Contractors on alert for £284m London university job | Construction News

London Metropolitan University has released the first details of a bumper development scheme.

The university is looking for a single contractor to deliver £284m worth of work to its campuses in Holloway, Aldgate and Shoreditch.

The work will include constructing new buildings across the university, providing advice on maintenance and delivering the university’s social value and net-zero targets.

Under its estates strategy, launched in 2022, the university committed to making “large-scale investments” in the years to 2032 to develop its buildings and infrastructure.

The work will include substantial decarbonisation of its buildings, and work to “address the inefficiencies and risks” associated with the buildings. In particular, the contractor will focus on improving the condition of the university buildings and their functional suitability.

It expects to develop a 10-year partnership with both a tier-one contractor and a facilities-management firm.

The work will include a “masterplan” at its Holloway Road campus (pictured), which will include the development of new student accommodation and teaching space.

Under the university’s estate strategy, it is aiming for 90 per cent of its buildings to be category B in building condition – described as satisfactory.

Currently, more than half the buildings at its Holloway Road campus, and more than 60 per cent of its Aldgate campus, are category C or lower.

The university has committed to becoming carbon net-zero by 2030.

It is looking to engage with contractors on the current supply and economic conditions, benchmarking of market approaches to contract delivery, and the “feasibility of its vision”.

Interested contractors are asked to contact the university at strategic-procurement@londonmet.ac.uk by 24 May.

London Metropolitan University expects to release a tender this summer.

The news follows the University of Greenwich’s announcement last month of major plans to deliver £300m worth of work at its sites.

Construction News has previously explored how university capital expenditure programmes soared after the 2010 tuition-fees increase prompted many institutions to upgrade their campuses.