Lendlease's construction business is pleased to announce it has signed a major new contract with Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). Lendlease has been appointed to undertake the enabling works and pre-construction services as principal contractor at the former Royal Mail sorting office at Copperas Hill, which is to be redeveloped into a flagship, state-of-the-art University building.

Lendlease is the University's preferred bidder for the whole project and already has staff on site surveying the existing structure, in order to strip it back to its frame ahead of developing it into a university building.

The Copperas Hill development is expected to create a significant focal point for LJMU, and for the area of Liverpool City Centre where it is located, opposite Lime Street Station. It will create a gateway to Liverpool's Knowledge Quarter, and bring together the university's Mount Pleasant and Byrom Street campuses.

Simon Gorski, Executive General Manager of UK Regions for Lendlease, said: 'We're really pleased to be getting underway with our work at Copperas Hill, which has been described as a 'transformational' investment for LJMU. The challenge of retaining the existing and very prominent structure and utilising it to create an iconic and inspirational multi-purpose facility is really exciting. We are delighted to be back in Liverpool'.

The new building will house the University's three libraries (which will be combined into one facility), a central teaching unit with lecture theatres and seminar rooms, and study zones and IT suites. Sports facilities on the site will include an eight-court sports hall, a gym and dance studios, while the building will also house offices for the Liverpool Students' Union and spaces for other services including a careers centre and cafes.

Two new mezzanine floors will be added to the existing structure, and the roof developed to allow use for sports and recreation, with the total floor area of the building increasing from an existing 280,000 square feet to 355,500 square feet.

The enabling work is due to complete in August, and Lendlease is hoping to commence the main construction works in the summer, with a view to delivering a completed building in the first half of 2018. The design team for the project comprises BDP Architects, Curtins Structural Engineers and Arup Building Services Engineer.

Lendlease has already provided sessions to LJMU students describing the scheme and encouraging them to become involved in learning about the some of the construction techniques employed on the project, such as 3D imaging and Building Information Modelling (BIM).

Neil Martin, Managing Director of Construction in Europe, said: 'Working for clients on sizeable and complex projects is something Lendlease does well. We like to work closely with clients to find out exactly what they want, and we hope we add value to them by bringing both our local relationships and global expertise to bear.'

LJMU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nigel Weatherill, commented: 'Sometimes the term 'transformational' is overused but the impact of the new development at Copperas Hill cannot be over-estimated. Importantly for LJMU it will revolutionise the student experience and the physical shape of the University but it will also have a highly positive effect on the city itself.'

Major projects which Lendlease has undertaken in the North include MediaCity UK, the Trafford Centre, Liverpool Arena and the award-winning Enterprise South Liverpool Academy (ESLA) project.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About Lendlease

  1. Lendlease is a leading international property and infrastructure group. In the UK, it is the only fully integrated retail, residential and commercial provider delivering end-to-end property solutions. The company has core capabilities in development, investment management, construction, asset and property management.

  3. Lendlease is behind some of London's largest and most exciting mixed-use regeneration projects such as Elephant & Castle and The International Quarter.

  5. Lendlease is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and operates in four key regions - Australia, Asia, Americas and Europe. The group has more than 12,400 employees worldwide.

  7. Lendlease is listed on the Dow Jones World Sustainability Index (DJSI) and in 2012 ranked in the top eight per cent of property companies, achieving scores of 90 per cent or higher in a range of categories.

Lend Lease Group issued this content on 02 February 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 02 February 2016 15:41:31 UTC

Original Document: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=186950&p=irol-mediaCentreArticle&ID=2134854