£48k grant helps to flip old Swansea bank into restaurant Bloomburger
A HISTORIC Swansea building has been brought back to life as a burger bar, thanks to government funding.
Bloomburger was awarded £48,000 to do up the former Metropolitan Bank of England and Wales in Wind Street.
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Manager of Bloomburger Pascal Kaczmarek
The money came through the building enhancement programme run by Swansea Council and funded by the Welsh Government Regeneration Area and European Regional Development Fund
Bloomburger's founder, Daniel Tercero, said the building had been refurbished to resemble eateries found in New York's fashionable Greenwich Village district.
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Mr Tercero also runs Swansea bars and restaurant, La Brasseria, La Prensa and La Parrilla.
He said: "The building enhancement programme grant has helped upgrade the outside of the building into a condition that respects its original character.
"This is important because appearance is a key consideration for customers when deciding whether to go into a business or not.
"Applying for a grant is a no-brainer because it not only contributes to making your property more attractive but it also helps cut down on maintenance costs in the short-term."
Councillor Nick Bradley, Swansea Council's cabinet member for regeneration, said: "This scheme has made a major contribution to the appearance of many properties since its inception.
"Attractive-looking properties are important in a city centre because they help improve perceptions and can lead to more trade and investment."
More than £500,000 has already been distributed through the programme to help revamp city centre businesses.
These have included Swansea's Grand Hotel, Hobo's in Oxford Street, and the YMCA in St Helen's Road.
Deputy Minister for European Programmes, Alun Davies, said: "I'm pleased to see Welsh Government and EU funding put to good use in a way that is improving the overall appearance of the city centre, creating opportunities for local businesses and jobs for local people."
Around £500,000 of building enhancement programme funding is still available.
Comments
by immigrant1
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 1:35PM
“This sums up what's wrong with this country - spending 48K of taxpayers money on funding a burger bar. Completely ludicrous. Costs should have been paid by the business owners.”