A MASSIVE redevelopment plan by Coventry University could bring a hotel, shops and hundreds of new homes to a high-profile site in the city centre.
The university said it wanted the site of the former Civic Centre – which sits opposite the Council House and was most recently the Assembly Festival Gardens – to bring community benefits, new jobs and an economic boost to the city.
The multi-million-pound plan includes community related projects linked to other public services, alongside residential property, hotels and retail use, linked together by public spaces.
The university’s last development in Coventry was the Delia Derbyshire building, which was designed with a similar community focus and has been named the Royal Institute of British Architects West Midlands Building of the Year.
The university has chosen VINCI UK Developments and ION Developments as the preferred bidders for the scheme.
An artist’s impression of how the city centre site could look once developed.
Professor John Latham CBE, Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University, said: “This is a prime site in Coventry city centre and we want to see it used for something that will benefit the university and the city as a whole, which was at the forefront of our choice of preferred development partners for the scheme.
“The site was originally bought pre-pandemic to become the home for our research and administration functions. Since then we have seen significant change in how we use our campus estate and engaged with our partners at Coventry City Council, Arts Council and British Council on the City Centre Cultural Gateway development.
“That means we can use this site for wider developments that create jobs and add to the prosperity and continued revitalisation of the city and explore partnerships that would add real social value.”
Coventry University Group has recently revealed that planned investment by partners in the university’s branch and branded campuses around the world – including campuses in Egypt, Morocco, China, Kazakhstan, Singapore and India – has hit £1billion over the last five years.
Prof Latham added: “While we are expanding our global footprint, we are committed to all our UK communities and working with partners who can help deliver better futures.
“In Coventry, we are working with others to deliver energy sustainability by connecting to the city’s district heating system thanks to a government grant, developing a new multi-storey car park and charging grid, and opening our revamped conference centre facilities on our Technology Park in July.
“We expect to be able to announce more collaborations in the near future, all with community benefits.”
Graham Lambert, Managing Director at VINCI UK Developments, said: “VINCI UK Developments, in conjunction with our colleagues at ION Developments, is hugely excited to be appointed as preferred developer to collaborate with Coventry University to realise the potential in this amazing location at the heart of Coventry.
“We share the ambition of the university, city council, local community and businesses in seeking to revitalise and reimagine the Civic Centre site, building on the work already done by the university on the scheme.
“We look forward to bringing forward flexible and diverse spaces – centred on quality of place – to complement the progression and renewal of the wider city core.”
