UCB plans £13m campus expansion project

UNIVERSITY College Birmingham is planning a £13m renovation and construction project at its city centre campus.

The institute is currently seeking tender applications from companies interested in a range of work including architectural design services, construction and building completion.

A full planning application for the work, on Charlotte Street in the Jewellery Quarter, has been submitted with the college hopeful of securing permission by the end of May, at which time the tender winner will also be announced.

The site currently houses UCB’s postgraduate centre, a surface car park and an assortment of buildings leased to a tenant which is likely to have left by the end of June.

Some demolition work will be undertaken before construction can begin on approximately 70,000 sq ft over four floors, to include reception, teaching rooms, a large lecture theatre, ICT suites and a café.

This project makes up the first phase of UCB’s renovation plans with later stages to include student accommodation and more learning and teaching facilities.

The deadline for tender applications is March 4, with construction due to start in September and be completed by December 2012.

Birmingham-based built asset consultancy EC Harris is the project manager on phase one.

Mike Harkin, UCB’s vice-principal of corporate services, told TheBusinessDesk.com: “We are pleased with the progress and the many positive comments we have had throughout our consultations to date.

“We look forward to commencing work soon on a very exciting development for the area, providing state of the art teaching and learning facilities for our higher education undergraduate and postgraduate students.”