Balfour Beatty and The University of Sussex were joined by the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Councillor Pete West, and Maureen Chowen and the High Sheriff of East Sussex, in a ground-breaking ceremony this week to celebrate the start of construction on the University of Sussex student village development.
The new development will replace an existing 600 bed facility on the University’s campus with a new living space comprising of 2,000 new bedrooms. The village will also incorporate innovative student amenities such as social hubs and a new student union facility.
David Swarbrick, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty Investments, said: “This event marks the start of construction of the East Slope Residences project and a significant milestone in our partnership with the University. This partnership allows Balfour Beatty to bring to the project its extensive experience in the design, funding, construction and operation of high quality accommodation which will contribute to the student experience while at university.
“We look forward to seeing the transformation of the East Slope site and to welcoming students to the first phase of additional accommodation, which is expected to be ready for the start of the 2018/19 academic year.”
Professor Davies said: “This is an exciting milestone in our plans to deliver an outstanding university experience for all our students.
“A key part of this is giving more of our students the opportunity to live on campus in high-quality accommodation, and providing a fantastic, purpose-built new home for our Students’ Union.
“It’s great to see this work get under way.”
Balfour Beatty last month reached Financial Close on the project, after being appointed as preferred bidder for the project in January 2015.
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Notes to editors:
Founded in 1961, the University of Sussex is among the leading research intensive universities in the UK. Ranked in the top 20 for all UK League Tables, it also rates highly in international rankings.
The University of Sussex has more than 16,000 students and 2,500 staff, from more than 120 countries. The University has counted among its faculty three Nobel Prize winners, 13 Fellows of the Royal Society, six Fellows of the British Academy and a winner of the prestigious Crafoord Prize.
International in its outlook and interdisciplinary in its approach, Sussex is based on a single campus designed by Sir Basil Spence, in rolling parkland between the seaside city of Brighton and Hove and the South Downs National Park. Sussex research tackles major world issues, with leading areas of expertise such as climate change and development studies.
Balfour Beatty Investments is a global infrastructure investor operating in the UK, US and Canada. We provide the investment capability to deliver complex infrastructure projects. Over the past 22 years, Balfour Beatty Investments has established itself as one of the largest investors in the PPP industry, building a portfolio of 69 projects worldwide, predominantly in the UK and North America.
In recent years, Balfour Beatty Investments has diversified into new markets including student accommodation, private rental sector housing (multi-family housing in the US) and generation and transmission of renewable energy. We have recently expanded our approach from a PPP contractor to a broader developer and investor.
Balfour Beatty is developing a leading position in the higher education market, delivering a broad portfolio of infrastructure projects. These include student accommodation, academic facilities, arenas and other campus projects. Working with various universities, local communities and local supply chains, Balfour Beatty delivers high quality, sustainable accommodation that enhances the student experience, whilst also offering full-service residential property management. Clients benefit from the close working relationship between the investment, construction and management service teams, meaning Balfour Beatty can offer customised solutions for each college, university and their students.
