BEYOND THE BUILDING: November 2023

GMI SET TO DELIVER ￡50M YORK STUDENT ACCOMMODATION SCHEME WITH OLYMPIAN HOMES ??

GMI Construction Group PLC has secured a contract with Olympian Homes for the construction of a ￡50 million student accommodation scheme on the site of a former cinema and Bingo Hall in York.

Located to the south east of the city centre, in the Fulford area, the 80,000 sq foot site will feature a four storey building comprising of 275 beds and facilities including a gym yoga studio, games room, co-working and group dining areas. In recognition of the location’s history the scheme will feature a cinema.

Other facilities will include integrated cycle parking and landscaped courtyards.

This is the latest purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) development to be delivered by Olympian Homes, which is also active in hotel, Build to Rent, co-living and affordable housing sectors. This project is being delivered in partnership with funder Cain International .

GMI has worked closely with Olympian Homes and its professional team throughout the Pre-Construction Services Agreement period to develop a buildable, cost-effective and sustainable design.

Construction is due to begin in the coming weeks, following the completion of archaeological works.

The site is located within an area of archaeological importance and adjacent to the Central Core Historic Conservation Area.? An open day displaying any finds will be held at the site once the archaeological works are complete.

Olympian Homes’ scheme will be named Rialto House, recognising the famous cinema that once stood on the site.? Opened in 1913 and demolished in 2003, the cinema played host to many famous performances, including The Beatles who performed there four times in 1963.

Latterly the site of the cinema became a car park for the adjacent bingo hall, which has also since closed and is included in the footprint of this PBSA scheme.

The development supports the need to address the shortage of PBSA in the city. ?Following analysis of the rental markets of the top 50 UK universities it was reported earlier this year that York had the highest demand for PBSA in the country.

GMI, which will utilise a predominantly local supply chain on the project, is highly active in the PBSA market, with this new development brining the number of student beds it is building in York to almost 600.

This includes 303-beds at a scheme in James Street on behalf of York-based S Harrison Developments Ltd , which is currently under construction

Andrew Hurcomb , GMI Construction’s Regional Director for Yorkshire, said: “We are delighted to have secured this contract with Olympian Homes, which is allowing us to continue to contribute to the creation of much needed purpose-built student accommodation in York.? Rialto House is a great location, close to the city centre and the university campuses and will support the city in attracting students who want to study in this beautiful and historic city.”

James L. , COO & Development Director at Olympian Homes, said “This marks the delivery phase of another scheme for Olympian Homes and aims to address the undersupply of high-quality, purpose-built student accommodation within York. It has been a pleasure to work with the Council, local stakeholders and GMI to deliver this scheme.

William Sharpey MRICS , Senior Construction Manager at Olympian Homes, said: “From identifying GMI as our Contracting Partner on Rialto House to getting on site it has been a positive journey, not without its challenges in a difficult economic environment for construction. I look forward to working with GMI on the delivery of the scheme and exploring synergy between our businesses on upcoming opportunities.”

MAJOR HYATT HOTEL DEVELOPMENT TOPS OUT ????

GMI Construction Group reaches topping out stage in delivery of major Hyatt hotel development in Leeds for UK Commercial Property REIT

GMI Construction Group has completed the topping out stage of the landmark ￡62.7m Hyatt Hotel which is the final part of the prestigious Sovereign Square development in Leeds.

Situated next to the city’s railway station, the 12-storey 305-bedroom hotel is a joint venture between Marrico Asset Management and Helios for UK Commercial Property REIT (UKCM) and Hyatt.

Aimbridge Hospitality , a leading hospitality company, will operate the 140,000 sq. ft hotel, on behalf of UKCM, under a 25-year franchise agreement with Hyatt Hotels, which is growing its presence within the UK market. It will operate under the dual brands of Hyatt House and Hyatt Place, providing short and long stay accommodation for business and leisure guests.

Designed by Leeds-based dla architecture , the building is inspired by the city’s merchandising and textile past – with the hotel’s striking external fa?ade set in a sophisticated arrangement of red terracotta, light beige brickwork withy detailing around the recessed double/triple height window bays that are in harmony with the surrounding architecture.

The ground floor frontages will sit behind a colonnade, with recessed detailing around the arch-heads and down the columns, with a glazed frontage behind. It also features meeting rooms, an on-site gym, a ground floor restaurant and bar extending into the public square, together with an independent rooftop bar with views over Leeds and the surrounding area.

