Council signs main construction contract for city centre Learning Quarter development
The City of Wolverhampton Council has secured the main contract with its chosen constructor to ensure the new City Learning Quarter city centre site is completed for the start of the 2025/26 academic year.
The £61m scheme remains a key priority and will create facilities for the City of Wolverhampton College, Adult Education Wolverhampton and Central Library.
The council and college have been progressing final design work with McLaughlin & Harvey under a pre-construction agreement, and site preparation, service diversion and infrastructure works have previously been undertaken.
The main contract paves the way for the construction firm, which has previously worked on high profile schemes such as the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, Coventry University Faculty of Arts and Humanities and Oxford Brookes Clerici Building, to mobilise on the city centre site around the end of the year, with the aim that the scheme is completed by September 2025.
Planned works on Central Library will also be announced in due course as part of the City Learning Quarter investment.
Works are progressing well on the first phase of the City Learning Quarter masterplan – a new £8.1m Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre at the college’s Wellington Road campus – which is due to be completed in July 2024 and is being funded by West Midlands Combined Authority and former Black Country LEP.
Council Leader Stephen Simkins said: “The City Learning Quarter is a game-changing scheme for Wolverhampton. A lot of hard work has been put in by council and college representatives, supported by our local MP Stuart Anderson and the West Midlands Combined Authority, to secure vital funding and get us to the point where we can make our vision a reality.
“The City Learning Quarter will have a visible and tangible impact on the City of Wolverhampton and its residents, making a massive difference to everyday life through direct investment in skills and education.
“We are working hard with City of Wolverhampton College to ensure we not only deliver a vibrant education hub where we improve the city’s learning, apprenticeship and employment offers, but also that we retain our best talent, rather than losing people to different parts of the region.
“The new facilities will provide a vital facelift to our city centre and will be an inspirational environment for people to learn in, also offering excellent connectivity to rail, bus, tram and cycle.
“We will be creating an environment where everyone can flourish and it demonstrates the commitment this city has to investing in its citizens.”
