Student village to transform skyline
Construction of a towering 25-storey "student village" which will transform Wolverhampton's skyline for generations to come is ploughing forward – ready for one of the biggest cranes in Europe to move in.
Construction of a towering 25-storey "student village" which will transform Wolverhampton's skyline for generations to come is ploughing forward – ready for one of the biggest cranes in Europe to move in.
Complete with Sky TV, broadband internet access, en-suite bedrooms, gym and communal areas, developers say the luxury £40 million complex will make the image of grimy, rundown student digs a thing of the past in the city.
Concrete elevator shafts measuring nine-storeys have already been created and workers are preparing to more than double their size in the next few weeks.
Individual flats fully kitted out with kitchens and bathrooms are currently being created off-site ready to be craned into place as part of the student village near to Low Level Station.
The development, featuring three towers of student flats, has started to spring up opposite the station on land off Culwell Street and will be made up of more than 720 rooms.
Around 500 jobs are being created as part of the construction.
Bob Crompton, chief executive officer from London-based Victoria Hall which is behind the development, said: "The elevator shafts have gone up and the flats will be the next to be slotted on next month.
"That work is scheduled to take place next month and the whole development is due to be ready in time for next year's intake of students.
"We promised the city that we would provide a landmark development to regenerate the site and that is what we shall provide. We are delighted with the progress made to date.
"Next month we expect to be erecting one of the largest cranes in Europe to enable us to work at higher levels and to commence with the installation of the student bedrooms.
"All of the flats are created off-site and they will then be brought into the city in full and slotted on top of each other."
Victoria Hall already owns high-profile student developments in cities including Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester. Mr Crompton added Wolverhampton was a "perfect" location for high-quality student flats.
