Offering excellent connectivity, major local employers and a varied leisure offering, Ashford is one of Kent’s strongest investment locations. It is also home to our Riverside Park project, a community of 246 apartments, 26 townhouses and a new public realm overlooking the Great River Stour.
Back in June 2020, we outlined the latest residential, commercial and leisure projects underway in Ashford. Despite a challenging 12 months, there has been a lot of regeneration progress and we will take this opportunity to share the latest updates.
Below, we have outlined three of the exciting projects emerging in the town including a new arts space, hotel and logistics hub.
Jasmin Vardimon Creative Laboratory
Set to open in 2022, work has commenced on the exciting new arts space on Javelin Way in Ashford, which will provide a permanent home for the rapidly growing dance company, Jasmin Vardimon Company. It will also deliver 29 light industrial units, which will support the growth of SMEs in the creative sector and the wider market.
The more than £4 million project has received investment from Arts Council England, Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council via the ‘Getting Building Fund’.
Commenting on the plans, Ian Ross, Executive Director for Jasmin Vardimon, said: “Our new home will provide not only a high quality creative base for our own work but also enable us to expand our connection with the local community and support emerging talent.”
New hotel to open this summer
A new 140-room Hampton by Hilton is being built only minutes from Ashford International Station and our Riverside Park project, making it the perfect central hub for visitors. The design features ‘shipping container’ like structures transported from China which is an approach now used across the hotel industry.
There have been some delays in construction due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but progress is now well underway, and the hotel is set to open this summer.
New distribution centre at Waterbrook Park
Located near Junction 10 of the M20, Waterbrook Park is a major 140-acre development, which includes new homes, retail, commercial space and increased capacity of the award-winning Ashford International Truckstop.
A decision by Ashford Borough Council in January 2021, revealed that work for a 18.5-acre storage and distribution warehouse site had been given the greenlight. The project is set to create local employment opportunities in the logistics sector. The name of the operator is yet to be revealed, but it is rumoured to be online retail giant, Amazon. Construction is set to start in April, with a target date for completion being February 2022.
GRE Assets is currently delivering Riverside Park, a major residential development in Ashford, Kent.
