Final build phase commences at £60m college campus development
The £60m Quarry Hill Campus, which is being built to house two Schools for Leeds City College, has reached a major milestone.
The second of two 40 metre high, 50m radius tower cranes has now been removed from the city’s skyline.
Removal of the crane marks the completion of exterior building works, with the focus now shifting to fit-out and completing interior works, access works and landscaping.
The new Quarry Hill Campus, which will support up to 3,000 students from Summer 2019, will be the new home for the School of Social Science and School of Creative Arts.
received financial backing through a grant from the Leeds City Region Growth Deal, delivered jointly by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA),
The building will comprise brand new facilities, including a 200-seat theatre, as well as photography and recording studios, science labs, outdoor working spaces and a complimentary therapy room.
The removal of the crane, which was overseen by main contractor to the £60m build, Wates Construction, was carried out over the course of a day.
Wates said that the constraints of the site made the operation “complex” with tight schedules for vehicles attending, in order to remove the crane in sections. The crane was one of two which operated on the site from September 2017, each with the capacity to lift 80 tonnes of material.
The Quarry Hill Campus is part of a wider regeneration of the area, which includes £300m of investment in creative, cultural, academic, residential and commercial premises.
Michael Diaz, director of capital projects for the college, said: “With the removal of the two cranes from site, we’re now working flat out with our contractor and subcontractors to complete the last elements of the project and are fitting out the building ready for the 2019/20 Academic year.
“The college has a vision to create inspiring spaces for its students, and this is our most prestigious campus to date, which will play a crucial role in meeting the skills needs of the region and the surrounding areas. The Regional Growth Deal has been crucial in allowing us to progress our plans and help develop new, sector-leading facilities.
“Being in the heart of Leeds’ cultural quarter, and an area that has such an important history in social housing, has played a key role in how we’ve developed our plans. The fact that we’ll be able to offer students in the creative industries and social sciences an inspiring place to learn, is a fantastic nod to both the past and the future.”
Paul Dodsworth, managing director of Wates Construction North, added: “The crane removal at Leeds City College brings to fruition a comprehensive build programme in what is a particularly tight site footprint.
“The project team at the new Quarry Hill Campus continue to do an excellent job on this exceptional development and we look forward to the next phase of our work with the college as we near project completion next year.”
