March 27th, 2023
Amro Partners has embarked on a three-year partnership with Croydon youth charity, Legacy Youth Zone.
As a Gold Supporter, pledging support over three years, we will help fund the charity’s activities at its multi-purpose facility and engage young people in the borough with the redevelopment of the Croydon Park Hotel, including the creation of dedicated community spaces.
Legacy Youth Zone is an easily accessible, state-of-the-art facility located in the centre of Croydon, providing local young people with the space and opportunity to discover their full potential. They are supported in a wide range of skills-based activities and new experiences, supported by expert Youth Workers, including boxing, climbing, cooking, music and performing arts. The charity costs £1.5 million each year to run, which is funded through voluntary donations, business partnerships, local trusts and fundraising activities.
At a workshop earlier this month hosted by Amro Partners and HTA Architects, design ideas were presented to Legacy members who provided feedback on features they liked and disliked, proposed names for the building and ideas for maximising use of the 83 sqm shared community space on Altyre Road, as part of a lasting legacy for local people. The sustainability theme proved popular and ‘Botanical House’ was chosen as the new name for the project, which is currently awaiting planning approval.
Botanical House will be one of the most environmentally friendly new buildings in the UK, using many of the materials from the existing hotel building, enhancing the streetscape and creating a significant biodiversity net gain. Approximately half of the site area will be landscaped with a courtyard garden, children’s play area, extensive tree planting and upgrades to the street and pavements.
Scheduled to open in 2026, the development will create 455 new rental homes suitable for single people through to families. One in ten homes will be suitable for wheelchair users and 20% are proposed to be designated affordable homes. Shared facilities will include roof terraces, lounge areas, co-working spaces, a gym and cinema room.
Tom Donnachie, Managing Director (UK Investment), Amro Partners, said: “We’re focused on transforming the Croydon Park Hotel into the most sustainable residential building in the borough and at the same time, creating a lasting legacy for the Croydon community. Our partnership with Legacy Youth Zone has already helped us find a fantastic new name for the project and we look forward to supporting them in their vital work over the next three years.”
Barnabas Shelbourne, CEO at Legacy Youth Zone, said: “We are extremely grateful to have Amro Partners join us as a Gold Supporter of Legacy Youth Zone. Their generous funding will make a huge difference to thousands of young people in Croydon during a time of crisis.”
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