The proposed Nottingham College City Hub, which is set to be built on the Broadmarsh site in Nottingham, is set to be a ‘landmark addition to Nottingham’s skyline. The site, situated at the South of the City next to the train station, is set to be part of a larger £250m regeneration of the area which will see several new buildings developed with the City Hub at the heart of the project.

Nottingham College are set to speak at the Nottingham Development Plans Conference in May where they’ll be discussing the project and future development plans for the educational institution, where we’ll also hear from Nottingham City Council, Blueprint and Igloo Regeneration.

The project was given the green light by Nottingham City Council recently, along with other projects to transform the area. Those other projects form part of masterplan for Broadmarsh which would also see the development of high-quality retail space, and a completely pedestrianised area running alongside a revamped Broadmarsh Shopping Centre and Carrington Street which connects to the railway station.

The Skills Hub is one of the main features of the project, and it’ll radically transform the area with it set to be Nottingham College’s flagship campus building, and they hope to be ready to welcome students for the 2020/2021 academic year. The building would house students from all different studies, including business, computing, science and care – and it would include facilities to ensure a great experience on the campus. That would include a new café, training restaurant for catering and hospitality students, a theatre and a business hub for companies to co-exist alongside the college.

Nottingham College Chief Executive Office John van de Laarschot said of the project: ”It’s our aspiration to bring to Nottingham something truly iconic, something that does not simply fit the mould of a traditional college campus, but which provides a unique space in which business and education co-exist and the relationship between the two can be strengthened. The City Hub, and the services it will house, will provide real benefits to employers and students. When we put this hub together with the college’s plans for its other centres for excellence across the city, we will be one of the biggest and best-resourced training and skills institutions in the country.”

Speaking after being given the thumbs up by Nottingham City Council on the project he added: ”Today is a special day in Nottingham College’s history as we celebrate the start of an iconic project that will help transform the city.”

The site will offer a new green space for the community and the design of the public realm aspects of the site are being led by the city council in collaboration with residents. The building will occupy six storeys in total and the design, led by architect Bond Bryan, will complement the surroundings and pay homage to the area’s industrial heritage.

Matt Hutton, Associate Director at Sheffield based Bond Bryan, said: ”As an architect, it’s important to capture and understand the heritage of a particular site and having grown up in Nottingham, I’m familiar with the stories of Broadmarsh and Narrow Marsh. The opportunity to transform an area that was once synonymous with poverty and limited life chances into a centre that will help unlock the potential of tens of thousands of young people in the coming years, is a very rewarding prospect. The City Hub project has an ability to create an exciting destination for local businesses and education to mix, providing real benefit to skills and employment in the region. It’s an exciting time for Nottingham and I’m extremely proud to be part of it.”

The project is expected to increase the number of city residents in work by 7% over the next three years by equipping students with the skills needed by employers both now and in the future.

Join us at the Nottingham Development Plans Conference to hear from the College’s Chief Executive Officer on the scheme along with other huge developments in the City.