Work on a £500m project to create a world class centre for research and innovation in later living could start in the North East next year, developers say.
In March it was revealed that Newcastle University had formed a joint venture with Genr8 Kajima Regeneration Ltd to take forward the huge project to transform 29 acres at the former Newcastle General Hospital site.
The land is set to become home to a number of new buildings, with hopes that the Campus for Ageing and Vitality will become the global epicentre of research and innovation into ageing and living well.
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The project has been inspired by global trends showing that more people are living healthier, longer lives. The new centre of excellence in the West End of Newcastle aims to trial innovations that can be replicated all over the world.
Genr8 partner Richard Ingham said enabling works, including the demolition of remaining hospital buildings, could begin next year. Then the developers will focus connections, the transport hub, its green spaces and public realm within the development..
When work on the housing elements starts, it is likely to involve other companies keen to trial new innovations. All kinds of housing – from build-to-rent to open market sale – will figure in the plans.
Mr Ingham said: “We have a masterplan we believe is founded on strong principles and we’re currently undertaking a review of that masterplan to stress-test and be comfortable that it has the ability to do what the project needs, to have the flexibility to respond to the market and changing demands over what will undoubtedly be a long term project.
“The focus on potential options for development in the develoment zones is ongoing. There’s significant focus on funding and finance conversations with both local and central governemnt in terms of opportunities for funding. We can be starting to engage physically on the site with enabling works from 2023 onwards.
“On a project of this scale there will be a range of solutions. There will be direct development that’s delivered by the JV. There will be phases of development where we will carry out more of a master developer role, establishing principles, and then bring on board partners that will deliver discrete plots, where they are better placed to do that.
“There’s a huge opportunity to drive innovation in the housebuilding sector. There’s not enough opportunity work on something of this scale. We can bring housebuilding partners in to take part in that innovation.”
Robin Beattie, senior project manager at Newcastle University, said a range of other development opportunities are being explored, to sit alongside the global test bed for health innovation. Potential future development zones include university facilities, retirement living, private residential, commercial and an integrated health and well being hub.
Mr Beattie says discussions with grant funding bodies has started.
He said: “We’ve done the consultation to agree the vision and objectives, and North of Tyne Combined Authority has us on one of their strategic price lists for regeneration in the region, which is fantastic news, and they’ve already contributed some grant money towards it. That enabled us to commission GSS to carry out a very high level masterplan.
“We need to do an awful lot more to understand how many and what type of buildings we’re going to put on the site. As well as North of Tyne there’s other public bodies we’re positioning to get institutional money. Partnership with industry and other partners will be key to the success of the campus site and capacity provided for spin-out companies and other demonstrators.
“We obviously need more university facilities. We will have a retirement living offer on the site and that’s very much around moving forward on the next step of it, it’s not looking back to care homes, so we’ll have people living independently, looking at how they can have their own homes but have the support around them. There will be some private residential as well, as well as a commercial offer.”
