The lastest phase of The Island Quarter moved a step closer to completion yesterday, Wednesday 7 June, as the final structural beam of its student accommodation scheme was put in place.
The moment was marked with a topping-out ceremony for the ongoing phase, which is situated on the Manvers Road side of the site and will be home to nearly 700 students from next autumn.
The block is currently under construction by Bowmer + Kirkland, and once completed will be managed by Fresh, a leading student accommodation provider.
Christopher Ware, property director at Conygar, said: “Topping out is a significant milestone in any construction programme, but in this case, it is especially important as it brings us a step closer to fulfilling our plans for The Island Quarter as a whole.
“From the very outset, we wanted The Island Quarter to be an exemplar of intergenerational living, and this high-quality student accommodation will not only help us reach those ambitions but also strengthen the offer that Nottingham has for students, ensuring we get the highest calibre of students in our city and attending our universities.”
Across the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, there has been an increase in students needing accommodation of approximately 30% since 2016, with Nottingham City Council estimating that there is a shortfall of around 5,500 accommodation spaces across the city.
Christian Parnell, Bowmer + Kirkland regional director, said:
“We are delighted to be a part of this significant milestone for the project.
“The topping out ceremony marks the one year anniversary that B + K started work on this site.
“Everyone – Conygar, consultants, and ourselves – have worked well together, and collaboratively, to get where we are today.
“We are now focused on delivering the project for next year’s student intake.”
Craig Bryant, strategy and business development director at Fresh, said:
“The topping out today is hugely significant as we edge one step closer to welcoming students to the new student accommodation block in 2024.
“We already have an established presence in Nottingham and are eager to add to this with 693-bed space on what is set to be the most exciting development in the city.”
The student accommodation forms the second phase of the 36-acre development, with the initial phase – restaurant and entertainment venue 1 The Island Quarter – opening its doors in September 2022.
The Conygar Investment Company – the developer behind the scheme – has also recently received planning permission for nearly 250,000 sq ft of bioscience and laboratory space which will be situated next to the student accommodation.
Pictured L-R: Chloe Osborne, director of brand and marketing at Fresh, Richard Watson, head of the project delivery team, Christian Parnell, regional director at B+K, Christopher Ware, property director at The Conygar Investment Company PLC, Zoe Kyle, principal planner at Nottingham City Council, Rachel Mottram, head of development management at Nottingham City Council.
• The Island Quarter announces student accommodation provider
