Northern Ireland-based construction group Graham has been awarded a £70m (€81.8m) contract to redesign and develop a building for student accommodation in Nottingham.
With over 2,300 employees, Graham is involved in more than 100 projects across the UK and Ireland and has 23 regional offices, including its headquarters in Hillsborough and two offices in Belfast.
The deal, signed by property developer Blix Group, is for the Bendigo Building project, which will house purpose-built student accommodation and two ground floor commercial units.
The building was originally built in the late 1960s and was used as a sorting office for Royal Mail. After almost 20 years of vacant land, the redevelopment provides links to Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham Station and the high street, all within half a mile of each other.
The 661-bed development will consist of studios and four-, five- and six-bedroom apartments with en-suite bathrooms. Other amenities include a games lounge, gym with personal trainers, landscaped gardens with outdoor seating areas, parking and bike storage.
Graham Regional Director Ronan Hughes said: “We are delighted to continue our relationship with Blix Group to deliver this development, which represents a significant investment in student accommodation.
“We have similar experience delivering large-scale projects across the city and are looking forward to transforming unused space into a vibrant new community for Nottingham students.”
Pete Prickett, chief executive of Brix, added: “It’s great to be able to introduce real students to our guests in Nottingham. After our first successful project in Salford, we’re really excited to be able to expand on our strong relationship with Graham.”
Graham’s latest financial results, covering the 12 months to 31 March 2023, show sales rose 15% to £1.1bn from £948.3m a year earlier. However, pre-tax profit fell from £19m to £15.1m.
The group’s directors said the group was in a good position with strong levels of job security. Cash in the bank and in hand increased from £127.1m to £177.1m over the year.
The Nottingham building is the third major infrastructure contract Mr Graham has secured in recent months. The company was appointed in November to carry out a major refurbishment of one of Yorkshire’s busiest road junctions in the East Riding.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council has announced an £86.9 million A164 initiative, with plans to improve Jocks Lodge set to begin in the spring. When completed in late 2026, it will free up traffic on one of the region’s busiest routes.
Separately, the group was appointed by Lincoln City Council in October to design and deliver key elements of the Western Growth Corridor development.
Elements of the work include the design and construction of new vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian bridges over the railway, and the design and construction of pedestrian bridges to enhance safety and connectivity between the site and the existing community. .