He ties in this philosophy with his thoughts on Urbanism - creating a complete community out of so many parts. And one of the missing pieces needed to complete the jigsaw is a ‘voice.’ That’s the next step. Trevor Osborne is backing an ambitious bid for the upcoming radio franchise to be called Castle FM. B4 Magazine went along to meet the man on a mission to inform.
Trevor Osborne admits he knows nothing about running a radio station. But that hasn’t stopped him wanting to own one.
‘What I do know,’ says the 62 year old tycoon, ‘is how to build things.’ And what he likes to see is communities growing up around the places he has built. Trevor Osborne knows what he likes and is never too shy to say what he thinks. Once he becomes one of the owners of the new radio franchise he insists it will be the best local radio station in the country. Trevor Osborne says he loves a challenge.
Osborne’s redevelopment of the old Castle Prison, right in the middle of the city, has been a long hard slog. ‘But it is all worth it,’ he says. ‘Look around you.’
We meet in the elegant, modern bar in the bowels of Malmaison. It’s the centrepiece of The Castle development: A ninety four room luxury hotel carved out of the thick stone walls of the former Gaol. In a place which used to house three prisoners to a cell there is now room for two paying guests in the space of three converted cells.
“Steeped in history” is a phrase that seems appropriate about this place. You could view Trevor Osborne’s redevelopment as the latest phase in a building programme which began back in the middle ages when the first castle was built on this land.
Trevor Osborne and his publicity team were spot on when they decided to label this present incarnation “The oldest new quarter.”
It was partly the sense of history which first attracted Osborne to the idea of developing the Castle. That, plus some sound business reasoning.
‘After I had done my sums I could see how successful the site could be as a modern retail venue.’
The sums run something like this: The Osborne Group, along with its allies, bought the site for one whole pound. Then came the hard graft and the serious money. Osborne says the final figure is around £37m and, he says, ‘It is money well spent.’
All in the detail
Osborne says he is a tough businessman who has survived because he is a ‘details man’. And the more intricate the detail the happier he is. ‘I like to think that getting all this right is one of my trademarks.’
Osborne currently has projects in major cities all over the country including an alternative spa project in Bath and grand plans for the Bournemouth Pavilion. But, he admits, The Castle scheme is one of the most challenging he has undertaken.
It is this kind of ambition and success which led him to become one of Prince Charles’ closest advisors on architecture – a role he is clearly proud of.
‘We didn’t see eye to eye on everything,’ admits Osborne. ‘There were times when I felt I was being very outspoken and I might end up being carted off to the Tower. But I feel if someone, however important, is asking your advice you have a duty to say what you think not what you think they want to hear.’
Trevor Osborne has come a long way from his first job in local government. He quickly looked for a way out so he could be his own boss. His first development project was converting an old British Rail site into housing. He and a business partner made a profitable business out of an initial investment of £5,000.
‘I left school at sixteen and started work,’ says Osborne. ‘But I have always regretted not going to university.’
Perhaps that is the reason he puts such store by education now. He says he is passionate about education and he has a lot of knowledge and experience to pass on.
He is already a visiting fellow at Brookes University but he wants to take things further.
‘I devote quite a lot of my time to lecturing and touring students around sites like The Castle. But this is only the beginning. I am keen to develop the Academy of Urbanism at Brookes. That’s already up and running. The next stage is to strengthen the links between the academy and Oxford Brookes.
Cultural Centre
This is where many of the threads of Trevor Osborne’s work come together.
‘I firmly believe that a job is not done until it is complete – of course, with a lot of my projects there is always a way to keep improving them.’
That sounds obvious but I suspect a lesser developer would have moved on long ago. But according to Osborne The Castle is just the beginning of a regeneration programme for Oxford. ‘It’s a work in progress and there is always another layer to be added,’ he says.
‘Developing property is not just a matter of “if you build it they will come.” It’s an ongoing – organic – thing.’ He says.
‘Places of work and leisure are about people. There are a lot of elements to making people feel good in the place where they work rest or play. That’s really what urbanism is about; pulling all these elements or pieces of a huge jigsaw together.
‘For example, The Castle has this beautiful hotel and it is surrounded by retail outlets of all shapes and sizes. We have everything from coffee shops to classy clothes outlets.
‘But, I am also putting a lot of effort into turning this area into a place of cultural excellence.
‘We have a space where we have created the O3 gallery. This has already put on a number of exhibitions including one devoted to photographs of the evolution of this site.
‘This came out of a chance meeting which turned into an opportunity which could not be missed,’ explains Osborne. A student approached me asking if she could take pictures to record the progress of the redevelopment. I decided to go one step further and gave her the money to fund her work. The result was truly wonderful – a very impressive project.’
Another example is the use of the old exercise yard. This is now been adopted by the Creation Theatre Company – which will put on productions in that space.
Taking to the airwaves
‘The next big leap forward is the radio station,’ says Osborne. You can tell he has done his homework here and is very enthusiastic about the prospect.
‘I see it as a fundamental part of the whole and something which could be run from The Castle. This venue is the tangible focal point of the City. A radio station can do the same over the airwaves.
‘We have put an excellent team together and attracted some impressive investors who are very serious about the project. The nice thing is that when we explained the concept they all got it straight away. |
