A PURPOSE-built business centre offering the very highest levels of accommodation and services has now opened in the heart of one of Durham City's most prestigious business developments.

The Rivergreen Centre is the final development at the Aykley Heads Business Centre which is close to the heart of the city and already home to the North East Chamber of Commerce, Durham County Waste Management and Terry Laybourne's Egon Ronay award winning Bistro 21 restaurant.

It provides 12,000 sq.ft. of accommodation on two floors and allows up to 60 people to work in fully furnished individual offices of various sizes.

They have access to the very latest communications technology including ISDN and videoconferencing.

Top level business and IT support is being provided by staff from the Durham based Virtuoso company and the building includes a high class reception and meeting area, coffee shop and formal meeting room.

The Rivergreen Centre, built at a cost of £2m, is the final phase of the highly successful Aykley Head project by Rivergreen Developments plc.

The developer now has its own headquarters in the building.

Managing director Peter Candler says: "It is a walk-in and work development offering high quality accommodation in a beautifully mature environment and yet within a few minutes walk of the railway station and the City Centre."

He added: "It has been designed to appeal to businessmen or project teams who need to set up a local base for a few days or weeks.

"Equally it is suitable for local individuals or small companies which need a prestigious address and ready made support facilities."