First look at £14m development in Lichfield
This is the first look inside a £14million regeneration development in Lichfield city centre.
Six months on from the start of work at the Friary Outer site, contractors say they are on schedule for completion next year – despite a summer of bad weather.
A four-storey block of 55 apartments for older and vulnerable people is nearly halfway through completion, with an expected opening date of July. The steel structure and the concrete walls of the building – which wraps around three sides of the 1.8 acre site – have been completed and workers are now installing windows, flooring and electrics in each of the rooms.
A single-storey block of six affordable flats is also being built at the front of the site and are set to open in April. The four-storey car park, currently being built, will provide more than 400 spaces from February.
The last piece of the development will be a 79-bedroom Premier Inn hotel and a restaurant. Work will start on the final phrase in January and be finished by the end of next year.
Miller Construction was appointed to build the development. Site foreman David Bamford said: "The whole scheme is on track and should all be done by the end of next year.
"We had a few problems with the weather, but we were able to catch up on time by working some weekends. We have around 60 people working on the site most days now."
The developer is planning to hold two open days on November 9 and 10.
Walk-around tours of the site on each of days will run from 10am.
