Demolition started on homes in Charles Street to make way for Blackpool's new £65m Multiversity project
Blackpool is pressing ahead with its bold £65M Multiversity development in the centre of the town.
The project led by Blackpool and The Fylde College and Blackpool Council is already shaping up to be transformational for the area.
Work is due to begin with preparatory demolition and site clearance over the next nine months, starting on Charles Street over the past few days.
The goal is for main construction to start next year. The campus will be located on Cookson Street with the first phase involving demolition of houses at the junctions of Grosvenor, Milbourne and Charles streets.
Some road closures will follow including the permanent closure of George Street once construction gets fully underway.
To support increased pedestrian and vehicular flows around the site and the wider Talbot Gateway regeneration area several traffic scheme improvements are also planned.
These include revamped traffic light junctions, reconfigured road layouts to enable two-way traffic on Grosvenor Street, new pedestrian crossings, a drop off lay by on Cookson Street and a new right turn from Cookson Street onto Deansgate.
The Multiversity is not just about bricks and mortar. It is designed to accommodate up to 3000 students and staff in a world class learning environment featuring five floors of education space, more than 70 distinct courses and programmes ranging from further education to higher education and adult learning.
The aim is to better align training with local employment needs and to support social mobility across the region.
Funding is largely backed by the UK Government with £40 million awarded in 2023 for construction and a further £9 million to assist with land acquisition.
Construction firm Morgan Sindall has been appointed to deliver the build and has pledged to make use of local workers and subcontractors wherever possible.
The Multiversity forms part of the wider £350 million regeneration of Talbot Gateway around Blackpool North station which aims to bring more people, jobs and investment into the town centre.