The City of Wolverhampton Council has approved a £470,000 refurbishment of the landmark i10 office building in the city centre. The project aims to facilitate the relocation of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), which currently occupies the neighbouring i9 building.
Project Details
The three-month renovation is scheduled to begin in August, pending the appointment of a contractor. The i10 offices, located on Railway Drive adjacent to Wolverhampton railway station, opened in 2015 and were complemented by the i9 offices in 2021.
The Labour-run council's cabinet backed the plans during a meeting on April 22. Councillor Chris Burden, cabinet member for city development, jobs and skills, described the work as "absolutely vital" for attracting high-quality employment opportunities to the city.
Council's Vision
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Burden stated: "This is really fantastic for local people. These are really high quality jobs that will be moving into the area. High quality jobs at the heart of the Local Government Pension Scheme which is an incredibly important employer making massive economic changes to cities up and down this country."
He added: "It is absolutely vital that we have this kind of employer and we help them in this way to make sure that they see Wolverhampton as a permanent home. I think importantly that undertaking this will allow us to make changes to the i9 building in order to attract those tenants that we know are fantastic employers for this city."
Investment Breakdown
The total council investment for the i10 refurbishment amounts to £1.8 million. This includes £1.1 million allocated for the LGPS relocation from the i9 building and £650,000 for constructing and fitting a new business lounge at the Railway Drive offices.
Economic Impact
A cabinet report published prior to the meeting emphasised the project's alignment with the council's priority of creating a thriving economy. It stated: "Refurbishment of the i10 building will contribute to the council’s priority of creating a thriving economy in all parts of the city, including supporting local businesses to start up, scale up and thrive, and attracting new investment that brings wider social and economic benefits."
The report further noted that the refurbishment would provide high-quality spaces, foster collaboration, and increase opportunities for businesses to access modern workspaces at the heart of the city’s commercial district. This initiative supports the council’s focus on enabling a strong, resilient local economy driven by innovation and growth.
