Citrus Durham has got £75m funding for Connect 298 - the largest speculatively developed industrial/warehouse unit in the North East for over a decade.

The investment will enable the development of 650,000 sq ft of new industrial space at the Integra 61 mixed-use project at J61 of the A1(M) in Durham.

Connect will comprise a 342,000 sq ft industrial/logistics development of four high quality units ranging from 43,000 to 152,000 sq ft. In addition, a 298,000 sq ft stand-alone, 15 metre high bay industrial/warehouse unit will be delivered on an adjacent plot.

Read more: County Durham projects that could be delivered after £117m funding

GMI Construction has been appointed as contractor for the build and work has started on site with the Connect units ready for occupation in summer next year. The project is driven by the acute shortage of high-quality modern logistics/industrial supply in the North East.

Integra 61 is one of the North East’s most significant regeneration projects with outline consent in place for over 3 million sq ft of employment space with the potential to create some 4,000 jobs.

Already home to Amazon’s 2m sq ft Fulfilment Centre, occupiers can choose design and build packages for units to meet their specific requirements, and this speculative phase of development will satisfy those companies looking for space that is already under construction.

David Cullingford, Project Lead for Integra 61 and Citrus, said; “The funding will accelerate delivery of the next phase of development at Integra 61. 2022 is proving to be an exciting year with lots of activity on-site and we are looking forward to delivering these new speculative units as quickly as possible.

“We have a real opportunity here to make a significant contribution to the regional pipeline for industrial/logistics accommodation and to ease the well-documented shortages in the North East. This is a thriving region with a superb workforce and businesses and we hope to bring more jobs and opportunities with this next multi-million pound investment at Integra 61.”

The total estimated investment value on completion of Integra 61 is around £300m and the 205 acre site has the potential to create some 4,000 new jobs and inject over £2bn to the regional economy over 10 years.

The pioneering development will comprise a highly sustainable mix of uses incorporating: 3m sq ft of industrial and logistics accommodation, 270 new homes and 80,000 sq ft of prime roadside uses including, drive-thrus, a 70 bed hotel, family pub/restaurant, nursery, car showrooms, self storage and trade counter/retail uses at the gateway to the site.

Citrus Durham is part of the Citrus Group, an entrepreneurial real estate investment and development company with diverse interests, from commercial and residential development to real estate investment.