Coventry University and Barberry Developments have exchanged contracts on a deal that will see the development of accommodation for at least 850 students on a prime city centre site.
Work on the new £54m Bishop Gate scheme will start next month with the demolition of the former Royal Mail sorting office and subject to planning, construction will start next summer with the first rooms available from the beginning of the 2018/19 academic year.
The accommodation will include a range of room options with en-suite facilities, communal areas, seminar rooms, TV/games room, study rooms and a launderette. The ground floor will provide retail and leisure units, which will be let to national retailers and be open to the general public.
Barberry Developments director Henry Bellfield said the deal reflected not only the upward trajectory of Coventry University but also an increasingly positive story about the city itself.
He said: “We acquired the former sorting office in 2011 in what was undoubtedly a difficult development market and since then we had looked at a number of options so we are delighted to have persevered with the site and struck this deal with Coventry University.
“The university is making a major investment in the student experience by providing market-leading halls of residence; higher education is an extremely competitive marketplace where universities are competing for the best students.
“Coventry is currently experiencing something of a renaissance with a number of transformational developments in the city such as the Friargate scheme. We are confident that Bishop Gate will be a welcome addition to this exciting period in the city’s history and breathe new life into what has previously been a neglected part of the city centre.”
Coventry University – which has won the ‘Modern University of the Year’ accolade for two years running in 2014 and 2015 Times and Sunday Times Good University Guides – has agreed a turnkey development deal. .
Rob Talliss, director of estate development at Coventry University, said: “Our plans to work with Barberry Developments to transform the Bishop Gate site mark the latest in a number of exciting developments by the university which are contributing to a fresh new look and vitality in key parts of the city.
“The continued improvement in our accommodation provision in Coventry is crucial as the university’s success moves it up the national rankings and attracts more students from all over the world who will contribute to the city’s and the region’s economy.”
Councillor Kevin Maton, Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration added: “I’m delighted that Barberry and Coventry University’s high quality scheme will transform this part of the city centre and bring much needed life to an area that’s pretty much of an eyesore at the moment.
“It’s a key part of the jigsaw that’s seeing a further half billion pounds worth of investment into the city centre. Coventry University’s success is key to the city’s success, and providing more quality homes for students here is breathing new life into the city centre. Increasingly students are choosing to live and – often – work here throughout the year and are bringing real economic benefits to the city centre.”