The Council will enter into a development funding agreement (DFA) with R Blue Regen GL Limited and Reef Estates Limited (which are connected organisations) for a mixed use, urban campus known as King’s Quarter. The Council and a group company of Reef Estates Limited (R Blue Capital Ltd) both have land interests in the site. They will deliver retail, leisure and office space, dwellings and a hotel together with a multi-storey car park. On completion of the development a group company of Reef Estates Limited will transfer its land interest to the Council. The development will be undertaken in 2 phases. Works required to deliver the development (and a number of consultancy services) will be procured in accordance with an OJEU or UK Find a Tender procedures or under Frameworks. Reef/R Blue Regen GL Limited will also provide management and maintenance services for 5 years. R Blue Regen GL Limited and Reef (or a group member) will take a 5 year lease of incubator offices and provide a guarantee to the Council in connection with rent from the hotel.
The Council, R Blue Regen GL Limited and Reef Estates Limited consider their arrangement to be a joint endeavour to work together to revitalise an area of the City Centre. An element of the arrangements includes an obligation on R Blue Regen GL Limited / Reef Estates Limited (and or a group company) to lease the proposed incubator office space for 5 years and further to provide a guarantee to the Council in relation to rental income from the proposed hotel. The Council and group company of Reef Estates Ltd (R Blue Capital Ltd) both have land interests in the site and it is the intention of Reef Estates Ltd to ultimately transfer their land interests to the Council.
In order to be transparent the Council has listed the total value at £94,000,000 (Indexed) – some 86% of that value will be subject to public procurement. OJEU procurement or Frameworks (for Phase 1) and after 31st December 2020 under the UK's 'Find a Tender Procedure' or existing OJEU Frameworks which the Council has access to.
The development will be delivered in two Phases. Phase 1 is a site in Market Parade Gloucester City Centre and has a value of approximately £8 million (Indexed).This will deliver retail and residential space.
Phase 2 will be centred at the Forum, King's Quarter site Gloucester City Centre and has a value of approximately £86 million (indexed). This phase will deliver office, hotel and leisure space, together with a multi-storey car park. Phase 2 will be subject to a viability test which may result in changes to the uses and size of buildings delivered or even that Phase 2 does not proceed. The medium and long term economic impact of Covid19 on urban spaces is still uncertain.
The parties may enter into ancillary agreements with each other and/or with those third parties which they procure to provide development services/works.
The parties also contemplate entering into lease and guarantee agreements with each other in order to give effect to R Blue Regen GL Limited / Reef Estates (and or a group company) commitment to lease the proposed incubator office space and provide a guarantee to the Council in relation to rental income from the proposed hotel.
R Blue Regen GL Limited and Reef Estates Limited are part of the same group of companies and it is possible (though not expected) that another of their group companies could be involved in these arrangements.
As part of the arrangements R Blue Regen GL Limited/Reef Estates Limited will also provide general management and maintenance services for a period of 5 years.