A new pizza restaurant will bring two vacant city centre units back into use, thanks to a grant from Hull City Council.
Stretch Pizza has been awarded £22,638.18 of Levelling Up Funding towards its project.
The grant award is for Stretch Pizza’s successful planning application, which will see the merger of Units 5 and 6 of Paragon Arcade on Paragon Street.
Part of a Grade II Listed building, Unit 6 is the former home of White Rabbit Chocolatiers.
The works involve plumbing, electrical and plastering to ensure that the units are fit for purpose, as well as the purchase of a wood-fired pizza oven and equipment.
Stretch Pizza will also purchase a till system, tables/benches, a beer dispenser and refrigeration units.
Councillor Paul Drake-Davis, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, said: “I am delighted to be able to award this grant to Stretch Pizza to help repurpose and regenerate an empty unit in our city centre.
“The Levelling Up Fund has already benefitted many buildings and businesses in Hull and this is another example of the regeneration work it helps unlock.”
The total project will costs £45,276.36 and aims to create five local jobs.
Last year, the council was awarded £19.5million from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund to support infrastructure and deliver a package of city centre regeneration works.
£7.5million of this being used for the Levelling Up Fund grant scheme, which aims to bring unused floorspace of any vacant or partially occupied property back into use.
It follows targeted investment into Whitefriargate schemes such as the Humber High Street Challenge Fund and the High Street Heritage Action Zone.
These schemes have provided grants to businesses and property owners to enable the repurposing of vacant buildings on Whitefriargate, Albion Square and the surrounding connecting area.
