The building is part of what Fenland Council hopes will signal a major rejuvenation not just for Wisbech but the whole Fenland area.

Members of the public – who so far have only seen the changing face of the £4 million building from the outside – will soon be given the chance to look round the nautical design with a series of open days.

The Citizen was invited on Thursday to take a glimpse of the almost complete boathouse business centre which is one phase of the multi-million pound Nene Waterfront regeneration project.

The planned 300 houses with shops, cafes and nightlife on the 20-acre site will all follow as soon as the economic climate allows.

The boathouse business centre has 38 offices and the capacity for 200 potential jobs. It is being managed by Justin Wingfield, who is employed by the council as business premises manager following a recent move from nearby King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council.

Clive Gibbon, Fenland's business development officer, is convinced the right businesses can be attracted to it.

Two businesses are virtually ready to sign and another two are set to follow.

"The two businesses ready to sign are from out of the district. We are trying to encourage new growth," said Clive, adding the first business occupants could be in next month.

"The type of interest and businesses we want to attract are knowledge-based and creative-types," he said, adding the marketing net is being cast wide.

The offices boast motion-sensored lighting and high-speed broadband facilities. They are being rented on "easy-in, easy-out" terms. Businesses will benefit from a serviced reception area which takes care of post, calls and messaging and each floor has a kitchen area and meeting room.

The whole building is CCTV-linked to Fenland's 24-hour monitoring base for high security.

On the ground floor is a bistro/cafe which will be run on a franchise and the council hopes to be able to announce the name of the occupant within the next six weeks. The cafe could be up and running by December and will be open to the public and centre users.

The first occupants of the centre will be the council's port services in the section which overlooks the River Nene.

There is a separate reception and offices for marine services and the harbour master. The port service has separate outside walkways and a dedicated room for the yacht club with a licensed bar area.

The business centre also has a large conference room on the top floor – called the Richard Young Room – which can be booked by anyone. It seats 90 but can also be divided in two smaller areas, with full facilities for plasma screens and displays.

Clive explained, in time, this room could also become a venue for weddings and other functions.
"We are keeping our options open," he said.

There is also a downstairs exhibition room called The Gallery which will be open to local artists to display their work and for the public to come and admire.

The centre has its own wind turbine to generate power into the National Grid.

It is hoped the outside paved and landscaped Harbour Square will encourage people to sit and enjoy a cosmopolitan atmosphere with entertainment. It could almost be Wisbech's equivalent to Canary Wharf.

The vision for the regeneration doesn't stop here as, Clive explained, expanding the marine facilities is the direction to go.

"We are looking to create a marine sector down the port. We have got the hoist and we are hungry to rejuvenate this side. Our aspirations are for a marine sector and the viability of the port. A marina is a natural progression," said Clive, who would like to see small boat builders and engineers set up business.

The tall ships are due to visit the port next year and there is great excitement on the horizon.

"We are very excited about what we have got here. It is a big asset to Wisbech and the surrounding area," said Clive.