A hotel, restaurant and residential development could soon be in the pipeline for an historic Swansea site.
Swansea Council has now put the city’s famous Hafod Copperworks Site out to the marketplace and is seeking declarations of interest by the middle of August.
The site makes up over 12 acres of land close to the River Tawe, the Liberty Stadium and the Parc Morfa Retail Park.
Swansea Council is looking to bring about a vibrant and attractive development that celebrates the unique contribution the area made to the Industrial Revolution.
This would include the preservation and protection of listed buildings, the interpretation of industrial history and the new use of heritage buildings.
A mixed-use development idea with potential for apartments, a hotel and a public house or restaurant is also being sought along with better links to the river and a new public space on the waterfront.
Phil Holmes, Swansea Council’s Head of Economic and Strategic Development, said: “This is an important site both strategically and historically and it’s vital any development proposals we receive look to the future while commemorating the area’s rich heritage.
“The development of the site would boost broader plans to regenerate the riverfront in Swansea and create a waterside area where people can live, work or visit.
“We’re now anticipating the submission of adventurous and contemporary proposals by the end of the summer that would then be carefully whittled down to a shortlist.”
The Hafod Copperworks site is split into two development plots bisected by the express bus route from the adjacent park and ride scheme into the city centre.
All development proposals are expected to take into account the upgrade of the nearby riverside footpath, the possible future widening of the Morfa Distributor Road and potential extension of the Park and Ride facility.
Development proposals are also expected to be sustainable, to include affordable housing and to prioritise local workers and materials in any construction process.
The Lime Kiln, the Morfa Silverworks Site Stack and the Hafod Copperworks River Quay are among the features that would be retained as heritage or listed features and incorporated positively in development proposals.
The two large engine houses, their chimneys and the boundary wall would also be brought back into beneficial use or treated accordingly as part of the development.
Phil said: “We’re looking for firms that are interested to show their experience in developing similar sites in our aim to revive economic vitality both at this site and along the rest of the riverfront.
“Any final proposals would be subject to full consultation and planning processes so members of the public and interested parties can help shape an exciting future for this important site while preserving and celebrating its rich history.”
The Hafod Copperworks was founded in 1810 by the Cornishman John Vivian. It developed to become the largest copper works in the world later in the 19th Century and continued rolling copper until its closure in 1980.
