Hillsborough-headquartered construction giant Graham has been selected as part of a consortium selected as preferred bidder and delivery partner for the redevelopment of the University of Manchester’s Fallowfield Campus following a competitive tendering process.
On completion, the multi-million pound campus will offer 5,400 student beds, replacing the existing older accommodation on-site and delivering 3,300 updated bedrooms to meet the growing demand for high-quality, modern bedrooms across the popular campus.
The Viridis consortium is made up of Equitix (infrastructure investor, developer and manager), Graham (investor and construction) and Derwent FM (facilities management).
The consortium and the university will now work together to further develop its Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) delivery plans, with the aim of reaching financial close by summer 2025.
Dr Simon Merrywest, director for the student experience at University of Manchester said: “We’re delighted to have reached another key milestone in the progression of our plans for the Fallowfield campus redevelopment with the selection of Viridis as preferred bidder and our delivery partner.
“Clearly, there remains a lot of work to do in order to reach financial close on this exciting programme by next summer.
“These plans show our commitment to providing our new and returning students with modern, high-quality accommodation.
“This much needed update to one of our most popular student campuses will help us to continue to meet the needs of our student population by delivering well-connected, serviced, modern accommodation in a supportive and inclusive environment.”
Graham chief executive Andrew Bill said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the University of Manchester to deliver its vision for the Fallowfield programme.
“Together, we will focus on creating an exemplar sustainable campus that will enhance the experience of the university’s next generation of students.”
Being chosen in the Viridis consortium is the latest key milestone for the privately-owned national construction and development company Graham, which last years reported sales of £1.1 billion and which operates from a network of 17 offices across the UK and Ireland, where it employs 2,500 staff.
