Down she goes - demolition work at the former newspaper offices and print works in Lower Brook Street, Ipswich got under way in earnest this week.
The demolition machinery is busy at work at the former Archant newspaper offices site in Ipswich - which was home of the Ipswich Star, East Anglian Daily Times and other publications since the 1960s.
The publishers have been serving the Ipswich and Suffolk community with news and newspapers - and now digital content - since Victorian times.
The Ipswich operation has moved to Portman House, in Princes Street to fully refurbished offices.
Portman House, on the corner with Portman Road, was once a bonded store for the Churchman’s (John Player) cigarette factory, and later became offices.
The landmark building has been specially converted for its new use, and it has been in operation with staff producing newspapers and magazines since October.
Contractors SEH are at work on the demolition of the offices and printworks buildings, between Lower Brook Street and Turret Lane, to make way for re-development of the site.
Retirement development specialists McCarthy & Stone are planning to develop this key site, providing homes and helping to link the town centre with the Waterfront.
McCarthy & Stone are planning a scheme of Retirement Living apartments and cottages for the site.
The new homes would also be a boost for businesses in the town centre.
McCarthy and Stone believes the development of the site offers an important opportunity to provide much needed specialist retirement accommodation. The local over 65s population is predicted to rise by 54% over the next 20 years.
Independent academic research has shown that almost 80% of McCarthy and Stone homeowners shop locally at least once a week and the company estimates this would translate into £670,000 of spending in Ipswich’s economy annually.
Today the Archant team publish newspapers and magazines and also website pages with up-to-the minute content and thousands of regular readers.
Ipswich Town’s new season football fixtures were up on the websites, for readers far and wide, within minutes of them being released today.
In the early days at Lower Brook Street, Ipswich Town fans would gather outside the office on a big away match day - and wait for the sports reporters to shout out the latest scores from the sportsroom windows.
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