More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
An MP has given his nod of approval to a new business and tech hub billed as Kent's "mini Silicon Valley".
The Hill Hub, in Highfield Road, Dartford, has now been transformed into a co-working and co-living space for local businesses.
Formerly Dartford Magistrates' and West Hill Police station, the court shut its doors several years ago and had sat derelict since.
Dartford MP and former solicitor Gareth Johnson expressed his disappointment at the time of its closure, which he said would mean longer journeys for those attending hearings.
But now after seeing the court's dramatic transformation, which has seen cells turned into office space, he has praised the efforts to put the building back into community use.
During a visit to the tech hub after its opening last month, the MP credited the project's chief executive Sanmi Adegoke and his team at Rehoboth Property with a "high quality refurb which looks outstanding".
"This gives opportunities for businesses in the local and surrounding area," he said.
"It is great that Sanmi and the team have invested in this historic part of Dartford which has now been created for businesses.
He added: "The facilities that are provided here are exactly what businesses here are looking for.
"I'm confident that the Hill Hub will be a success, it will help communication between businesses and create an eco-system for them to thrive."
Sanmi's own business journey saw him go from flipping burgers to becoming a successful property developer, turning disused court buildings into multi-million pound assets.
His first such venture was at Woolwich Magistrates' Court in south east London where he took the unconventional step of transforming the derelict building into a place of worship.
Now the entrepreneur is hoping to make the Hill Hub project in Dartford a success and says it has the makings of a "mini Silicon Valley" in Kent.
Speaking last year, he said: "Brave police officers once worked here, to serve and protect the people of Dartford.
"Now, fearless entrepreneurs will use The Hill Hub to develop businesses, exchange ideas, and enrich the lives of their local community.
"The Hill Hub not only provides co-working and private office space but also a hub of information, a centre of learning and a start-up business network with creativity, sustainability and disruptive innovation at its heart."
A key aspect of the business development will be its offer of funding support and advice to start-up businesses, especially post Covid-19, he adds.
This will be supported by a million pound fund to be pumped into young enterprises alongside, training, mentoring, workshops, and investment opportunities.
They have also teamed up with Kent Foundation, a charity offering free business advice and mentoring to young entrepreneurs and business owners in the county aged 30 and under.
