Morgan Sindall Construction has marked the start of on-site construction works at the new Multiversity campus in Blackpool town centre, celebrating the milestone alongside representatives from Blackpool Council and Blackpool and The Fylde College.
The works signal the beginning of a transformational new chapter for Blackpool, with the 115,000 sq ft campus set to bring 3,000 students, apprentices and staff into the heart of the town when it opens in September 2028.
The project forms the fourth phase of Blackpool Council’s £350m regeneration of the Talbot Gateway area around Blackpool North train station, and will complement a series of major public and private investments already reshaping the town centre.
The area has already seen significant development in recent years, including a four-star Holiday Inn hotel and restaurant, an improved transport interchange and a new town centre office for the Department for Work and Pensions, with a new government office building for 1,100 staff due to open next year.
Having previously completed demolition and site clearance works on the site, Morgan Sindall Construction has now mobilised for the main construction programme. As part of the development, George Street has closed to traffic ahead of being transformed into a new public realm space on completion.
Steven Gregory, Area Director, Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “Reaching this stage is a hugely proud moment for everyone involved in the Multiversity project. Over the past few years, an enormous amount of work has gone on behind the scenes by Blackpool Council, Blackpool & The Fylde College, our project partners and the wider delivery team to carefully shape and prepare this scheme for construction.
“Seeing work now begin on site is a significant milestone and a real testament to the collaboration, commitment and shared ambition of all those involved. This development will be transformational for Blackpool, creating an inspiring new education hub in the heart of the town centre while helping to drive opportunity, regeneration and long-term economic growth for the community.”
As a North West business, we're incredibly proud to be delivering a project that will leave such a lasting legacy for future generations.”
Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “It's incredibly exciting to see construction begin on the new Multiversity campus. This marks another major milestone for the town, with the Multiversity playing a central role in our plans to make Blackpool an even better place to live, work and learn.”
Alun Francis, Chief Executive of Blackpool and The Fylde College, said: “This is a defining moment for the Multiversity - and for the future of education in Blackpool. This represents a bold statement of ambition for the town, creating a flagship development that strengthens our connection to the wider region as the economy evolves and demand for higher-level skills continues to grow.”
Over the coming months, the Morgan Sindall team will progress structural works on the five-floor building. A number of highways improvements will also be installed over the next 12 months to aid traffic flow and provide safer routes for pedestrians around the Multiversity site and wider Talbot Gateway area, including improved traffic signal junctions, updated road layouts and new pedestrian crossings, part-funded by the UK Government through the £17m Town Centre Access Scheme.
A second phase on the site has been identified in the recently published Lancashire Growth Plan as a key transformational priority, with plans in development for a wider skills and education campus to support the college's future growth.
The land for the new Multiversity was acquired with the support of a £9m Government grant through Blackpool’s Town Deal programme awarded in 2021, while construction was awarded a further £40m from the UK Government in 2023 through the Levelling Up Fund - both now combined into a single Local Regeneration Fund.
