagle Lab in
Southampton to reposition and re-vitalise obsolete retail accommodation in town
centres is an important step in regeneration and breathes life into these areas
by opening opportunities and actively promoting creativity and entrepreneurship
in local communities.
By investing in a new
dedicated entrance from Portland Terrace together with new lifts and enlarged
windows to create a light and welcoming space, Ellandi has been able to
re-purpose what was a vacant second floor area previously occupied by Matalan
as storage accommodation and prior to that as part of a Dunnes department
store. Southampton City Council have been our partner in the project and have
invested £1.50m to support this vibrant environment and foster entrepreneurship
in the city.
Eagle Labs also
encourage the transformation of businesses, industries and larger organisations
through the delivery of structured innovation programming and access to new and
emerging technologies.
Now with 24 Eagle Labs
located the UK and more in the pipeline, their aim is to provide high-potential
businesses with the services they need to develop and grow. From each location
they cultivate a community of likeminded entrepreneurs who benefit from access
to collaborative co-working and office space, structured mentoring and a
curated events programme.
There are over 40,000
students in Southampton. This fabulous facility should help to ensure that after
graduation entrepreneurs will have the support and resource, they need to
persuade them to stay in Southampton and create new businesses that will
benefit the City for many years to come.
Jonathan Robson, Asset Management Director at
Ellandi said: “We are delighted to have worked closely in partnership with
Southampton City Council and Barclays Eagle Labs to deliver this innovative
co-working environment in what is a leading example of re-purposing and
re-vitalising obsolete retail accommodation within Community Shopping Centres.”