Work to demolish the derelict building, paving the way for the creation of a brand new £25m higher education facility has begun.
Now that all the planning requirements have been met in full, demolition is underway. Following an internal strip out, the building will be demolished from the centre outwards, using pickers and cranes. Once this has taken place then the rear of the building and finally the façade will be removed. Secure fencing will be in place around the site and when the façade is removed, large scale protective shields, the height of the building will prevent any fall-out onto the front of the site. Demolition is expected to take around four months. Once demolition work is complete then the build of a new £25million university campus will begin in early 2024. Worcester University will run a nursing college from the site and will provide university-level courses for the health sector, with a view to opening in September 2025.
Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said:
"It’s taken a lot of work behind the scenes over many years to bring this project to fruition and I’m so glad to see the major work finally beginning.
"This is an exciting day for Dudley as we leave behind the past and begin the journey of creating a new state of the art university facility which will benefit the people of our borough and beyond for years to come."
The project is being spearheaded by Dudley Council, one of the members of the Dudley Towns Fund Board will begin who were successful in bidding for £25m from the government’s £178.7 million Towns Fund. The board’s members include Dudley Council, Dudley College of Technology, University of Worcester, tourist attractions and other key organisations in Dudley.