University reveals city centre development plans

A university has unveiled plans for a new development which it has said will bring a "significant economic boost" to a city centre.

Coventry University wants to build a hotel, shops and new homes on the site of the former Civic Centre.

The site, opposite the Council House, was most recently used for the Assembly Festival Garden in summer 2022.

"This is a prime site in Coventry city centre," said the university's vice-chancellor, Prof John Latham CBE, adding: "We want to see it used for something that will benefit the university and the city as a whole."

Coventry University made the announcement just weeks after concerns were raised about its finances.

Describing the development as a "multimillion-pound transformation", the university said it would include community-related projects, "high-quality" residential property, hotels and retail use.

These would be linked together by "exceptional" public spaces, it added.

The university said it had identified two preferred bidders for the scheme.

VINCI UK Developments has worked on the regeneration of London's New Covent Garden Market and the linking of Cardiff Bay to the city centre.

ION Development's projects include the Wolverhampton Interchange Scheme.

"The site was originally bought pre-pandemic to become the home for our research and administration functions," said Prof Latham. "Since then we have seen significant change in how we use our campus estate.

"That means we can use this site for wider developments that create jobs and add to the prosperity and continued revitalisation of the city and explore partnerships that would add real social value."

The university said the project was currently at the concept stage, with a planning application expected to be made in due course.

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