McLaughlin & Harvey will now develop the detailed designs and carry out preparatory works ahead of main construction starting in spring.

Wolverhampton’s ambitious City Learning Quarter vision has reached a major milestone with the Council appointing its preferred construction partner for the new city centre campus.

The City Learning Quarter scheme has been developed by the council in partnership with City of Wolverhampton College to increase the uptake of training and education among the citizens.

The facility will be set over 10,000 sq m around the Old Hall Street and St George’s Parade area of the city centre, incorporating a site on the corner of Garrick Street and Bilston Street, where the former Faces nightclub building once stood.

It will encompass City of Wolverhampton College’s Metro One Campus, the council’s adult education service and Central Library, and pave the way for City of Wolverhampton College to move from its out-dated Paget Road site, which has been identified as land for housing redevelopment.

The proposals were initially supported by a £6.2m investment from the council and the Black Country local enterprise partnership ( LEP), which has enabled design work, site surveys and ground investigations, site acquisition and clearance to be completed.

The council has also secured £5m from the Towns Fund, £20m from the Levelling Up Fund and a further £20m from the Department for Education.

City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Ian Brookfield, said: “The appointment of our preferred construction partner now brings us within touching distance of being able to start works on this game-changing scheme – 2023 is going to be a huge year for the City Learning Quarter.

“A lot of hard work has been put in by council and college representatives, supported by our local MPs and West Midlands Combined Authority, to secure vital funding and get us to the point where we can make our vision a reality.

“The City Learning Quarter will have a visible and tangible impact on the City of Wolverhampton and its residents, making a massive difference to everyday life through direct investment in skills and education.

“We are working hard with City of Wolverhampton College to ensure we not only deliver a vibrant education hub where we improve the city’s learning, apprenticeship and employment offers, but also that we retain our best talent, rather than losing people to different parts of the region.”

Got a story? Email [email protected]