Work on the University of Bristol's new £500m Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus will get underway next month, after the university signed contracts with a construction firm.
Contractor Sir Robert McAlpine will begin work on the campus at Cattle Market Road, next to Temple Meads Station, which will be home to 4,600 students and 650 university staff. Residential accommodation on Temple Island will provide further living space for around 900 students.
The new campus, on the site of the former Royal Mail sorting office, will open in 2026 as a 38,000 sqm academic building home to the University's Business School. digital engineering research groups, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre, and provide dedicated facilities for enterprise and community partners.
The campus will strengthen the data science, digital innovation, creative industries, cyber and quantum technology sectors that are already in Bristol and the West of England.
Professor Evelyn Welch, vice-chancellor and president of the University of Bristol, said: “Today really is a landmark day – not just for the University of Bristol but for the city as a whole. The Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus has been designed to meet the needs and nurture the aspirations of our students, staff and partners across the city and the wider region. It provides outstanding facilities to build on our collective strengths in research, innovation, learning and societal change. We are delighted to be working with Sir Robert McAlpine to bring these new facilities to life.”
Sir Andrew McAlpine, partner at Sir Robert McAlpine, added: “This state-of-the-art academic facility at the heart of Bristol Temple Quarter’s regeneration project will bring huge socio-economic benefits to the city and the region. We look forward to working with the University of Bristol to bring their vision for the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus to life. Our teams of experts take pride in delivering outstanding facilities and making a long-lasting, positive impact on local communities for future generations.”
The campus, a minimum of 50% of supplies for which will come from within a 30-mile radius, is a catalyst for the wider redevelopment of Bristol Temple Quarter, which is the city’s biggest-ever regeneration project. It's estimated the project will create 22,000 new jobs, 10,000 new homes and new purpose built student accommodation developed by third party providers. It also hopes to introduce more inclusive routes into education and bring £1.6b a year to the city economy.
With a refurbished Bristol Temple Meads station, it has been reported that the "area will become a world-class gateway to Bristol and the West of England." With a new entrance opening directly onto the campus, it will also join the city centre to the east of Bristol with new walking and cycling paths.
The University of Bristol is working closely with Bristol City Council, the West of England Combined Authority, Network Rail and Homes England to achieve these aims. The project already received a £95m government funding boost in June 2022.
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “Temple Quarter will help deliver even more of the sustainable homes, innovation, jobs, and infrastructure that Bristol needs, including for the communities in and around the regeneration area. Delivering the University of Bristol’s new Enterprise Campus will help our city continue to strengthen its position at the centre of our regional economy. This is another milestone for Temple Quarter, after we secured £95 million last year to help transform Temple Meads. Our landmark investment will help to unlock 22,000 new jobs and 10,000 new homes in this part of our city – bringing a £1.6 billion annual boost to Bristol.”
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