GMI started work on site in May 2022 following the site’s purchase from Leeds City Council . Around 190 jobs have been created during the construction phase, with 80 full-time jobs expected to be established upon completion.

Steve Ford , Development Director at Marrico Asset Management , said: “This is a project that delivers quality hotel accommodation into the epicentre of the city’s dynamic commercial, retail, and leisure landscapes. Situated in a prime position, it will be operated by a leading global hotel operator and is sure to further raise Leeds’ profile as a coveted destination for business and leisure travellers alike.”

Natalie Lever of Helios Real Estate added: “The Hyatt business model is both resilient and flexible by serving the needs of both long and short stay business and leisure travellers, all underpinned by an extremely strong brand. I now look forward to seeing the final elements of 2 Sovereign Square take shape and begin to make a valuable contribution to the city’s economy.”

Michael Clements, Senior Asset Manager at UK Commercial Property REIT (UKCM), said: “This is our first significant investment in both the city of Leeds and the operational hotel sector, and so the topping out of this 305-bedroom hotel in Leeds is an exciting milestone for us as we move towards its opening next year. Once complete, this project will be a brilliant, new addition to the Leeds City skyline and will provide a high-quality offering for professionals, businesses and tourists alike.”

Chris Weathers , GMI’s Group’s Commercial Director, said: “Topping out is a real milestone moment, which signals the countdown to final completion. It’s not only a statement building, but also represents the culmination of the wider Sovereign Square development, which has succeeded in regenerating the area and making it one of the city’s go-to destinations.”

GMI AND ALUMNO REACH THE TOPPING OUT PHASE OF KEY BIRMINGHAM STUDENT DEVELOPMENT ??

GMI Construction Group has topped out a new ￡24 million student accommodation scheme in Birmingham being built on behalf of student residence specialists Alumno and funder Woh Hup.

The project, Pershore Junction, in Dogpool Lane is regenerating a former brownfield site used by BT creating much needed accommodation for students attending the city’s universities and dental hospital.

It is planned to be completed for the 2024 academic year student intake.

This is the latest student accommodation scheme GMI Construction is delivering in partnership with Alumno and follows the recent completion of The Terry Frost Building, a 411-bed development in Leeds.

Pershore Junction will comprise of a mix of cluster beds and single occupancy studio rooms for 167 residents, along with a reception and communal areas, which will help enhance the local Selly Park community.

As part of the scheme, the development will include an improved retail space for the site’s original Post Office and newsagent, which has been relocated close by during construction.

The local community will also benefit from an enhanced public area in front of the building, which will include landscaping, seating and cycle stands.? Notably, this space will feature a poetry garden, which will be created through an initiative led by Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey , in partnership with Writing West Midlands Ltd .

Bailey will also run writing workshops with pupils from nearby Selly Park Girls’ School, who will contribute to the poetry garden, along with augmented reality projects designed to engage young people in the local community.

Designed by Birmingham-based architects Howells , the new building will comprise of brickwork and terracotta detailing, which references local materials, while also providing a new identity for the development.

Gareth Jones , GMI Construction’s Divisional Managing Director in the Midlands, said: “We are proud to have hit this major milestone on this development, which will help to meet the growing demand for student accommodation in Birmingham.? It also strengthens GMI’s credentials in the construction of multi-occupancy developments, particularly in the student accommodation sector, which is reflected by our continuing close relationship with Alumno.”

David Campbell , Alumno Managing Director, said: “It’s great to be celebrating the topping out of another exciting project. Our development will improve the local area visually, provide an economic boost to local businesses, and deliver much needed accommodation for Birmingham’s growing student population. As with all our developments, we have worked closely with the surrounding community and local authority to ensure the scheme enhances this vibrant area.”

Dav Bansal , Partner at Howells, said: “The elegantly crafted red brick and terracotta design of Dogpool Lane responds to several key local landmarks, including the red brick Selly Park Church and Dogpool Lane Hotel. The project also reinstates a piece of under-utilised green space as a matured setting for the building for both students and the local community to enjoy. It will provide a much needed and sustainable home to embed students in the wider community, but also a catalyst for regenerating this local neighbourhood.”

Phil Johnson, Head of UK investments for Woh Hup said “We are delighted with the partnership with Alumno, GMI and the wider project team. We appreciate all the hard work undertaken to date by the team and are looking forward to opening the scheme for academic year 2024.”

