Designed by architects Sheppard Robson, LJMU’s scheme will see the creation of a ‘Student Life’ building and a new indoor sports facility on the three-and-a-half-acre site. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool John Moores University’s £64m plan to redevelop the city’s former Royal Mail sorting office at Copperas Hill has secured planning consent.
Designed by architects Sheppard Robson, LJMU’s scheme will see the creation of a ‘Student Life’ building and a new indoor sports facility on the three-and-a-half-acre site.
The Student Life building will provide a range of student-facing services, including advice and wellbeing services, careers advice, international exchanges, an area for individual and group study, and the Students’ Union (JMSU).
The two-storey sports building will include facilities such as an eight court sports hall, three multi-purpose halls, a gym and staff facilities. The development will also create attractive public open spaces, which will benefit the local community as well as students and staff.
LJMU has appointed Morgan Sindall Construction and Infrastructure as the contractor to carry out the development. Work is scheduled to start on site later this year, with completion scheduled for 2020.
The Copperas Hill project is part of a wider LJMU redevelopment programme, which will see a number of new facilities built by the university.
Professor Phil Vickerman, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Initiatives) at LJMU, said: “These new facilities will really enhance the university experience for our students and will help to link the different areas of our campus.
“Alongside Sensor City it will also strengthen the Knowledge Quarter, which is rightly regarded as one of the UK’s primary sites for research and innovation.
“The work will drive forward the regeneration of this key gateway site and completely transform the public realm and open spaces. This commitment to our community, the city and the wider city region perfectly reflects and supports our vision of LJMU as a pioneering modern civic university.”