York Guildhall has a Renovated Revival

The Guildhall is set to be handed over to the University of York as a leaseholder.

The works on the hall began in September 2019 and have now reached completion.

The site is situated on the River Ouse behind the iconic Mansion House, located on St Helen’s Square.

The site will offer conference spaces, offices and meeting rooms, as well as new editions of a café and riverside restaurant unit.

The building complex is a collection of both Grade I and II listed buildings which date back to the 15th century. The riverside hall was used as a meeting room and has been a seat of Governance since the 1200s.

The site has seen a depth a ray of history including entertaining King Richard III in 1483 and was the venue of St Margaret Clitherow’s trial in 1586.

Councillor and Executive Member for Finance and Performance, Nige Ayre expressed his delight for the site’s renovations. He said: “The investment in the Guildhall manifests our city’s ambitions and aspirations in preserving history whilst at the same time embracing the future.

“This project has taken one of the most important heritage buildings in the UK, one of York’s best-loved historic sites, and has- through excellent design, thoughtful investment and very high-quality construction- built a new chapter in York’s future; innovative, environmentally progressive and accessible to all.

“It’s a building and a legacy that York can be proud of for many years to come.”

The most serious damage the building experienced was the bombing of 1942.

Previously, the building had only had reactive repairs carried out but has now had a £21.7 million construction to repair, restore and protect the building from any water damage.

The funding was provided by a combination of support from the City of York Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

The University of York signed a 15-year lease on the building in August 2021 and it is hoped the signing will bring the building back to provide a place for socialising and businesses.

The university are set to use the site to offer business facilities support to entrepreneurs and start up businesses who are looking to grow.

The project has aimed to be environmentally friendly and has used green technology to heat the building and office spaces. The facility as a whole has potential to provide over 200 jobs in high value sectors and allow public access to the site.

It is estimated that the building may generate £100 million into York’s economy over the next five years.