#GMINORTHEAST TEAM COMPLETE CONNECT SCHEME AT INTEGRA 61 AS IT REACHES PRACTICAL COMPLETION ?

640,000 Sq Ft Of Industrial/Warehouse Space Ready For Immediate Occupation In The North East

October 2023 – 640,000 sq ft of prime industrial/warehouse accommodation in five units has reached practical completion and is ready for occupation at Integra 61, the ￡400M Durham mixed-use development being developed by Citrus Group at J61 of the A1(M). Set on the 205 acre Integra 61 site, the completed Connect units comprise the largest speculatively developed industrial scheme in the North East for more than a decade.

The Connect scheme includes a 298,000 sq ft stand-alone high bay 15m warehouse unit, Connect 298, filling a crucial void in the historically low supply pipeline. A further four units of high quality industrial/warehouse accommodation, ranging from 43,000 to 152,000 sq ft, sit alongside Connect 298 on an adjacent plot centrally located at the Integra 61 scheme.

Sunrise Real Estate agreed a forward funding deal with Citrus in 2022 for the delivery of the units and GMI Construction was appointed as contractor. Appointed agents Avison Young │ UK , 世邦魏理仕 and Colliers are marketing the new units to potential occupiers, responding to both regional and national demand for high quality industrial and warehousing accommodation in the North East, where supply is currently at a critical low.

The wider Integra 61 mixed-use development, which is well on the way to creating over 3,000 jobs and adding ￡2 billion to the regional economy over a 10 year period, has consent to deliver more than 3 million sq ft of employment space in units from 1,200 sq ft upwards in addition to some 260 new homes, a new hotel, nursery, drive-thru restaurants, vehicle dealerships and trade counter/retail units.

The Connect units will complement the broad spectrum of industrial opportunities at Integra 61, which is already home to 亚马逊 ’s 2 million sq ft Fulfilment Centre.

The roadside element is proving to be a great success with the team at Citrus recently securing KFC , who will open a new drive-thru to sit alongside the recently opened Greggs and Costa Coffee drive-thru units. There is strong interest in the remaining plots for a variety of uses including EV charging, trade-counter units and self-storage.

Bellway Homes ’s 91-unit housing development (Clarence Gate) is well underway to deliver a mix of modern three and four-bedroom detached and semi-detached homes at the northern sector of the scheme.? This will enhance the largely completed first phase of 170 houses being delivered by Persimmon Homes , known as Millbeck Grange where many homes are already occupied.

David Cullingford , Project Lead for Integra 61 and Citrus, said: “To have delivered 640,000 sq ft of brand new high quality industrial accommodation to a market witnessing critical voids and where supply levels are struggling to be met is fantastic news and further demonstrates why Integra 61 has become a flagship project for the region. The North East industrial market is in good shape with pent up demand and as such, the Connect scheme will play a vital role in creating more jobs and investment by attracting both new occupiers and assisting those already in the region to upgrade their space.”

Matthew Stevens, Head of Development at Sunrise Real Estate, commented: “We are pleased to see the Connect scheme come together to deliver exceptional quality at a range of sizes to meet the needs of local and international businesses. The five units benefit from a skilled local labour pool and high levels of regional public investment and are set bring meaningful job creation to the North East. “The community engagement undertaken by the project team has been excellent, providing a range of apprenticeships and workshops upskilling over 100 young members of the community. We’re very proud of the social and economic impact delivered by the project overall, benefiting businesses and people alike.”

Gary Oates , GMI Construction’s Regional Director for the North East, said: “We are exceptionally proud to bring the Connect scheme at Integra 61 to practical completion, demonstrating our capabilities and expertise in the construction of large industrial units and fulfilment centres. This significant project is a great example of the collaboration between Citrus as a proactive developer, our experienced North East team and predominately local supply chain.? These much-needed facilities will benefit the region, helping to attract UK and international businesses to the region and provide a boost to the North East economy.”

Cllr Amanda Hopgood, leader of Durham County Council, said: “Integra 61 is bringing opportunities to attract business to County Durham, creating thousands of high-quality jobs and boosting our local economy. Supporting the development of sites such as this has long been a priority for the council and is a key theme in our Inclusive Economic Strategy; developing places and infrastructure so that people and businesses thrive, creating more and better jobs in an inclusive and green economy.”